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| Sarah Lyte, machine quilted Rough organic edge |
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| Caro Ramsey pulled tight on a board |
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.
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| I think this is fused, machine stitched And the lettering was done on a computer |
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| Deb Smith, post card Blanket stitch edges |
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?
So What Have You've been Up to Creatively?
For small gifts, a basic little landscape with some embroidered flowers or trees, maybe a few beads, will usually delight someone who appreciates hand made. You could also find a small wooden box, make a size that fits it and continue adding pieces that fit as you continue to work with this person. Built in easy gift idea to make a collection for her!
ReplyDeleteHomemade gifts are the best kind, especially if the recipient appreciates it. Glad you are feeling better and your creativity is waking up, happy stitching!
ReplyDeleteI did a weekly challenge a few years ago in which I made small, quilted postcards. I included lots of texture and collages with bits of fabric, lace and more. Your inspirational photos are lovely! Thanks for the chance to party with you. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy making gifts and have done so for years, but more in the last 20 years as a widow with fixed income -- and some unpredictable income (a part-time job that ended years ago; sales of my art work from time to time). I knit, quilt, hook art 'rugs', and cross-stitch -- and have given gifts from all of those crafts, to family and friends who I know will appreciate them. Yes, I give my kids and granson gift cards, and my sister, too, but often included in something home-made. I know who wears knitted items and who doesn't. I know who cares for them and who wouldn't. And I have friends who are crafters but either a) do different crafts; or b) do the same crafts but are thrilled to get something made by someone else. Oh -- and in the spring and summer I make jam, and put it in tiny jars for 'impulse gifts' or 'thanks for helping me' gifts. As my daughter once opined, "gifts are Mom's love language"...I guess that's true! P.S. those little hand-crafted quilt art pieces, or a needle book, or made into a notions pouch or...or...or.. -- perfect!
ReplyDeleteHi Nina-Marie, it's so nice that you work with people you like - that's so important. I'm sure that you'll make something simple and perfect. Good luck!
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