A few Holiday gifts!

It’s Christmas!

I’ve been busy making a few gifts for friends. It’s always difficult when you have a diverse group of people to figure out what’s going to work.

My Aqua Aerobics group has several women that I wanted to gift a small item and had been searching my brain for something appropriate. I saw on Mary’s blog over at https://kf-biblioblog.blogspot.com/ that she had made mug warmers for her riding friends, and figured that was a great idea. I think most everyone drinks coffee, tea, or cocoa! So they are getting a Christmas mug and a mug warmer. I put together several, one of which is shown here:

My first time to applique, so it was an interesting project. I made 6" square out of two fabrics and added a 100% cotton batting to the interior. Sew all the way around the outside, leaving a hole for turning. Turn, press in the open edges, and topstitch. They are fairly quick and easy once you figure out what you're doing. These are certainly not perfect, but they are handmade. And I always remember our Hopi friends saying that all Pueblo peoples leave a slight imperfection in their works as a spirit door because only the Holy Ones can make something perfect. Frequently this will turn into an artistic signature for a particular artisan.

The other, much more intense gift is for my BFF. We all have tote bags we use for our towels, etc. when we go to the pool. I wanted to do something special for her. She’s very loving and giving and is always doing for others. I took a large “grocery tote” I had received from the local grocery coop that is a perfect size. I figured out how it was made, and copied the size for Lupe.

The outside is a fairly substantial denim, with the fish cut out of a piece of quilting cotton. I’d rough cut all the fish quite a few years ago. I think I was going to make a shower curtain with fish on it, but obviously, that never happened. After completing all the appliques, I sewed it together, and added the straps. I used a quilting cotton for the interior lining, and put a pocket for eyeglasses on one side piece and a pocket for a cell phone on the opposite side piece. Again, not perfect, but not bad.

I still have the blouse I was working on set out. It was set aside when I realized that Christmas is almost here! It just needs the sleeves installed, and the buttons and buttonholes. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of the week.

That’s all for now! Happy Sewing and Happy Holidays!