The simple beauty and homespun warmth of holiday ornaments lovingly made bring many a smile to all who have ever gazed on an old-fashioned decorated Christmas tree. Simple sewn ornaments bring elegance to the time-honored tradition of decorating a pine tree brought indoors for seasonal goodwill.

Decorative, versatile and functional this overcast or edge stitch is often one of the first beginning embroidery stitches taught to children. Adding beads to each stitch further allows the stitch to add emphasis as an outline to the evenly spaced, even length stitches.

Rustic, rural, pastoral, country, primitive may all be terms that apply generally to folk art. Folk art is an art tradition, intensely cultural, introspectively ethnographic, and most often distinctively hand worked and one-of-a-kind. This organic aesthetic can be used to create charming ornaments.

Consider the phrase 'thinking outside the box' as a challenge to do the same with sewing. The catchy expression is often associated with innovation, seeking original solutions, or going beyond the status quo.

As one season winds down and another is just around the corner, what to wear for the entire day can often start out as a morning closet exploration. What will be appropriate clothing from morning to evening? Consider sewing an easy transitional outfit.

Stitch up a quick fabric pumpkin patch, a flock or rafter of worried looking fabric turkeys, or a traditional folk art penny rug candle mat for a harvest table centerpiece. These are easy to sew home décor projects for the holidays.

In these hurried days of mass production, handcrafting holiday items from simple materials recaptures the joys that are part of an enduring craft heritage. Handcrafted holiday treasures to sew, share, and enjoy are gifts from the heart.

Countdown calendars, with a nod to Advent calendars, can be used to count the days in eager anticipation of an upcoming holiday or special occasion event. Use scraps of fabric to make a simple one for a fun family activity. When completed all can see just how many days remain until the festivities.

With autumn weather upon us and the weather turning increasingly cooler in northern climes that banish the warmest of summer days - think of sewing kids’ costumes for Halloween. With work/life balance precariously teetering try a quick to make costume for the little ones from just a few supplies.

When autumn seems chillier than expected, sewing projects made with fleece fabric seems a great compromise to using heaver woolen materials for outdoor wear. Today's fleece fabric can be anti-pill, ultra soft and perfect for a variety of sewing projects.