Gifts: Given

Although I’m still hacking and coughing, I guess I shouldn’t put off recounting Xmas 2007 for y’all. I went to the doctor today and was told it was just a cold that was holding on. Because it has lasted for over 2 weeks they put me on antibiotics and gave me some cough syrup with codeine (Did you know you can get it without a prescription in Canada?!) . Hopefully this will help me fully recuperate. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!

So, for today, let’s start with the gifts I gave since it’s better to give than to receive (and really, I do prefer being the gift giver rather than the recipient). I’ll letcha all know the gifts I got in tomorrow’s post.

• Y’all already saw the chili pepper napkins and place mats I made for my mom.

• I made four or five sets of embroidered napkins for many of our friends. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures of any of them. I’ll try to get some shots as I see our friends.

• I made a set of place mats and napkins in a kind of Provence blue and yellow. Nope, no pictures of those either. (Hey, I just realized I could totally make up all kinds of fun things I made and there’d be no proof to contradict me! I also realized this is probably the leading contender for The World’s Most Boring Blog Entry Award.)

• I made three pairs of jammies for the Little Princesses in my life. AND! I have photos! Here is Makende with her jammies.

As soon as she opened them she had to put them on, right over her clothes. And she wouldn’t let anyone take them off.

• I also made a little book to match her jammies.

(There are more photos in my Flickr.)

Of course the first thing she wanted was to have it read to her. A. HUNDRED. TIMES. I was chanting, “Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, ‘That’s what you get for jumping on the bed!’” in my sleep!

(But it was worth it to get to snuggle with her!)

• Ana and Fifi got the same pajamas in a slightly different print. When Fifi was opening hers, she was like, “What’s dat?”

Ana apparently figured it out more quickly and her face spontaneously lit up.

(If only everyone reacted like that to handmade gifts!)

• I started making a Snowman Wall quilt for my pal Joansy. Unfortunately a confluence of events (stupid mistakes and illness being the major ones) kept me from finishing it. So she got a gift certificate to a yarn shop in her neck of the woods tundra. I can’t post a pic because she reads my blog. And it would be a small photo!

• I made two aprons for Mamie Catherine (Marguerite’s Mom) and Mamie Emilie (Marguerite’s Aunt). Yah, um, no photos of them with their aprons, but I do have photo of me in their aprons!

• Y’all remember the apron and towels I made for my Secret Santa.

• I was commissioned (I’ve always wanted to say that!) to make an apron for my pal Vane’s boyfriend’s mom who is visiting from, well, I don’t remember exactly where, but I think it was either Central or South America. Anyway, she picked out the fabric and this is what I came up with.

It’s reversible!

I was quite proud of that one.

• And speaking of Vane (and if your name is Vanesa and you’re reading this before you open it in real life despite my phone call warning you not to read my blog, SHAME ON YOU VANESA!), this is what I made for her. It’s the Better Shopper bag from Amy Butler using two of her (Amy Butler’s, not Vane’s) prints.

Isn’t it lovely?! If I weren’t so afraid of looking so much more like a flaming homosexual, I’d keep the bag for myself.

A close-up of the handles. You can’t really see it, but they were slid through brass grommets. My first time doing grommets. And I have to say, fun, easy, and a very nice touch.

The inside of the bag, also an Amy Butler print.

This one shows the inside pockets, of which there are two on either side.

And finally, a shot to show how skinny the bag is (and how poorly lined up the pattern is!).

And a slightly blurry shot showing the size of the bag (and me looking slightly flamboyant, albeit well accessorized!).

I think that is it. Well, that’s all of the gifts I got done in time for Christmas. I’m still working on a couple of gifts for friends we don’t see that often.

Tomorrow I’ll show you what I got for Christmas!