The Best Gift-Maker Ever!

Mom and Dad, if you’re reading this before Christmas, stop reading now!  I mean it!  I will take the gifts back if you peek.  You know I’m not bluffing…just ask Kalen!

Last week, Kalen opened a bag he found and saw a gift.  Not just any gift — the gift he asked Santa for.  Now, both boys know the rules – you do NOT look inside containers that don’t belong to you, especially near the holidays.  We told him we were taking that item back to Target, and he’d better make extra sure Santa knew he wanted it!  We all like our gifts to be surprises, and he took it really well.  He’s told a couple of people already, in a very matter-of-fact voice, “I looked inside a bag and saw a present, but Mom and Dad took it back.”

Anyway, back to the main gist of today’s post.  According to Nicky, I am “the best gift-maker ever!” I’m not sure I agree with him (my talents are severely limited, after all), but it’s the best compliment I’ve gotten all month!

I’m about done with the gift-making for Christmas, and not a moment too soon.  I have one step left on one gift, and I’ll do that after dinner.  Then, it’s wrapping all evening.  Yay!  I love wrapping.

Some of the stuff I’ve been finishing up:

This apron is for my mother-in-law.  The skirt is made from the backs of two button-down shirts, and the other fabric and buttons are from my stash.  The ties ended up too short, but they’re just long enough to tie a little square knot at the back, so I hope it will fit okay.  I think it’s quite pretty.

Here’s the one that kept me up late last night, happily stitching away.  I made Dad some lounge pants (he likes to wear them in the evenings), and they looked so plain and boring.  Since Daddy is proudly USN, retired, the anchor seemed an obvious choice.

These eyeglasses cases are the gifts from the boys to their grandparents.  I stole the idea directly from Pout on a Whim.  The boys drew their designs last month, and I’ve been embroidering them on the felt ever since.  These are Nicky’s drawings.  Grandma Julie is cooking, Grandpa Wayne is throwing a Frisbee (the boys love playing outside with him), Grandpa Bill is surrounded by musical notes, and Grandma Wanda is making a heart sculpture.

The reverse sides of the cases show Kalen’s drawings: a camera for Grandpa Wayne, a dog for Grandma Wanda, Grandma Julie with a book (“The Dog Book”), and Grandpa Bill singing.  The cases are all lined with t-shirts from my fabric stash.  We’re all quite pleased and are looking forward to the grandparents’ reactions.

And on that note, I’m off to brave the holiday rush at the grocery store.  I need apple pie fixings…

Merry Christmas, everyone!