Thursday, January 6, 2011

Gift-Making

I told the kids that sometimes Mom and Dad feel like Santa's elves! December was a mad rush of making gifts, and I never even started some of the projects I wanted to make. Oh well, the ones that got done were fun, anyway!

Mark made Paige, Shae, and Wynne bunk beds for their dollies. We found the pattern here, and I was so thankful for the measurements for mattresses/blankets/pillows too!

It was truly a collaborative project. I honestly don't remember the last time my husband and I worked together on something (was it when the babies were born?? sorry didn't mean to get bawdy there)! I dove into my fabric stash and made 6 mattresses, 6 comforters, 6 pillows, and 6 pillowcases. I went through 1 bobbin case, 9 partially-used spools of thread, 2 bags of Goodwill stuffing, and a few feet of rick-rack...but it was fun! I made the "comforters" reversible, as you can see. The peach ones match the twins' real bedspreads, and the princess one goes in Wynne's pink room.

I just love the trim on this pillow set. The colors are a little crazy, but that is the beauty of toy-making...anything goes! Do you see those buttons on the mattresses? I only had time and resources to sew 4 buttons into each mattress. That may sound like a trifle, but multiply 10 minutes times 24 buttons (I am a novice sewer, remember) and you have one extremely late night for Mommy!!! (Hello Late Show and Late Late Show!!)


So when my mom's handwritten Christmas letter arrived last month, I could really relate to it. It is so special to me; I just had to copy it down here for posterity:

Dec. 2010
To our Family!
Another Christmas! So different when you were little! So many things to do, little time to do it, and money to spend! You're finding that to be true aren't you? Believe it or not your Dad did help with wrapping presents and sometimes we made your gifts! Lots of work but fun too!

As we get older we find it's really a lot the same, it's hard to grasp everything. We don't make as much, have a lot more people to think abou. Not anymore time or moeny but the true meaning is the same, we have God to help us.

Lots of Love to all of you,
Dad & Mom


I don't need to put a Bible verse down today, because my Mom just said it all right there!

2 Comments:

Blogger Astrid in Bristling Acres said...

Those homemade gifts are just precious! I think they're lovely (are you really a beginning sewer? I don't think so! I think you did a fabulous job!). I also think it's fantastic that you made those together with Mark. :)

That letter is beautiful!

January 6, 2011 at 10:30 AM  
Blogger Amy Siegert said...

Thanks Astrid. I would still consider myself a beginner (even though I've been at it for about 5 years now) because I am sloppy, make lots of mistakes, can't work off of patterns, don't know how to sew a straight hem, can't sew a zipper, and only use about 3 machine functions. LOL But it is enjoyable and I do enjoy creating with fabric!

January 6, 2011 at 1:59 PM  

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