Homemade Gifts

I took the Buy Homemade pledge this year, and outside of a few non-homemade items (like a gas gift card for Tommy), stuck with it. Actually, I only bought a few things -- I made most of the gifts myself.

The hats (left) were for all the nieces (on my side of the family) -- the five of them range in age from 8 to 16. I love this hat pattern -- it fits everyone, it's fun, and can be personalized to go with different winter coats.

We draw names for the adults on my side of the family and ended up with all the women. I made up packages for them with several handmade things -- earrings, patchwork scarves, etc.

As always, it was a last-minute push to get everything completed. But it worked out in the end, as it always does.

The only thing I didn't get done was a hat for Tommy. I hadn't promised it, but I know he's been wanting one for a while. It's the adult version of the Harry Potter baby hat from Weekend Knitting. He wants it simpler -- no stars and done in off-white, cream, and light yellow. I promised it would be the next thing I knitted... so it's on the needles now.... (or will be if I can finally find a size that fits the gauge).

Paper Lust

There's no doubt about it, I'm a paper 'ho. I love all sorts of papers -- the more lush and expensive, the better.

The shop on Etsy is new, and still in its formative stages, but its existence has allowed me to play with paper.... in sort of a professional way.

I love making patchwork with paper -- letting the colors and patterns and textures speak to me in how I arrange them (and them sew them) on the page. Most of my first paper items in the shop have been based on the sewing-on-paper patchwork idea.

Many of the papers in the notecards pictured are from Hollander's, an amazing paper store in Kerrytown/Ann Arbor. Don't you just love the combination of red and aqua?