Christmas Projects Archives - Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog

Christmas Pajamas 2019!

12.07.2020 by Meg // 1 Comment

2019 Christmas Pajamas

As I was prewashing my fabric for this years (2020) Christmas pajamas for my kids, I realised that I hadn’t actually shared about last year’s PJs! GASP! Blogging fail! I don’t know if I forgot in the Christmas blur, or what the reason was, but for posterity I want to take a moment to look back at last years Christmas Pajamas 2019 edition. Unfortunately I didn’t take any flat lays of them before my kids wore them unlike in 2018 when I was a very good blogger (sometimes I break the rules haha), so I hope you can handle a combo of iPhone photos from Christmas Eve and chaotic Christmas day we-just-woke-up photos. Also please ignore all giant sand patches on our lawn – we were doing some epic lawn repair last year haha.

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Christmas Pajamas 2018!

11.25.2018 by Meg // 4 Comments

Christmas Pajamas in Ellie Whittaker Gone Coastal Fabric

I am feeling rather smug and incredibly proud of myself because I have finished my kids Christmas pajamas over a month before Christmas! I’m usually sewing them on December 23rd in a mad panic, so being finished so early has feeling like it’s time for a happy dance!

It’s become a bit of a tradition for us to give the kids new pajamas on Christmas eve, so they can wear them on Christmas day. They really look forward to it and I really enjoy knowing they will all be wearing cute matching outfits when i inevitably paparazzi them as they open their gifts.

Since we live in a hot climate, they are always summer PJ’s and somehow sewing summer PJ’s in snowflakey, snowman, nothern hemisphere winter themed fabric just feels super weird. So i usually just go with something cute and summery. This year my lovely friend Ellie Whittaker sent me some of her new fabric line to play with, and the second I saw it I knew I had found the fabric for my kids Christmas Pajamas!

For the girls I made them matching mini Eucalypt tanks and shorts – both are kids patterns I have been developing slowly the last few years, and I’m really loving how they are fitting.

Christmas Pajamas in Ellie Whittaker Seabirds Fabric

For Buddy I made him some shorts with the same pattern I made for the girls using Ellie’s Seabirds print, and a grey knit tank top using the Oliver & S Schoolbus Tee with the sleeves left off. Our summer nights are so hot, even sleeves are a bit too much to be honest. I bound the neckline and armholes with grey ribbing to match. I usually add a patch pocket to Buddy’s PJ tops to make his shorts match better with his top – but it just didn’t look right this time, so a plain tank top it is! I was quite happy with the Oliver and S pattern – though the fit is close and sleeves do look really small to me. I think i may need to size up if i make Bud a tee with sleeves, as he usually likes his tee’s loose and breezy.

My lovely friend Kylie sent me some of our gorgeous labels to try and i couldn’t resist adding these “Yo Mama made it” tags to Buddy’s PJ’s! I plan to add the “This is the Back” ones to the girls, but haven’t gotten there yet. My kids are super sensitive to labels in their clothing, so i generally sew labels on the outside of their clothing. It works for us – but when the labels are this cute I mean why wouldn’t you want to show them off!

Christmas Pajamas in Ellie Whittaker Gone Coastal Fabric

Bunny and Birdie’s PJ’s are made from the Gone Coastal print and they both spent an inordinate amount of time choosing which part of this fabulous print they wanted where. Beyond the fact that at 4 and 10 their PJ’s are quite obviously very different sizes – i love that they look a bit different due to their personal choice of print placement. I just love this print so much – i think it’s the epitome of Aussie summer in a print which makes it perfect for our Christmas time.

I finished the necklines and arms of the tanks with bias tape made from all the offcuts of fabric left after cutting.

Christmas Pajamas in Ellie Whittaker Seabirds Fabric All Ellie Whittaker fabrics officially launch today on her website – I used the super soft cotton sateen for these PJ’s, but most prints are also available in swim lycra or canvas. I also have some of her creamy ice dreamy fabric in the swim lycra which i’ve been making the girls the most adorable swimmers with! They’re looking wayyyyyy too cute and I can’t wait to show you!

An amazing DIY craft gift box

12.10.2016 by Meg // 2 Comments

I wish I had been the one to think of this gift!

When it came time for Bunny’s birthday party, her friends mums began asking me what things she liked. I answered the same: anything to do with art or crafts. Bunny is a true creative, and she is 100% happiest when she is making something. That’s really all she wants to do. Every single day.

Anyway, when her party came around, this box was one of her gifts from a sweet friend, and her and i were both completely blown away. The very first thing she did was to careful unpack each item and gasp over it’s possibilities. It’s a collection of craft supplies, lots of things you could call random, all packed together in pretty little sets to be used for whatever she wanted. She has used this so many times already its unbelievable.

I think this might be one of the most amazing gifts i have ever seen – it was thoughtful and absolutely perfect, and just goes to show that sometimes the best gift doesn’t come from a store. Though seriously, someone should start selling these!

Just incase anyone is thinking of putting together something like this for a birthday or Christmas, Bunny’s craft box included:

2 pegs with holds drilled in to make peg dolls
a bundle of pipe cleaners and straws (a pipe cleaner works well for the peg doll arms, and is pushed through the drilled hole)
1m of lace
a bundle of a few different colours of yarn (this works well for peg dolls or other stuff)
a bundle of trims (like ric rac etc)
a roll of tape
a bundle of ribbons
a bundle of different pretty fabrics
a packet of googly eyes
a toilet roll
a shorter piece of trim
a packet of different felt shapes
a packet of feathers
a small paint canvas

OH Christmas Tree

12.24.2015 by Meg // 6 Comments

Leave it to Bunny to want to dress up like a Christmas tree! Anyone who has met my eldest girl will know that she is a character. She is funny, giggly, loud, full of ideas – and 100% an individual. She relishes being different, and i adore that about her.

So of course when she had a Christmas party to go to, and all the kids were dressing up – she insisted on dressing up as a Christmas tree. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who wanted to dress up as the tree.

Rock on Bunny.

My kids have an amazing ability to convince me to make them almost anything – and the second she requested this costume i knew i absolutely had to make it for her. Immediately.

I used green polyester lining that i had in my stash, and used elastic thread to shir the bodice. It is very long and very simple, and as with all the costumes i make my aim was to make sure she could still wear it comfortably for a few years. The little “ornaments” sewn all over are quite pretty multicoloured shell button things that i accidentally bought a few years ago. I was trying to go for something subtle, as i’m hoping that it means she can also use this dress as a princess dressup when she tires of being the cutest tree ever :) The star is yellow felt sewn to an elastic headband.

So there you have it!

Merry Christmas from me and my ridiculously adorable Christmas tree!

Thoughts on the perception of handmade presents

12.22.2015 by Meg // 64 Comments

So every year people will inevitably ask me if i made Christmas presents instead of buying them. It’s something i think about a lot, as there is often this unfortunate mismatch between the way a handmade present is perceived, and the reality of a handmade present.

As i’ve previously mentioned – I much prefer to buy handmade items and make things myself. This year one of Birdie’s presents is this gorgeous handmade doll from Roving Ovine (i have epic love for Roving Ovine, super fan here – she’s on Instagram too if you want to know when new dolls are coming, and these are the dolls she made for Bunny and Buddy).

But sometimes I worry about taking this outside of my family.

My time is precious, and I have little free time – so making someone a gift by hand is a big deal. It’s a big freaking deal. I really care about it. I put a lot of thought, planning, resources and heart into. If i make you something it’s because i really REALLY care.

Unfortunately, I know from experience, that this is not always the way other people see your handmade gifts. Sometimes when you give someone a handmade gift they think you are cheap. Sometimes they may think you couldn’t be bothered spending money on them, couldn’t be bothered buying a “real present” from a “real store”. EWW HOMEMADE. It’s sad but in my experience, its true. It’s a perception mismatch.

And this is why i don’t often make handmade gifts for anyone other than my family, and a few very close friends. I just can’t see the point in putting so much effort and expense into things that will be perceived as junk. To be honest, it just breaks my heart.

So tell me – have you experienced the handmade present perception mismatch? Am i wrong? What are your thoughts on handmade presents? Are you giving handmade presents this year? Do you like receiving handmade presents? Tell me!