Portland Timber Sewing

 Dear daughter is working in Alaska this winter. She's got a sweet deal baking at a ski resort with employee housing, discounted  yoga and skiing, sauna, & fun. Way more fun than I am having at my work.

Anyway, last winter, she was traversing Central America countries for five months (Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua). I couldn't send her anything as the mail is so unreliable to those countries. We made a video of us opening her stocking but it wasn't the same.

This year, I sewed her a 'disposable' stocking out of the Canby Herald and filled it will all the usual stocking stuffers I have FIVE days before the actual day. (Can you say scramble?)

 DD is the ONLY Portland Timbers (soccer) Fan in Anchorage and on my recent foray into Fabric Depot, I found some team fabric. I made her two cosmetic zippy bags with clear vinyl fronts for whatever.
 
I am actually making three sets - I have two other people who need these as well. I finished two large and one medium earlier today and I'll finish the binding on the other three (one large and two medium) on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Maybe tonight.

I had to run to the stores for the aforementioned extra stocking stuffers so maybe my scramble break will get my accurate sewing mojo back

I dislike making multiples for precisely the reasons I experienced today.
I had some bad wonder under (double sided adhesive fabric) that would not release on the second side. I had to re-cut and toss that stuff in the garbage and find my other bolt. Top-stitching problems. The machine gagging on the binding I was top-stitching which necessitated opening up the bed of the machine to unwind it  and retrieve it.

All problems associated with being tired and Christmas sewing deadlines.

I prevailed and I just need to top stitch the binding on the other two sets to make them gift-worthy.

Tomorrow is my last 12-hr workday (1 hr lunch)

For these zip pouches, I hand cut (fussy cut) the logo part from the fabric, used Wonder Under to iron on the patch and then did a tight zigzag around it. My base fabric was a dark green batik that offset the neon bright yellow background of the Timber's fabric very well.

The back side is that yellow Timbers fabric and is also bonded to the dark green with Wonder Under.  --  Ha! just noticed I forgot to take a photo of the backsides. Well - no light now.

  Clear vinyl in front and zippers from my stash at the top. Then bound with grosgrain ribbon (did not like the curves) and some black 1/4" double bias tape I also had in stash (which did like the curves!)

Everything is packed into a medium flat rate box. It usually takes three days to get to where she is. Here's hoping Santa does his part.


Our Christmas traditions really start Christmas morning. I start making my Danish puff pastry and then we open our stockings while that is baking.
We all get lottery tickets to scratch off next to the fire.
Then my husband says he will take them to the store to make sure everyone got their prizes. And we all laugh, 'cuz we never see our winnings.
We enjoy our Danish Pastry topped with icing and slivered almonds.
We finish unwrapping our gifts and then it gets busy with two stops for other family celebrations.

What are your traditions or what is your favorite part?
Wishing you a Merry Christmas.


***Update - Christmas Eve. Santa delivered. You rock Santa!