teaching sewing confidence, tip by tip

Monday 1 December 2014

There's No Soot In This Santa Sack!!!


When Santa got stuck up the chimney, he began to shout,
"You girls and boys won't get any toys, if you don't pull me out!
My beard is black, there's soot in my sack, my nose is tickling too."
When Santa got stuck up the chimney. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!

When I was little I had a Santa Sack - well when I was really, really little it was a pillowcase and then Mum bought 2 heavy paper, super large Santa Sacks - one was green with red Christmas trees and the other was red with green Christmas trees,  we used those sacks year after year after year.

My children had their own Santa Sacks - fabric ones but shop bought - you might have seen them, they're pretty common.  Shop bought or not, they're full of memories for them and me and I loved seeing their faces each year when the empty sacks came out on Christmas Eve and even more the next morning when they saw them overflowing with presents from Santa. 


Last year I made my first Christmas Stocking - I absolutely love it but it's more decorative than practical.  You can read more about it here - Are You Hanging Up Your Stocking On The Wall?.


With the birth of Grandson Oliver this year seemed like time to make my first Santa Sack for him to create his own Christmas memories and what better than The Very Hungry Caterpillar Christmas panel part of the Eric Carle collection under license to Andover Fabrics?

For full instructions on how to make a Santa Sack click through to my Santa Sack Tute here.


Cutting the panel into two sections, I added a red top border and layered with batting.


Next I free motion quilted around the print detail changing colours along the way.
It's easiest to show you the stitching from the back...


...and then some detail sections from the front.


I added a decorative stitched row along the red border seam too.


To commerate Oliver's birth year I cut "Xmas 2014" lettering from double sided fusible and bonded each to co-ordinating Andover Christmas fabrics which I attached to the Xmas Tree panel using a raw edge applique technique (see my Raw Edge Applique Tute here).


A great wavy striped Xmas lining pattern by Kim Schaefer for Andover Fabrics and I've added my label to the lining and to the outside bottom edge of the sack and joined the outside and inside with another row of decorative stitching.  Finished size is 21" x 27".  


Finished...


...and full for now with presents from Grandma.

  
When I shared pics with my kids it sparked them all off trying to remember just what The Very Hungry Caterpillar ate, they loved the book when they were small and it was fun remembering it.  Seemed to me I needed to make a couple more of these Santa Sacks, don't tell my other two kids but I've made them one each too so they can each start their own Christmas memories.


Different linings in each, these two are holly leaves also by Kim Schaefer for Andover Fabrics.


Do you have a Christmas Stocking or a Santa Sack, what does he leave your presents in?


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33 comments:

  1. Adorable!! Great quilting! I love that Christmas song, my kids were singing it this weekend :)

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  2. OMG! This is so.... adorable! What a great bag--I will be keeping this on my To Do-List! for the future.

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  3. Chrissie that is the cutest bag I have ever seen!!!

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  4. It's a great Sack Chris - Oliver (and your children) will love it/them. xx

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  5. That's so cute. Oliver is a lucky little boy being spoilt with handmade goodness from grandma! As kids we had Santa sacks. We don't have them any more, though my mum makes one for each new arrival in the family.

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    1. I love that your mum still does this Wendy special memories she's making, just what Grandma's are for! - Chris :D

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  6. You certainly put a lot of work into this! Looks great!

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  7. Chris, this is darling! I have never heard of a 'Santa Sack'. I think it is a great idea.

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  8. That is the cutest thing! We didn't have Santa sacks either... What a great idea!

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  9. Hi! Beautiful and fun Xmas sack! You have made the tree so great! x Teje

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  10. Your Santa sack is adorable! I had not seen or heard of these before. Love it.

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  11. Such a lovely Santa Sack!!

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  12. Oh Chris this is adorable!! My children love the Hungry Caterpillar and I love him with Santa! That lining is just gorgeous too. Once again, Oliver is a very lucky boy!

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  13. Love it - looks great! I had a snowman that mum filled with sweets until one year it disappeared to be replaced by a giant stocking which I still have and mum now fills with magazines and socks! Still fills it every year for me!

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    1. Memories made and how fab that your mum still fills your giant stocking?! Love it - Chris :D

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  14. What great memories you are going to create! Adorable...adorable and sweet!

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  15. Gorgeous…I love the caterpillar detail!

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  16. Brilliant! Need to make something like this before my son is too old to care!

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    1. Ha, I know I made one for my grandson but the other two were for my 25 and 20 year olds!!! They're never too old - Chris :D

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  17. This is really precious Chrissie! Our family always wrapped gifts, but I like your sack tradition so much more. Every year Oliver is going to look forward to his sack that was made by his Grandma!

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  18. Those are just so adorable and it is great that you are continuing a family tradition.

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  19. so fun!! that santa is amazing and I love the caterpillar too! You are being featured today on Nap-Time Creations! Hop on over and check it out! Emily

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  20. I love this idea - I've never heard of it but its so cute. Nice job.

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  21. Such a cute idea, Santa sure did fill it nicely. Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop! I hope you’ll join us again next week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

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  22. Interesting! I've never heard of Santa Sacks before. We just do stockings here. Love all the quilting you did. Thanks so much for sharing at the Make it Monday Party! Hope to see you again next week.

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  23. Unique Projects as well craftsmanship at its finest. Blessings Always, Mtetar

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  24. Awesome Santa Sacks, Chris!!! My kids used pillowcases as Santa Sacks, but I've made the next generation large Santa Sacks in Christmas fabrics.

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  25. These Christmas projects are wonderful Chris! Beautiful workwomanship! I can't wait to see what you come up with for 12 Days of Christmas in July!

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    1. LOL, I lost track and thought I had already commented on Facebook, but not here yet.

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  26. This looks so cool. Great work.

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Chris Dodsley


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