Here’s my Thread Tales column for the July newsletter for Austin chapter of the American Sewing Guild.

Hand Made Gifts

I make no secret about how much I like – love – fabric.  It’s beautiful in its natural state.  I also love making gifts for my family and friends.  When I give my gifts, the recipients know that someone spent time actually thinking about them.  I like that, too.

I have a long list of items that I can make as gifts.  These items are on the small side, so that I have a chance at actually making them in time for the upcoming occasion.  No heirloom quilts or wedding dresses for my family and friends, at least not from me.

While cleaning off my computer desk top — looking for something else, of course — I found my master gift list.  I counted 37 items on my gifts-to-make list.  I already have all the fabric, patterns, thread and other notions to make any of them at a moment’s notice. I’m just not sure when that “moment’s notice” might be because I have made only eight of these items, and none in recent memory.

Everyone’s birthday is recorded on my smart phone’s calendar.  And I know when Christmas is, of course, but it sneaks up on me each year anyway.  (It’s the end of May as I write this and I’m almost ready for last Christmas.)  Maybe I’m calendar challenged.  But that still leaves me with good intentions and zero results.

I looked at the calendar. My best friend’s birthday is coming up.  I looked at the pattern and fabric I bought for her future gift.  I looked at the calendar again.  Wasn’t going to happen.

A hand made gift, just waiting to happen

But there it was, fabric and pattern all kitted up.  All it needed was for someone to take the time to turn it into a handmade gift.  But, if not me, then who?  That’s when it hit me!  Judy can turn it into a handmade gift!  All I had to do was put the kit in a gift bag and voilà!  Happy Birthday, Judy!  

 (This is so much faster than actually making a gift.  However, I don’t recommend it for those of you who have promised someone to make an heirloom quilt or wedding dress for them.  Handing over a sports equipment-sized bag of fabric, notions and a pattern instead of the finished product might not go over so well in those situations.  The gift bag I used was store bought, of course, or else I’d be late in giving my almost-handmade gift.  Yes, it is always something.)