Do you make a lot of homemade gifts (whether quilty or not)? I always have big plans, but rarely get them done in time. Then I end up with a bunch of UFOs that somehow get lost in the shuffle until the next year, when they are either outgrown/out of date/out of style.
Are you making homemade gifts this year? Do you usually get them done? What are your favorite projects for this year?
I like the cupcake potholders too. I have grown nieces who live out of state and I think these potholders will be on my list for them. Too cute. I've already made a velour wrap, which came out great, for my son's girlfriend and just cut another one out for myself. Merry Christmas to me!
Mostly this will be a handmade Christmas this year. Although I am fortunate to have a good paying job and could afford, within reason, a few high-end gifts for my loved one, I feel my stitches, whether fiber or fabric, is a much better representation of my love. So far this season I have finished a quilt, several pairs of mittens, hats, christmas stockings for my grandbabies, and an assorment of pillow cases. However, my favorite is the placemats that I repurposed from Christmasy dish towel purchased at Ross. I cut them to a 16 X 14" rectangle and sewed them with backing and batting, right sides together, leaving a space for turning right side out, and whipped stitched closed. I will be adding yo-yo flowers for embelishment from my left over stocking fabric. But wait, there's more, I have enough towel fabric left over to make a second set. This time, however, I am hemming the cut edge and adding crochet edging. This is also super simple, using a tapestry needle blanket stitch evenly around with 3 stitches in the corners, build a foundation with single crochets in the number of multiples in edge/border pattern, continue with pattern per directions. For me there is no better way to show my love than handmade gifts of fabric and fiber!
Have the Merriest, Tina LV,NV muchloved@yahoo.com facebook: tina ottolino
The last two years I have made potholders for family members. I used a cute pengiun panel the first year and last year made these adorable cupcake potholders (I didn't take photos, grrr). This year I made some cross stitch ornaments and I'm hoping I'll have time to make some christmas tree ornaments from a pattern I saw in the Online Quilt Magazine. I guess by choosing things that should take no more than one day it doesn't seem too daunting. Although I have been working on the cross stitches since July.
Last year I started in September or so making a whole bunch of handmade gifts for Christmas. Some of them were well received... others not so much. So this year, I'm not worrying about it as much.
I often make pillows in a set for gifts. I make the casing and the outer cover keeping in mind the decor of the giftee.... Traditional pillows for those who like traditional styles, Modern for modern / contemporary decor, and kid favorite / novelty for the kiddies. Orphan blocks, miss- sized or the trial blocks I make before I make a large quilt, work themselves into the pillow projects. I also start the projects from scratch, they usually take an afternoon to make a set of two. I never repeat the block pattern / style so that each person gifted will know that it was just for them.
This is a great way to trial blocks that you want to make before you make a quilt.
NONNIE,
I do make homemade gifts but my intentions are always larger than the amount of time I have. I usually make a list and get maybe 50% done. I start first thing at the beginning of the new year on the things I had hoped to do from the previous year, but even then not everything gets made. About this time of year, I take stock of where I am at and determine what I am really going to finish and what is scrapped for good and what is saved for next year. There are projects that get too old that there is no longer any point in doing.
I am making a quilt for my soon to be 2 year old granddaughter (with the fabrics I won from Seamed Up!). I had planned to make a quilt for all the younger grandchildren (6 of them) but decided that it is too much this late in the game so I am only making 2 and the rest will be birthday presents.
I have purse in my head I hope to make for a friend, and a wall hanging for my daughter in law. I just finished placemats and a table runner, that I am not sure if I am going to keep or give to my daughter.
I'm curious.. if you do made handmade holiday gifts - how do you organize yourself for it???
I'm not making any this year. In years gone by when I did make them, I managed to finish them, late at night the day before they were given - of course.
Those cupcake potholders are so cute! I need some new ones (did you see the Thanksgiving Day challenge?) so might make these and keep them!
Quiltin' Jenny Visit my blog at http://quiltinjenny.blogspot.com