Gifts

I try to make as many of the presents I gift as I can.  During the year the birthdays often pile up one on top of the other leaving me frazzled at times until I remind myself that it is ok to buy some presents, I only have so much time.  At Christmas there are many presents to gift all at once, in years past I have knitted many of them.  I am not a particularly fast knitter so find myself starting projects in August to get them all done in time.  I really didn't want to continue with this as it means that for half of each year I am knitting Christmas presents and the Autumn birthdays don't get a look in, so I have turned to sewing.  Oh so much quicker and some of the bit and pieces I have made using small pieces of fabric in my stash.  Stash is perhaps giving it a status that it is not worthy of, I only buy material for specific projects my stash consists of the leftover bits.

When I visited my mum earlier in the year I noted that she was using a sturdy paper bag to carry her music and stand to her lessons and the orchestra she plays with.  Always on the look out for ideas for presents I decided to make a bag.  I measured the paper bag and used those measurements to construct something myself a lined bag with a magnetic closure to stop all the contents spilling out.  I had a dabble at a spot of appliqué on the outside it's not something I would want to do loads more of but rather adds to the bag don't you think?

I always need a few small presents to gift to the children of friends we spend New Year with, flicking through one of my sewing books I found the very thing, (a place for) everything baskets.  Small pieces of fabric, a small amount of ribbon and some interfacing and you can make something which looks lovely and is useful too.  What more could you ask for in a project.  I have ended up making six of these so far, they are so quick I can whip one up start to finish in an hour!  Perfect!  I am going to make three more for this Christmas and I can see these being the birthday present for many children next year maybe with a wee piece of treasure inside?

During my youngest's birthday party earlier this year one of the mums was finishing off a sewing project, she was making something that I knew I would want to make for myself and maybe as a gift at a later date.  I haven't got round to making them for myself but thought they would make the perfect gift for my brother and his partner.  The pattern can be found in this book which is full of projects to make reusing and repurposing fabric you have to hand, I have to confess that I bought the fabric, just enough, to make these.  These are hot pads or trivets and have padding inside, I did repurpose some old towels for that part.

I still have some bunting to make and the last two knitted projects are progressing well on the needles.  I hope that I will not have the frantic Christmas Eve finishing off and wrapping up as I have in years past.........

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