The kids are both old enough now to appreciate holiday traditions. They remember doing some of these things in years past and look forward to doing them again. As you can see, pumpkin carving was a big hit with them.

Sam and Claire cleaned out the pumpkins as best they could and directed the cutting of the designs. I, of course, was in charge of sharp implements. Sam chose an elaborate spider design. Claire was happy with a goofy face.

Our jack-o-lanterns garnered compliments from the neighbors!

Of course, trick-or-treating was the most exciting part of the holiday. Their dad and uncle took them around the neighborhood and they came back with an unbelievable amount of candy. I guess our neighbors were suckered by how cute these two kids are (I know I would have been!)

More holiday photos can be seen here.

I had hoped to finish my orange jacket in time for trick-or-treating. I had imagined attaching some black felt cutouts (only temporarily) to make it look like a jack-o-lantern, but I just plain ran out of time. I did finish it the next day and am very happy with it.

I think I managed to save it from looking too “clownish.” Cutting down the sleeves helped a lot. It’s not something I can wear all the time, since that neck is deep and wide. It looks best when I wear a turtleneck or crew neck top underneath it. Also, the wide neckline allows the cold in. My next jacket is going to be less “stylish” and more practical. Even though I disparaged the material a lot in the past, I’m eager to sew with fleece again. It’s easy to handle and makes perfect outerwear for the damp weather we have around here.

More details on the McCall’s jacket can be found in my pattern review.

So, as I was putting the finishing touches on the Wee Wonderful Stitchettes pictured in the previous post, I got it into my head that it would be fun to stitch up something for one of the upcoming holidays…Halloween perhaps. I started sketching, and ended up with these:

Hillary Lang’s influence is undeniable, which is probably why I think they’re so darn cute. I can hardly wait to get started on them. I think they’d make wonderful panels for wall hangings or decorations for goodie bags.

You’re welcome to stitch them too, and if you do, I’d really love to see your work!

Download file and instructions here. (The file is a Word document which has been compressed with WinZip.)

N.B. Please do not sell items made using my designs. Thank you.