Monday 24 November 2014

A year of handmade gifts?



I wonder if any of you would like to join me in a challenge I'm setting myself next year?  Every Christmas I keep thinking ought to make gifts for people, and then I run out of time and end up buying them instead!

So I've decided in 2015 I want to make handmade gifts, every month of the year (some for birthdays and some to save up for Christmas). I want to tackle a different gift each month so that throughout the year I can give people handmade presents, and by the end of the year I will have some ready made for Christmas gifts.

I have lots of ideas of the things I want to make, but just never seem to get the time.  So by spreading it over the year, and trying several different projects the theory is I should end up giving a lot more handmade gifts that I have any other year.

The cushion pictured above is a cushion I made for my mum's 60th birthday.  I bought vintage fabrics from the decade she was born, so they were as old as she was, and made them into this patchwork design so it showed off all the different fabrics well.   She loved not only the fact that I had made her something, but the thought behind it.  Ideally I want to make thoughtful gifts for people, not just any present.

http://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/fabric-book-cover-project/


Some of the ideas I have so far include a fabric book cover for mother's day. I'm thinking to replace the middle strip of fabric with one that I have embroidered to personalise it, and a baby quilt for my best friend who is having a baby in March.  So those I will probably make in the Jan & Feb, beyond that I haven't quite decided yet.

So would anyone like to join me with a goal of making one handmade gift a month?  We could share suggestions and link up every quarter to show what we've been making.   Please do comment below and let me know if you'd like to join in.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a great plan, count me in! I especially like the idea of making things every month. I always seem to be finishing gifts at the last minute - once I had to sit in a car park sewing in scarf ends so my husband wouldn't see his birthday gift!

char said...

Oh, I love this idea. I am going to try hard next year to make more of my gifts handmade, so I should join in with this.

Irene Donovan said...

I am frantically knitting an aran cardigan for my daughter for Christmas, so know exactly what you mean! I also love giving hand made gifts and it would be great to share ideas.Count me in!

quirkyhannah said...

Great idea- yes please! I am struggling so being a bit more organised/commited like this be good :)

Sandpiper Sewing said...

Brilliant idea will be lovely to have things made ahead of time !

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