#15: Piece Out!

Jill and I are both fans of quilts, but full-size one are a big time commitment. Fortunately our favorite contemporary quilter, Denyse Schmidt, offers several excellent freebie patterns (alongside her dreamy designs for big ones) which are small, gift-able projects and good ways to gauge your quilting stamina. Those stuffed Scottie Dogs are too sweet, and I’ve been drooling over the Hope Market Tote for ages. And if your more of a traditionalist, the new All the Trimmings Stocking might just be the coolest stocking I’ve seen this season. The best part? You’ve probably got plenty of scraps in your stash to whip them all up without making a trip to the fabric store!

idea 14: aprons, not just for cooking

i’ve got a thing for aprons, and when i saw this sweet-as-honey knitting apron from madebyloumms, my heart skipped a beat! with an apron like this, your knitting (or crochet, embroidery or any portable project) is always at hand. aprons are essential for so many kinds of activities: gardening, cooking, repairing (a tool belt is really just a tough apron) or crafting. whether you sew a customized version for your loved one’s favorite pastime, or buy a handmade one, aprons make a thoughtful gift!

for an incredible source of inspiration, take a peek at Tie One On which hosts seasonal apron-making themes.

Handmade Gift Idea 13 – Chalk it up

 

I loved drawing on the chalkboard as a young student! As  an adult I make notes on pieces of paper tacked around my computer and a desk blotter when I can find one, which made me realize I need a board to make notes & to-do lists on. Above is the clever application of chalkboard paint at Wing & Clover in Rhinebeck.  Painted beautifully, their “billboard” lists all the upcoming classes and was painted with local company, Hudson Paint‘s chalkboard paint available in TONS of colors.  Martha Stewart (of course!) offers a tutorial to make your own if you’re not in a hurry and willing to experiment. Design Sponge has a few great ideas about ways to employ chalkboard paint not just on walls – I love the painted glass tea jars.  I can imagine a new life for vintage canisters, frames and lots of other odds & ends that could be improved by ever changing chalk designs & or notes!

 

 

 

 

Gift idea #12 – One to grow on

Maybe you have a few too many things on your plate to be crafting EVERY gift :) I think another way to keep out of the mall & give a thoughtful gift is to give plants.  These lovelies are from Etsy seller Augury and since they are aerophytes they need only moderate care.  I also love checking out Local Harvest for farms near me selling seeds, plants, honey and CSAs, you can search by zip code and find seeds from the recipients locale. A local favorite of mine is HV Seed Library, they even have a set of seed packs designed by different artists every year.   Sometimes daydreaming of Spring with a few seed packs and maybe some plant markers is just the cure for Winter blues.  Here is a beautiful set of herb markers from Hammermann

Just because the northern hemisphere is just starting to feel the freeze of Winter doesn’t mean it’s too early to dream of next Summer’s harvest – or for those of you in warmer climates maybe next months harvest!

 

#11: Pouches for All

I am always trying to stay organized. Keeping my supplies and tools ready for every class I teach, and every project-in-progress, requires some sort of containment units and for me, the solution is pouches. They are easy to make, and all sorts of handmade ones are available as well. I have found that they make great gifts too, or can even serve as re-usable wrapping. Here’s a tutorial for sewing simple pouches if you would like to make your own.

Also: If you live in (or are visiting) the Hudson Valley area this weekend, I will be selling my hats and clothes at an intimate holiday gift sale called CRAFTED, in Cottekill (near Rosendale/High Falls/Stone Ridge). There will be 11 artisans who make everything from chocolates to ceramics, and it’s in a beautiful historic church-turned-studio. Stop by if you can!

Day 10 of handmade gifts – Just Write

I love all sorts of text.  Handwritten, computer generated, embroidered…These two handmade “papers” would be perfect for expressing your feelings. On a larger scale we have the notebook paper towel from Wonder Thunder.  You could use a fabric marker to make your own permanent message or include a dressmaker’s pen for a re-writable gift.  I equally love this embroidered paper from Twine!  A piece of fabric printed tlike paper, a needle, the essential needle threader & graphite colored floss all make for a lovely gift you could give finished with your own thoughts, favorite song lyrics or poem or  give it unfinished to let the recipient express themselves!

Support Farmer Makers! (Idea 9)

Whether you are making gifts or buying them (most likely a combination), it is always important to think about who you choose to support when making your purchases, even if you are only buying the materials to make with. It’s best to keep the producer-to-customer chain as short as possible, and about as short a chain as you can get is to buy directly from the farmer who grows it! There are many farmers who raise fiber animals, perhaps even grow their own dye plants, and produce beautiful, unique yarn and finished products. By remembering to support them as you do your holiday shopping, you are helping ensure that these farms will survive. Jill and I love buying from people who raise their own fiber, and two of our favorites are Paula at White Barn Farm, and Phylleri of Steam Valley Fiber Farm. These ladies work so hard, year round, to produce all kinds of lovingly raised products. You can find your local farmers at fiber festivals in your area, or via their websites or Etsy shops.

Day 8 – Even more slippers!

I think Cal & I might be the two people in the world who most love slippers. What does that say about us? Who cares! After she posted the link to those lovely crocheted slippers I had to share a couple of pairs, one knitted and a sewn pair just to round out your comfortable footwear options…

Pictured above are the incredibly lovely French Press felted slippers.  You could download the pattern, use stash yarn & some buttons you already own and you could have these done by Thanksgiving!

Need a more unisex option? What about Martha Stewart’s sewn felt slippers?

You could even go a step further and use wool top or roving to make your own felt & then stitch up a pair. Either of these slippers would be great with the addition of and embroidered initial or applique!

Gift Idea #7: Crochet Slipper

I (Cal) love slippers. I also love crochet. And granny squares? Well, that pretty much goes without saying. So when I saw the Purl Bee’s Granny Square Slipper pattern, I just about melted. Seems to me that if everyone in the whole world was wearing granny square slippers that someone made for them with love, we’d all be better off. Don’t you agree?

While you’re over there, you might just want to take a gander at their compilations of project tutorials for knitted and sewn gifts as well as crocheted and embroidered ones. These pages alone could keep you busy through to Holiday 2011! So many possibilities, so little time…

You can make a musical instrument! – Idea the sixth

I love non-instrument instruments! Musical saw, washboard, in my mind some of the best but maybe that’s because I can’t actually play anything “real” or not so somehow these seem more conquerable to me.  I did however build a theremin (not the cool one in the picture) but made from the same kit, you can get one from Theremanics. The instructions are super easy to follow, and even with little to no electronic know-how you can have your own spooky sounding fun to play with instrument. The hardest part is deciding what to house it in!

Once you are completely obsessed with the theremin – which is pretty easy to do, you can then watch this documentary about the inventor which is cool in & of itself. THEN you can try building your own from scratch.

Okay maybe that’s too involved…. But you can get the kit and put it together in under a hour once you know what you are going to put yours in.  Mine is in a decoupaged cigar box, for now….