Small Gifts on Off the Wall Friday

Sarah Lyte, machine quilted
Rough organic edge

Caro Ramsey 
pulled tight on a board

 I learned long ago that I don't like "making" gifts.  I mean at first glance it seems like a broke girl's bestfriend, right?  But in reality, it's a lot of time and effort.   In today's world time is definitely equated to money. Making a gift even a small one can be hours of work.  

As for effort....well think about it...how hard is it anymore to whip your phone out of your back pocket, pick a gift on Amazon and press a button to buy??  In a day or two,  it will be easily shipped to the person including a personalize note. The other option?? You can design, make, finish AND deliver a gift.

Honestly both of those things (time and effort)  I don't mind actually....it's more the fact that most people don't appreciate the time and effort that went into the gift.  But is that a THEM thing or a ME thing??  Without this evolving into a long therapy session of  why you give a gift (to give some love or to recieve some love), let's just say, I don't like making gifts.

Well, until I do.

I think this is fused, machine stitched 
And the lettering was done on a 
computer 

Deb Smith, post card
Blanket stitch edges

I work with a Disney Princess of a young woman.  She's kind and empathetic to a fault  and it's been a challenge to blend her Gen Z warm heartedness with my Gen X snarkiness  cynicism   realism. But we've done it by finding common ground.  One of which is that we like things that are homemade.  

To that end, I want to make her a little birthday gift. Little gifts aren't as much time or effort and they still say I care enough to not buy a gift for you off of Amazon.  Especially for someone who will appreciate it.  So now that I am feeling better, I spent some time revisiting my pinterest boards and picked some cool ideas.  I posted some inspirational photos here which I tried to attribute properly but the older pinterest gets the harder it is to track that down.  

All of them have two things in common...they all involve stitch texture which I still want to explore some more and they have a cool collage element.  Plus, I want to keep the size 5 by 7 or so.  I love the fabric post card ideas too.  

Pretty aren't they?  Our team is small and we've established a rule of small little gifts...nothing elaborate or expensive but just things that say ... I appreciate working with you everyday.  Let's see if I can actually get it done by April.

Oh that's a good thing about making gifts...it comes with a built in deadline to help a girl along on her reset!

Do you have any good ideas for small scale quilty projects?

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