How are you doing with your Christmas sewing? Every year I strive for a balance between buying gifts and making them. While I’d love to make something for everyone on my list, it’s not always possible. (Can I make Legos or an iPod? No, I cannot!) I try to spread the handmade gifts around so at least everyone gets something handmade from me every couple of years.

This year I decided to stitch up the Make and Bake Apron from my book, Present Perfect, in Christmas fabrics for a certain someone on my list. I searched all over for a Christmas print that was fun and festive but not too “Mrs. Santa Claus”, if you know what I mean. The Merry Little Christmas collection from Riley Blake fit the bill!

The Make and Bake Apron is a great Confident Beginner level sewing project. It’s very straight forward and pretty quick to sew up. I think I spent the most time deciding which accent fabrics to use where, but I also think that’s the most fun, too. I ended up using a print from my old Stitch Organic collection for the inverted pleats at the bib and skirt.

 

Oh those little snowmen on the pockets are so cute! I love the touches of red in the prints, just enough to make the neutral gray ground of the main print pop!

 

I also whipped up a set of coasters with my leftover scraps! I threw a few other prints from my stash into the mix and used a variation of the Falling Leaves Placemats and Coasters project from Present Perfect. The appliqués couldn’t be easier! They are raw edged and are fused down with fusible webbing. Then I just did some free-style stitching on top using my regular machine foot.

 

Cute Hostess gift, right? Tie a short stack of them up with ribbon or twine, add a little treat and you’re all set.