How many of you are giving stitched gifts for Christmas this year? I'm
giving four petit point pictures, knitted socks, hat with ear flaps,
scarf & 4 pair gloves. I like to think the hand crafted gifts are more
appreciated than the store bought plastic imported goods. In fact I know
they are, for my generation anyway. But I'm curious to see how many
others give hand-made gifts?
Maureen
In my personal experience, I only give out hand-made gifts if I know the
recipient will appreciate them. Many of us here have had very hurt
feelings when our gifts weren't appreciated (that's putting it mildly in
some cases). Some people are fussy about how they decorate their trees,
so even a seemingly innocuous ornament can be received with a prompt
snub. Others have distinct ideas about how they want to decorate their
house. So even if an embroidered picture took hundreds of hours, it may
not be received well if it doesn't match the decor or tastes of the
recipient. Still others have allergies, so a lovely pair of wool
mittens and gloves - which can take many hours to complete in fine and
expensive wool yarns - might not suit some.
If you can't stand the rejection, best not to give home made gifts.
Just my opinion. I've learned to bake bread as gifts. Never had a
disappointed recipient yet. :~)
Dianne
There may or may not be a few beaded gifts and a scarf or two, but no cross
stitch/embroidery this year.
No time of late. But I do love to receive them and love when I have time to
make gifts for certain people.
Cheryl
Or with cookies. I was paid the neighbor's son in chocolate chip cookies
once for baby sitting. (my that was a LONG time ago)
Cheryl
Want to adopt me? LOL
Cheyrl
They paid you with the kid baked into a chocolate chip cookie. How did it
taste???? RD&H
>
Otherwise, I don't give stitched gifts unless I know they will be
appreciated. Too many people think the only "good" stitching is done
by a machine.
linda
Can you tell the sinus med leave me feeling "off"
I once paid the neighbor's kid off in cookies
I'm sorry, I was just teasing.
>
>
>
He's going to frame it, I think.
Me.
--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com
Finished 11/16/09 - Welcome Guest (The Cross Stitcher 10/09)
WIP: Nativity from "Countdown to Christmas" book, Oriental Kimono
(Janlynn),
MLI The Teacher (gift to the library), Bethany Angel (Marbek)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel, MLI Farmers Market
www.CFSfacts.org -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://cfs-facts.blogspot.com/
You haven't given any to me, have you? The shoemaker's children have no
shoes, and the baker's granddaughter doesn't like bread.
I'm giving crocheted potholders for Christmas this year. I'm a little
behind schedule at the moment, but if I can get through all of them I'll add
towel toppers as well. In past years I've given handmade scarves. I have
very rarely given crosstitched items as gifts. In the rare occasions I
have, they've been smaller personalized "custom" items that I absolutely
knew would be a hit (e.g. to other stitchy friends).
Jinx
If I ever get the bookmarks done (Cheryl's Celtic Knot) they'll
be gifted as well as an ornament I did for DM to give a good
friend of hers. My problem is everyone loves the gifts so
much, bookmarks, mouse pads, hand towels, they want to
"frame" them instead of using them. Sigh....
Nancy
They will likely cherish the quilts when they are older. My late ex-MIL
made a quilt for my son when he was quite young. At 8, this was not a gift
a boy would appreciate, so we agreed she would give it to him on a special
date, like his graduation. She told him that she had made a quilt, and he
would get it when he was a grown up. While my son was still in highschool,
this lovely woman died.
You know, he didn't forget. He asked his stepmother to look out the quilt
from among his grandmother's things. Stepmother found various quilts, but
they were ordinary use-up-the-old-clothes quilts. He persisted, and got
"his" quilt--mostly blue and a pattern of boats, recognizable right away as
a boy's quilt.
He appreciated a just for him thing, knowing she had been thinking about him
the whole time she made it.
Dawne
This year, the only stitched items are small felt Christmas trees
(ornaments) for my friends at work. Other than the one in black, for
our Gothic team leader, I don't make them with any particular person
in mind. I make a few more than what I'm going to need and then let
them choose - or not. I rarely stitch something for anyone I don't
know well enough to know that it will be appreciated. Only once have I
been really disappointed. A wedding tabletopper ended up being
stuffed back into the box on the day of the wedding and then was
scorched later when used as a pot holder by DH's brother.
Occasionally I will stitch something for each of my three sisters but
not every year.
Liz from Humbug
The doll clothes are for charity, my granddaughter and niece. They
are the American girl doll size - 18 inch dolls. That's been a fun
time - I've even made gold jackets, fairy outfits and ballet outfits
in both sewn and crocheted varieties.
Other crafting - acrylic painting of a fox for my oldest daughter and
a purse created from the cover of an old Reader's Digest condensed
with co-ordinating fabric liner. The pattern used a hot glue gun but
I'd stitch more of it next time. She teaches literature and I'd like
to find an old Shakespeare or Poe to make next time. I also scrapbook
and have made my niece and nephew pages since their birth, mostly of
outings that we did with them. They are 10 and 11 so now they include
pages on sports, band concerts, etc. Moni
> Lol I was going to let that go, but in the next post I saw she
> couldn't even spell her own name and figured she already tried Freds
> cherries - ach - no wait a minute, maybe that doesn't sound right
> either lol
SHEENA!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!
I often give hand-stitched gifts to at least a few people but not this
year. I've been working on my nativity (for me) and the up-coming
grandchild's blanket.
Hmmm. Baked gifts might be just the thing this year!
Joan
Not me. I got shot down a few years ago when I handed out ndlpt
ornaments and got nary a thank you from most recips. I guess they
wanted to know I'd spent real MONEY on some junk.
Unless the recip does ndlpt herself, I won't gift in that manner.
Right now, no plans for any needle gifts.