Slowly making progress... I think.

I've been gradually working on getting the christmas presents done for my six nieces. I have five done. The last proves to be the one requiring the most work. I'm crocheting a chess board. I've made 32 white granny squares. I now need to make 32 dark blue granny squares. The bag for holding the chess pieces is finished, though I've discovered that the extra chess pieces are missing 4 white pawns, a white knight, and a black rook. I think I'm going to need to go buy a cheapie chess set and scavenge the pieces out of it.

I have the aprons for my brother-in-law's girls done. They're getting some kitchen toys and aprons. As they've been starting to learn how to cook, I've decided to give something that encourages it. The hats for my youngest brother's children are done. I still need to finish piecing together and sewing the small quilt that I started for my son. The boy has a small army of blankets, but I wanted to make him a quilt, too. I'm about a third of the way finished with the piecing together of the squares of fabric.

I made the multicolored blanket that my husband wanted. I now want to make him something else for christmas. He knows about the blanket, I want to give him something that will be a nice surprise. I'm not entirely sure what it will be yet, but I'll figure something out. I finished the crocheted shawl from my husband's grandmother, as I learned that the woman doesn't exactly like the one she has right now. I still need to sew up the cell phone cozy and the purse that I made for my husband's cousin.

Aside from the quilt that I'm making for my son, I believe that I'm also going to make him a toy. I'm just not sure what to make. I've a few different options, as it stands I'm leaning towards a teddy bear or a lion. I'm not entirely sure which I prefer. I do still need to cut out, piece together, and sew the doll for my youngest niece. I'm fairly certain that I'll have the sewing done by the end of this week. I may even have the last bit of stitching that I need to do on the baby blanket for my son finished as well. This was a blanket that I started quite some time ago and I didn't get it completed until now. I just don't like how the last bit of stitching came out, so I am probably going to pull it out and resew it.

I have the gift for my sister-in-law finished. I'm giving her some orange scented bath salts, a bottle of apple-pie scented bubble bath, and (if I can manage it) some lavender infused white wine. I've been debating what to give my mother this year and I think that we're going to do like we had discussed when we got the portraits done of the boy. We'll need some cheapie picture frames, but it'll make a wonderful gift for the grandparents!

I was hoping to beable to get some photo books made by christmas of the wedding pictures. It doesn't appear that it will work out that way this year. I still want to get that done, so it may be a matter of printing things up at home and binding them at Kinkos or something. I'm not sure. I will be making a cover for the little cooking journal that I'll be giving my other sister-in-law for christmas.

So, I guess I am making progress. It just doesn't feel like it when I'm in the middle of working on stuff. It feels like I'm slogging my way thru needlecraft hell.

That said, I wonder what I should surprise my husband with...