The end of the year always fills me with excitement. It begins with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. I start to plan hand-made gifts for family and friends around the end of September. This year I intend to make some cozy lap quilts for J's family. Very ambitious, so I better get started, because before you know it, BAM, the holiday season will be just around the corner!
Gifting always makes me fuzzy inside. I don't know if I'm the oddball, but I prefer to give than to receive. I love planning, making and finally wrapping the gift, with a specific recipient in mind. The process is taxing, but it is so rewarding when you see the faces of your loved ones receiving something you had so carefully crafted.
Some of you might remember my ambitious twin sized quilt project. Here is the finished product. My friend was quite speechless when she received her gift, she sat and stared at the squares for a while. It was totally worth the blood, sweat and tears (in retrospect, of course).
I also bought a stack of Eric Carle's Brown Bear Brown Bear fabrics to make a baby quilt for my friend's son. It was a happy coincidence that Brown Bear Brown Bear was Dex's favorite book. Here he is, playing happily on his quilt.
That said, receiving gifts is always a lovely surprise. I hadn't had the time to post, this was from a while ago, but Jess from Avant-Garde Living sent me a personalized cross-stitch in a gilded frame. Isn't that awesome? I was torn between displaying it or sewing it onto one of my canvas tote bags. I finally decided to display it in my craft room.
Finally, my dear friend S, surprised me with a lovely musical box in the form of a sewing machine! She had fretted about how I would be able to carry it in my luggage, but I made sure I had room for it! It is a miniature old fashioned sewing machine with a step pedal, complete with fabric and a presser foot that moves up and down when you wind it up! Too cute!
Happy gifting season!
The quilt turned out beautiful! You must be so proud of yourself, it was an enormous effort, but as you say worth it in heaps because the (lucky) recipient loved it so much. That music box sewing machine is adorable! I love miniature sewing machines.
ReplyDeletePs and thanks so much for the heads up re Ikea, half my family is Scandanavian so I like to incorporate Nordic decorations at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAltho' I'm into handmade and I always appreciate the handmade stuff I get from craft friends, for my birthdays and wedding anniversary, I really prefer the non-handmade ones. Like factory made clothes and accessories. Horrible, right? But I'm not someone who has to be clothed head to toe in handmade. I enjoy receiving than giving and long ago, I decided never to gift anyone anything I made as gifts. They have to buy from me.
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