I am so excited for this giveaway! Detailed rules are in the description box, but in short: don't forget to comment with the most favorite gift you've made for someone and your Instagram handle so I can contact you if you won!
I don't have instagram but will reply anyhow. For my best friend who unfortunately lives in another state from me, I spent an entire year making an "apothecary's travel chest" based on one of her DnD characters. It came with a journal of "alchemical recipes" (I purchased a Harry Potter potion kit and used it's recipes and ingredients repackaged), letters from the character's mother and mentor, potions, maps, small trinkets from their travels, artifacts, and even specimen jars. THANKFULLY all shipped well and in one piece. She was so damned thrilled to receive it and I to send it. Now, once a year, we craft things for one another (though not as extensively) as well as our other friends and family!
The best gift I've ever given, Sticks and Rocks. My partner told a story about their parents saying they would get Sticks and Rocks for Christmas if they were bad, my partner said they wanted them anyway. Christmas came and they were disappointed to get toys and were looking forward to Sticks and Rocks. That year for Yule I had gotten some interesting fossils that my family and I found while traveling in a dried up desert bed. I also gave them pieces of petrified wood that I had. They cried when they opened it and told me that nobody had ever gotten them Sticks and Rocks for the holidays before and they told that story all the time.
LOL....I put sticks and rocks in my oldest son's Christmas stocking one year when he had been a real stinker. There was a note from Santa about why he got sticks and rocks, and life moved on. The real joy came 3 yrs later, when I was telling little brother that he was going to get sticks and rocks if he didn't straighten up. Older son came flying up the stairs to inform his brother that I was not joking around because it happened to him!! LOL Score one for Mom.
My favorite gift I’ve ever given was a 5 foot square hand knitted shawl I made for my mother. She wanted it in dark, heather gray, acrylic yarn. That yarn was nearly impossible to find in the summer (she wanted the shawl for Christmas), and I didn’t manage to purchase it until October 28th. It was to be knit with worsted weight, on size 7 needles from the center out, and was the largest project I’d ever attempted at the time. I wasn’t a speedy knitter, so I regretfully told Mom she’d get it for Mother’s Day, instead. Then I knit my fanny off. I finished blocking it at 11:30 pm Christmas Eve, wrapped it, and snuck it into my parents house Christmas morning. Mom actually cried when she opened it. Twenty years later, she still wears it every chance she gets, and treasures it. It’s my favorite because I get to hug my mom every time she wears it. IG: metatrongirl
Hello morgen im from the country the fabric shop is from (the Czech republic)and im glad that you are seporting smal businesses i have bin to there store and the people ho work ther are rely passionate about the fabrics and plus you can buy corset and stays supplies in store and that is amazing i dident know that you are able to Buy from them online but is good to know☺️
Oh gosh, it's so hard to choose a favorite, because I'm always making things! Well there was this one... I crocheted my dad a cozy little set one year, it was intended to help him recover from losing his father, then my mother, and then his mother, all only a couple years apart from each other. His mother was constantly crocheting ripple afghans, and always in a brow/orange 1970s color scheme. One day we were looking at my parent's wedding photos, and I saw that my grandmother had made them a set of throw pillows, to decorate their living room with, and I actually managed to find the pattern for one of them online. Ripple afghans are very easy to find patterns for, so I made him one of each, in matching colors. I used 3 colors of yarn, purple because it's his favorite, burgundy because that was his father's favorite, and a baby blue because it was actually a ball of my mother's old yarn. Every detail was so well planned and meaningful, it felt great to be able to do something like this for him. If you can't help someone get through their depression, at least you can give them something to cry on! 🤷♀️ My Instagram is wild.rose.knits
What a pretty purse, and a fairly easy seeming pattern! My favorite gift to give is probably iffy on the gift. But bone marrow donation. It gave an entire family hope and joy to watch their child recover.
That purse is GORGEOUS! And thank you for sharing the "how-to's" with us. Your outfit was adorable, there toward the end. And you're sharing? How awesome and sweet of you! The Favorite gift I've given: one year I started early and crocheted 2 very intricate, old style Bedspreads, one for my Mother in Law, one for her mother: husband's Grandmother. Once I was finished, I couldn't stand waiting until Christmas so I gave them to their respective recipients. Which turned out to be a good thing. I was able to see Grandma's eyes light up, get a hug, hear her words of appreciation over her gift. Grandma passed away about a week before Christmas. Her children gave the Bedspread back to me and I still cherish it.
That’s a lovely purse. I think I will make one, though I will make it slightly larger. Best gift? I gave my 5 year old son a hand sewn Spiderman costume, and also gave his best friend a hand sewn Venom costume. They had a blast playing out stories together. Twenty-three years later, I gave my son a long tailored wool overcoat. I had costume-draped fabric on him to make the pattern for it, and it fits so well that he can LARP in it.
Awesome purse! I love it! And this fabric... Gosh! I'm not very good at present. I like to offer spontaneous little things. I've made this Christmas for my partner a beautiful casquette with Harry's tweed I bought in Edinburg last year. It tooks me several days and several mockups to achieve this. It was also a symbol of my slow recovery from endometriosis. I've knited him two years ago a snood when knitting was the only thing I was able to do in my bed, with medications and pain. He always wear it during winter. So I wanted to thanks him for his kindness, generosity and patience with a gift made with a clear mind without any medication and almost free of pain. 😊❤️
My favourite gift I made was when I crocheted my best friend a pirate plushy and an eye patch for her. She loved pirates and created many characters so i made the plushie based on one of her characters. It was no nice to see her face as she opened it and recognized her character. Then later down the years seeing the doll on her bed when i visited :3
I think the best gift I have ever given someone was the quilts I made for my now neice and nephews. I had just started dating their uncle a few months earlier but had been wanting to date him for a couple of years but he seemed to always have a girlfriend. I never put myslef forward when he was available. When I found he was then I jumped at the chance. Onward to the first Christmas we were together (2014)... He wanted to have gifts for the niece and nephews. I offered to make quilts for them. We arrived on the gift giving day, which in the family is the day they ride the Polar Express Train in our town. They were very very young then. I made a point of learning things about them so I could incorporate those into the quilts. They adored them. The wrapped and cuddled in them immediately as we watched the movie The Polar Express. it always makes me happy to see people enjoyiung the warmth of the quilts I make for them. But one of the things that made me super happy was my now husband's brother saying "This one really must want to stay around". I laughed and said "Darned right I do". Here we are 5 years later (we married in May 2019) and there is another neice who received her quilt this year. This year Uncle Justin and I took them on the Polar Express Train without Grandma or Grandpa as is usual (illness kept them home) with our daughter who turns 18. I am currently working on her quilt for high school graduation. Instagram monicamabreysmith
Favorite gift I’ve ever given someone.... . When I was younger, and my family was going through a really poor year, my siblings and I all decided to pool together and get my Mom a new sewing machine. My Moms machine was old and dying, she had been trying to nurse it back to health, because we didn’t have enough money to get a new one. So us kids worked hard to earn the money through mainly babysitting, ( because that’s all we could get paid for at the time, sense it’s was fall/ winter). We worked hard earning all the way up to a few days before Christmas, when our Dad agreed to take some of us (so as not to be suspicious) to the sewing machine store, and to get the machine. I remember that my Mom was so happy and that she started crying when she opened that gift that year. I know the machine meant so much to her. Because of that experience now every year us kids get together and plan on we are going to get my Mom for Christmas. We haven’t ever gotten anything quite as expensive as that sewing machine, but we do try and get something that we know she would love and or want. @jessicagarcia17880
A couple years ago my dad was laid off right before the holidays. Now Christmas is his favorite holiday and he is constantly taking care of everyone around him so he wasn't spending any money on himself that year. While out shopping for gifts he saw a Christmas plate that had some Victorians in a sleigh and my mom and I knew that he wanted it and it was only something like $35 but he wouldn't buy it for himself. It was a rough Christmas because the next day (Christmas Eve) when we were putting the finishing touches on the roast one of mom's cat's ate the ribbon off a present and off to the vet they rushed. I refused to eat dinner with my bf (now husband) and when I mom said that the vet was done I reheated all of dinner, tossed on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and when they got home I gave my dad his plate and a warm dinner. We still use the plate and dad is back at work, but that gift always sticks out in his mind as something that has to go on the table every year. @fru.kaa.acklie
Lovely video. My favorite gift that I give -- or really share--is my gift of teaching. I am an art teacher and have worked with all levels, in all sorts of situations. Probably my favorite teaching episode was when I was teaching painting to seniors in a dementia wing at a nursing home, in the Seattle area actually. My mother had dementia and was a resident there . I actually was frustrated with my "crowd" because I had been scheduled with the "assisted living group" and then was reassigned to the most mentally challenged. Some of these folks hadn't recognized their family in years. Needless to say: tough crowd. I decided to demonstrate a watercolor snow man with a dark blue evening sky in the background. I held the finished piece up for the group of maybe 12 adults in their wheel chairs circled around me. Quite suddenly a woman in the front, who appeared to have been staring off in space the whole time, shouted, "snow man!" So I said, "Yes, that's it." Her aid literally jumped out of her chair and a wave of astonishment circled through the caregivers and nursing staff. I didn't know what was going on. Later, as I was cleaning up from my demo, a family member of the woman who was excited about the snow man, came to me with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. " She hasn't spoken or responded in two years. We didn't know if she was still in there." Thank you, God. My frustration was turned into one of the most awesome situations I have ever experienced. I was so humbled by the gift I have been given. It really is a honor to be able to teach art. My Instagram is: JaneMMason Thank you for the opportunity to remember and share this story.
When I retired as an Elementary school counselor, I gave my entire last paycheck to my husband in Lowe's gift cards. He kept opening them and opening them. He looked like a kid in a candy store. He tells this story to almost everyone. He like your husband is a wood worker. He bought a lathe and turned spindles to handmake an octagonal baby bed for the child we were expecting! We named this little girl Faith because we were told we could not have children but God gave us Faith and through Faith in God she is turning 18 on March the ninth. All praise and Glory to God alone. I'm not a good enough sewer to make use of the purse so if chosen please bless someone else with the gift. I throughly enjoy following you and Bernadette's channels. Just found them this week. Have enjoyed hours of the best media of my life by watching u both. Praying you two will be forever friends and you both will continue to bless the World with your content.
My favorite gift I've given so far is actually one from this last holiday season. Everything I gave was handmade by me, since I don't have much money, and the highlight for me is the Biscuit Chicken. The Biscuit Chicken is a little casserole cozy thing to help keep your biscuits warm. The old one has been around for 30+ years, so it was starting to look a little tired. My grandma found the original pattern, (also pretty tired, so I made a new one of those too) and lent it to me, and I hand-stitched a nice new blue chicken to warm our biscuits. I hope the term "Biscuit Chicken" haunts your brain now.
My favorite gift that I ever made was to my twin stepsisters. One Christmas, I knit them monogrammed scarves. I used what I know of cross stitch patterning to plot their initials in a diamond pattern, as was the fashion in the 80s as monograms go, and made them winter scarves. I’m not an expert knitter, but I was very pleased at how they came out and I know that one still has hers. The other lives in south Texas where scarves are definitely not as necessary as they are in Minnesota. (My handle is lkmelby.)
Oooh, I love this! My favorite gift I’ve ever made to give was a set of matryoshka dolls I painted with the life stages of a macaroni penguin for my penguin-obsessed sister one Christmas. It was delightedly received and is still on proud display many years later ❤️
I would say my favorite gift I've ever given was a piece for a cosplay. It was a uniform coat for a military officer based on a character in a book that hadn't even come out yet. The friends for whom I made it are friends with the author, and the group of them had plans for a big cosplay photoshoot. So, they asked if I could make the thing. I put a *lot* of work into that jacket. The design was a challenge because it wasn't based on existing visual media, so I was essentially creating the design of the uniforms in this world. I went back and forth, asking questions about what sort of aesthetic they wanted, what visuals already existed, and the like. Thankfully, another of the author's friends had drawn maps for the world, so it gave me a little bit of inspiration, which I was then able to translate into a pretty neat design. There are some things about it I would want to fix and do a little differently, but it was quite a hit among the entire group. Normally, I would have wanted to charge for something so labor intensive, but as I was just as excited about the project as they were, I made a gift of it.
What a beautiful little purse. The greatest gift I’ve ever given at Christmas was this past year. I crocheted a christening gown, complete with booties and bonnet for my son and daughter in law. It took me 7 weeks to complete and was so heart warming to see the look on their faces when they opened the box. It was a shell stitch design worked in white crochet thread with pink ribbon lacing thru the bodice, sleeves, booties and bonnet along with half inch pink ribbon roses. I also made a chiffon underskirt for the dress that was gathered and whip stitched to the bottom row of the bodice. All that’s needed to truly complete it is a grand baby to wear it ❤️❤️
Simply gorgeous! The best gift I gave someone is a toss up between the series of Famous Five books to my mum and the scrap quilt for my friend. My mum was given the Famous Five books when she was little by her uncle. She read them every night and loved them, even reading them to my brother and I as kids. When her uncle passed away she gave them back to his children who were still very young. I searched everywhere and tracked down each book as they had gone out of print here. Finally tracked them all down for her....now they release them as a box set 😆 The other was a quilt for a friend who loved her jeans. They had been worn everywhere and were mostly thread bare and patched. She'd had these jeans for nearly 20 years and was so sad when she thought they were no longer redeemable. She gave them to me as scrap material to have another life. I cut them up and together with cute fabrics she'd been eyeing off in my stash, I pieced them all together to make a shaggy lap quilt. _liskaye_
My favorite gift that I ever made was a wedding vow renewal dress for my dear friend. She was a missionary in Haiti and had been married several years before her Haitian husband finally got his visa to come to the U.S with her. We hosted a vow renewal ceremony and reception so they could celebrate in front of friends and family who were finally able to meet him for the first time. What a joyous celebration! Her dress was my first "real" (aka non-costume) project where I really focused on perfecting every seam and detail. I used a commercial pattern as a starting point but drafted new sleeves, did a full bust alteration, altered the skirt, etc. for a custom design and fit. My friend loved it, and it was a joy to make her a dress that really embodied her unique sense of style. This dress (well really, any dress, much less something custom made) is something she could never have afforded, so it truly was a blessing for me to make it and see her face light up when she got dressed that day. She told me she had never felt so beautiful. Finally, all my hours of watching your channel and videos by other wonderful historical dressmakers paid off with beautiful hand-sewn seams, a perfect fit and several special details. :-) My instagram handle is crmarble.
My mom lives several states away from me, so I only get to see her a couple times a year. One year, for Mother's Day, I orchestrated a surprise with her sister (my aunt). She invited my mom and grandmother over for a pre-Mother's Day dinner. I hid on the back porch and waited for them to come inside. It was a very simple gift, but seeing her so surprised and happy just made my heart burst. I think it had been a long time since anyone had given her a pleasant surprise, and it was so worth the long drive.
That turned out so cute! I do a lot of handmade gifts. A favorite recently was a set of memorial pendants I gave my birth mother and her sister. I'm a glass worker. So I put some ashes of their mother (my maternal grandmother) into a glass cabochon. She requested the glass to look like a "colorful nebula" which I achieved by using a black base and colored dichroic glass. I'm also a wireworker, specifically I weave with wire, so I set each in a fully woven bezel. They both loved their pieces. ❤️
Favourite gift I've given.... that's a tough one, because I like gifting a lot! The best gifts, I think, are practical & useful. Probably one of my top 3 favourite gifts was a pair of Coppergate socks I made for a dear friend and fellow Viking reenactor! Bonus: one of my favourite gifts I've ever *received* was a whole box of acorns! It sounds strange, but I LOVED it. I used those acorns for 3 dye batches and got some great colours from them, which was immensely valuable to my knowledge and my collection of dye sample documentation.
This would look perfect with my ren fair dress! 🥰 My favorite gift I ever gave was to my dad when i was really young. i had saved up money and bought him a #1 dad shirt and he loved it. it was a small gesture and i had barely anything to spend but i could tell he really appreciated it
I made a signature quilt for my Nana’s 90th birthday. It took my almost two years to hand quilt, my family was so thrilled to give it to her at the family reunion. She is gone now as are several of the folks who signed. I have it back and love to see all the love captured in fabric. 💜
My favorite gift I gave this year was needlecases I made and added a sewing needle made out of a Russian Olive thorn! Thought they turned out super cute 🙂
I have two favourite things that I’ve made and given. The first I thought of was when I gift drawings to my mom. I usually chose very meaningful family pictures that I draw in pencil. She usually cries happy tears.. ☺️ But then I thought about the gift that I preferred giving and that I’m most proud of. I made a quilt for my daughter. I started making it when I was still pregnant with her. I chose some marine biology inspired fabrics and some of my old t-shirts that I got from my scientific conferences and internships. I cut the fabrics into squares, ordered all different types of fabrics and then got overwhelmed. I started looking for help on TH-cam like the good Millennial that I am.. 🤦🏻♀️😂... and found Bernadette, and then you through her, when you constructed your beautiful red corset which she mentioned. You two plus the instructional videos on quilting got me through the procrastination and anxiety of choosing a project that is too big to chew. (I have to mention here, that I barely have any sewing experience before project quilt).. I finished the quilt when she was a bit over one year old, and I was so incredibly happy and proud that I made it through and that she will now have this blanket to cherish forever, even if for now she doesn’t know its value yet. ☺️ My Instagram is ck_mtl. Thanks for inspiring me ! ❤️
This is so freaking pretty and really cool. Such a neat project. I love how yours turned out. I totally just ordered the small purse kit of my own. Thanks for sharing this with us.
The most favourite gift I ever made for someone was for a best friend I was totally in love with. That relationship broke down, but I still look at the photos of the item and feel damn proud of myself! It was a messenger bag. We were both in university and he always carried things in his hands/pockets, and never carried an umbrella. So I drafted for him a messenger bag full of pockets, with an interlining made out of oilcloth (one of those tablecloths you can buy at measure from a roll), a rubber bottom made from a cheap car mat, decorative piping all around made from scratch, and I even hand-made an embroydered button with a quote from an inside joke. All the layers were too thick to machine, so I handstitched that beautiful monster. I am still proud of that thing! It's been 12 years, and I would bet you it is still holding in one piece, wherever in the world it might be. No instagram handle, I just wanted to share :)
I gave my sister a canvas print of her favorite character Belle. It was painted by the voice of Belle herself. And she autographed it with a message for my sister on the back of it. My sister was so excited and happy with the picture then when she realized it was autographed she cried.
My favorite gift to give was the year I made "rice socks" as Christmas presents for all of my family. These are reusable heating pads like the Bed Buddy that is now commercially available. You microwave them and the grain inside stores that heat and releases it slowly. Even better, the grain absorbs moisture from the ambient environment, so the heat is moist heat. This is best for aches like arthritis or cramps. I made little, flannel pillowcase-like covers for each one and included some dried lavender in with the grain before sewing them shut. The reason these were so amazing to give is that they were like little hugs that I could leave with my family when I had to travel back home! They live in areas with cold winters, so they used these often to ward off chills. And each time they got a little bit of lavender relaxation, a warm, fuzzy, flannel hug, and I got to be with them for just a moment. My Instagram handle is rapunzle79
My favorite gift I've given was a Western quilt I made for my twin. Was the first big project I ever attempted! No Instagram, but loved the fabric very pretty!
Absolutely gorgeous bag, I want one! Lol! My favorite thing I've ever made someone is a lap quilt for my grandma for christmas! It had snowmen and sparkles, and tons of christmassy fabric! It meant the world to me to make her something, as she's in a nursing home and I dont get to see her very often since it's quite far away.
That fabric is gorgeous! I had a ton of 1” flat glass beads left over from another project and now use those as weights. Best part is they’re from the dollar store.
One year I had just started my crafting adventure. I made a gift basket for my grandmother in law (the queen). The contents included: home made apron, basket lining, home made soap, three different home made jams, and a heating pad. I over did it a little.... everything was made with love, and mistakes. It took sooo many hours, but I was so proud and happy.
This purse turned out amazing! My favourite gift was from this christmas, my roommate gifted me a knitted mermaid tail blanket in our secret santa, very useful in these cold evenings 😊
That purse is gorgeous!!! One of my favorite gifts I’ve given is an embroidered handkerchief I made for two of my best friends in the SCA. I designed and hand embroidered personal monograms on white linen handkerchiefs for them and included a tiny hidden badge for each of them as well. It felt great being able to gift something I worked so hard on to people I love
That has to be the cutest purse ever! Favourite gift I've ever given has to be an ornament I purchased for my boyfriend. We'd been saving for so long that we hadn't been able to give gifts till this Christmas just gone. He loves Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, and I found an ornament that perfectly represents the poem and knew it was the perfect gift for the perfect man. It now sit beside his computer and I see him smiling at it when he thinks I'm not looking. Don't have Instagram, so don't mind if that voids me from the contest. Wishing you a joyous new year! :)
my favorite gift to give was a wedding gift, a kitchen trash can full of a variety of cleaning products that a newly wed couple never gets as a gift, yet may find that they need and can be overlooked when setting up for married life , With a second small bathroom trash can filled with small kitchen utensils such as a can opener. The initial response is always just a confused look and thank you. Then later i get oh my gosh! That was the best gift ever, The power went out and i needed a can opener etc. It is the gift that while practical in nature continues to give
ENTRY: At my childhood home, there was a patch of wild, miniature roses beside the road in front of the house. One of my brothers ran over the rose bed with the big tractor mower and turned all the plants to mulch. For my mother on Mother's Day, I bought new miniature pink roses and replanted the patch. She loved it! Thanks for the giveaway. IG handle: jdmgeorgia
Honestly this year every gift I gave meant so much to me. This was the first year I had a job and could afford to buy my family and friends gifts with my own money. (Previously my parents paid for it) and seeing them open the gifts that I was able to give them on my own was amazing. I also got to make my Boyfriend joggers, and his mother a bag, and scarf combo! This Christmas was definitely one of my favorites.
Love Billy and Charlie! For giveaway: One of my favorite gifts that I’ve ever given was a very handsome modern watch to my new husband. It was for his graduation from Graduate school. We were young and poor graduate students at the time so I got a second job waitressing and put all the money I made towards this watch. My hubby was really floored when I gave him the present. 37 years later, he still feels it was one of the best presents he’s ever received because of what it meant. It still gives me joy thinking about it! ❤️ My Instagram handle is @traceystoever. Thank you for doing this lovely, educational videos. I’m learning so much from you! Happy 12th Night!
My attention span is such that I usually get bored of, or fast-forward through sewing videos, but not this one! I watched every stitch. It is so beautiful.
@@amberrogers8424 Cast Iron, I got it from a shop in my area that sold bongs and witchcraft supplies, lol! They're shut down now because the owner retired.
My favorite gift that I gave to my parents was to come home from Europe after being stationed there for a bit. It was a surprise and full of wonderful emotion. Best gift ever.
I didn't realize that was a medieval technique for weaving. I actually have a simpler pattern fabric, now contemplating making a purse of my own. I hope the recipient of your purse parts had success with the pattern. I find the stories in here delightful. I will add to them, just for fun. I have given several best gifts, that I have planned as spectacular items, but the one that got the biggest reaction was an act of generosity toward a stranger. Several winters ago; I put special treats in paper bags and handed them to people asking for money. One of the most popular treats were 2-4 oz bottles of spirits. One person opened theirs, and instead of the usual nod / quiet smile/thank you, the person lit up in stunned glee as if I had handed them something impossible and perfectly desired. They even hopped up and down in enthusiasm. I think I have never seen anyone so happy before. I smile even thinking of it now.
My favorite gift I made for my grandma on my dad's side. A ten by ten fully hand embroidered mandala. She displayed it on her fiftieth wedding anniversary and kept it in the nursing home up until her death last year. I knew she really appreciated it because she embroidered too, and knew how much work it was.
The best gift I ever received was a feather my dog Cassie found on the beach, she thought it very precious, but presented it to me rather than kept it. @macida17
Since my family doesn't celebrate any winter holiday, I'm used to rarely receiving gifts, usually only on birthdays, and often birthday gifts can be a little underwhelming, not that I'm not thankful, but it can be hard to maintain jubilation when one receives a tool box, after a year of asking for nothing more than sketchbooks instead. So when a thoughtful gift is given during a time other than my birthday, I find myself ecstatic with thankfulness, which brings us to my story. one Christmas, a few years ago, my family went up to visit my extended family, an occasion I always dreaded for the exhaustion from political, religious, and social disagreements I had with my family. but that year it was different, my aunt treated me so kindly, I never wanted to leave her side, and she showered me with so many kind works, I felt so loved and accepted, and she even gave me a small coin purse and told me she bought it just for me and that if my dad ever got angry if he saw I had it, to tell him it was a gift from my auntie. Christmas was amazing and I felt like a part of my family for once, but as for the best gift, it was given by both my aunt and grandma, the day we were to leave for home. they brought me down to the basement, where my grandma's sewing station was and they pulled out this beautiful pink plush velour, and told me they heard I was getting into sewing. They told me to keep it and to make something beautiful out of it and that they were excited to see where I went with sewing. I eventually made a poofy ruched jacket and matching skirt out of it, but I never forgot the kindness behind that gift, and the faith and support they had for me. I poured my love into that outfit because I knew it was, in essence, for them. Instagram: itssrhynne.official
So last Christmas I got to make gifts for four of my family members. My mom had given me my deceased Pepere's navy pants and asked me to make her some mittens out of them since they were wool. I made her a pair of mittens, my uncle a pillow, my other uncle a scarf, and my Memere a Christmas ornament using the fabric and buttons from his pants. It was really great to see them all open their presents at the same time and to explain to them how they all connected. It was an awesome moment. My instagram is @DreamingInTattoos
My top 3 favorite gifts (sorry, I can't narrow it down to 1!) in no particular order: 1. A signed (personalized!) picture for my sister by the main actress from her favorite show for her birthday. 2. A decorative cutting board engraved with a recipe in my grandmother's writing for my mother (it was her mom's hand writing). 3. Handmade stuffies, crocheted by me, for my littles. They were just so beyond excited about them and the feeling of someone being so excited for something you made is just amazing!
My favorite gift that I’ve given was to my sister this last Christmas. I sewed her a handkerchief, crocheted a lace edge onto it, and hand-embroidered flowers and her initials on it. She said that she loved it and is afraid to use it because of how pretty it is. Many hours went into the making of it so I’m glad she loves it so much. I was rather joyous when I saw her reaction as she opened the gift. Instagram: taylor.huls
the most favorite gift I did was for all the children in the family. I found cute Christmas themed storage jars in the dollar tree. I bought one for all 10 children. I filled the jar with all the dry ingredients for my oatmeal, chocolate chip or fruit cookies and gave them the recipe so they can finish them or make them themselves later. I even gave them the directions for freezing the cookie dough so they can make them whenever they want a few. All the children love these cookies and were so excited that Aunt Kathy shared them.
I love how it turned out! My favorite gift I’ve given would probably be the jacket I gave to a friend for his birthday a few years ago. I was the only one who bought him a gift that year, he said he hadn’t gotten a gift in a long time from anyone. He still wears the jacket and it’s been a couple years now
I love how this turned out, so beautiful! One of my favorite gifts was for my mom for Christmas one year, shortly after my dad passed away. Earlier in the summer, we took a vacation to Lincoln City, OR. Mom had always wanted to find or make one of the glass floats, but never got around to it. So, I made an appointment to visit the glass float gallery and make one. The whole family participated, choosing colors to add or doing the actual blowing, all under the guise that it was for myself. Everyone knew but mom and everyone, even the young nieces, kept the secret until Christmas eve. When mom opened her special float, she cried, and couldn't believe what we'd done for her. It was wonderful. 😊 Instagram @tiffany.schademan
It sounds kind of dumb... But six years ago, we had to put our family dog down(she was almost 17, was spoiled rotten, had a good long life). But it was so incredibly hard on my mom. Chloe was her baby. My sister and I had been moved out for three years, and it was before my dad retired, so Chloe was my mom's constant companion after kids flew the coop, while my dad was at work. She was so attached to Chloe that get grief was immense. That was January of '14. That Christmas, my mom was sort of dreading, first Christmas without Chloe. So I(not being hugely techie/photograph savvy) picked out the cutest picture of Chloe I had, went to Walmart to get it printed, got a pretty wooden frame, and decorated the frame with Chloe's name, and other doggie-like decorations. It wasn't huge or expensive, but as soon as my mom unwrapped it, she clutched it to her chest and started sobbing. Freaked me out for a second, but she insisted it was absolutely perfect. The picture of Chloe still sits on the end stand by my mom's side of the couch where they would cuddle up every day to watch soap operas😊
The favorite gift I made might be a Christmas ornament for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. I took the beads off my grandmother’s wedding veil crown (which was totally thrashed from being used as dress-up) and learned how to make a beaded cover for a gold ornament. I painted pink roses on the ornament on the lower half, and put the beaded cover on the top. My grandma hangs it on her tree each year. @carrieatoneandonlyoutfits
That fabric is astoundingly beautiful. My favorite gift is a leather journal cover that I gave to my girlfriend-now-wife. I had just started to learn the basics of leather craft and I had noticed that the journals that she used were a bit beat up. I did so much practice learning how to saddle stitch so that the stitching on the cover didn't look like a drunken toddler did it. It was so satisfying to make, and even more awesome when she opened it.
One year I crocheted a little dog sweater for my Aunt's dog. My Aunt loved the dog sweater so much and she always talked about how she wanted a matching sweater. For the next Christmas I crocheted my Aunt a matching sweater. It was the first full size garment I had ever crocheted and I was so proud and excited to give it to her. Thanks for reading! IG: @crazyboutelephants
My favorite gifts I've given were done this year, I do not want to enter your contest but I want to say that I made a pair of custom maces (yes the medieval melee weapons) for my friends in the SCA arenas. One was an 8 flanged mace based on squid, and the other was a combined flanged/spiked mace based on bees. I think making gifts for friends it the best thing ever I love it and I love the purse you made.
I unpicked the lining from a cardigan I own. Love the fabric and didn't want to leave it in the Purgatory they is my craft bin. I'll have to make a purse out of it! I think my favorite gift I've given is a baby blanket for my niece. It was my first crochet project, so it was a lot of trial and error. But she's five now and her 'blankie' is still on her bed. 🥰 IG : aly_deary
greenmommy03 About 8 years ago I started teaching myself to loom knit and sew. Since then I've made several knit blankets, hats and shawls and a few Historic-ish costumes for myself and my daughter. In general I feel that the best gifts I've given were those I've made myself but even more special to me are the gifts (shawl, hat and cowel) I've made for my Grandma. I never appreciated the things my grandmas made for me when I was little but with a new respect for homemade items, I'm grateful that I can now make a few useful things for my remaining grandmother. I still plan to make her a quilt with some of my grandpa's shirts, he died about 7 years ago.
I just discovered you, during the gift exchange, but I am really enjoying your videos! My favorite gift to have given is that I gave my granddaughter a quilt sewing kit this Christmas. It has everything you need to make a baby sized quilt, including the fabric! She has just started sewing (she's 13, and "special"). I love that I've been able to assist her in learning my favorite hobby! Love your work!
I’ve so in awe of this gift. It looks so gorgeous and is in my favourite colours and in fact I have a beautiful pair of shoes in those colours that are crying out for a bag like that. My favourite gift was when I was a young girl. We weren’t well off by any means and all my parents savings has been eaten up when he had a heart attack in his 30s. This was at the time when very few occupations had sick pay and the statutory sick pay by the government was barely enough to live on. Just as my dad was ready to back to work -he was a miner- he took another heart attack and so this was going to be another 6 months off work. For a fur active man as my dad had been this was dreadful and emasculating as he couldn’t support his family or so he thought. This was in the 60s and there were more women at home than not. Christmas Day came and up I jumped to see what Santa had brought. I of course knew nothing of any worries as I was only 6 or 7 at the time. I had so many presents from so many people and there was even a blackboard from mum and dad. There was another parcel from them and when I opened it there was what I can only describe as the most wonderful thing. Nowadays it would be classed as Mixed Media. It was in a frame about 2ft x3ft and it was a bookcase. I loved books, on the shelves were little fluffy cats and white curly poodles, there were bookspines of cardboard with my very favourite book titles. There was a small wooden crochet hook and knitting needles with a tiny ball of wool. There were tiny paintbrushes and a wee paintbox. There was a blackboard, there was a small photo of mum dad and I and other treasures. My eyes widened, gosh I can remember this so clearly and my eyes are filling as I write. What I didn’t know was my parents were totally skint that year. My blackboard had been paid up weekly from Feb to December but this magical box was just everything. My mum and dad had been sitting on Christmas Eve with the equivalent of 75c and mum was crying that it would be a poor Christmas and it was going to just be sausages for Christmas dinner Over the day, a huge box of shopping was delivered, someone dad worked with handed in a massive ham as he raised pigs. All my relatives and lots of neighbours handed in gifts for me but the most special was that wooden frame that dad built and that they both worked on to put things I loved on each shelf. It was made a few days before Xmas as they didn’t have any money to buy some of the things needed until then. Neither of them was the slightest crafty or good at DIY so it was indeed a Labour of love. I loved it with my heart and soul and was always one of my prized possessions if not THE one. Sorry I’ve rambled but I couldn’t cut it short. Bobbi8201is my Instagram but I don’t use it. I’m sure once it’s announced I shall check it in case I was so lucky. Thanks for the chance to share this treasured memory
Oh, this is so cute! As fas as favorite gifts go, i like to make character themed stuff for the other people in my D&D group, and i made everyone embroidered dice bags last year! Everyone still uses their's every week, it's really nice to see that i really nailed it in terms of function AND creativity! (Ig handle @araviir)
That purse is gorgeous! Beautiful work! The favorite gifts I've ever given were handmade (not hand sewn) quilts I gave to each of our kiddos a few years ago. Each one really showed the personalities of our kids.
The favorite gift I’ve ever given was when I was a teenager. My mom had been in the ICU so I knew how hard it was not to be able to hug her. A young wife who’s husband was (fatally) injured came into the icu & she was devastated. All she wanted was to hug him & she couldn’t because of the injuries & medical stuff. She mentioned missing her Persian cat, so I ran to the store & got her a stuffed Persian cat. She was so happy. 💜 @elmoresr
My favorite gift I have given was during Christmas this year to my parents. I have been knitting for around 7 years and I enjoy it very much. I made a blanket a couple years ago but it was made out of mismatching yarn with different thickness and last year, I decided to make another but in black. At first I made it because I just wanted something to do with my hands during movies or long car rides. I started mid summer and ended it a few days before Christmas. When I layed it out to cast it off and weave the ends in, I discovered that I had 5 or 6 different shades of black, that it is wider than it is tall, and I ran out of yarn to finish casting it off. Luckily, I finished casting off the rest and as long as you use it sideways, it should be fine. But regardless, I decided to give it to my parents and I tried my best to cram it into one of those thin cardboard boxes with the help of tape. Christmas rolled around and my mom grabbed the oddly shaped mass under the tree and when she was unwrapping it she said that she probably knew what it was. Sure enough, she opened the box and took out my hand knit blanket and said that she liked it! It made me extremely happy to gift my parents something that they enjoyed. There is something about homemade gifts that make it all the more special opposed to store bought, it makes it so much more personal! And my Instagram handle is ali_the_aligator3862
My first ever attempt at quilting was on a pillow that I gifted. That was my favorite gift I gave. That purse is too stinkin' cute. It reminds me of a sporran. @ Ruthiesherwood
My favourite gift I have ever given is to my aunt and uncle and my cousin and his girlfriend and their little baby. Almost one year ago my cousin and his girlfriend had a little baby. I wanted to give them all something special to celebrate this mile stone in their life: the baby (of course) was born, my cousin and his girlfriend became parents and my aunt and uncle became grandparents. For the baby I had crafted a little fairy out of dried flowers and I had made a little poem for her; the fairy had a string attached so it could hang in the baby's room. For the parents and grandparents I had made a painting of the little girl; I had received so many baby pictures of her so I made two paintings with watercolours. The reason why I feel like this is my favourite gift is because not only the moment of giving was beautiful, but also the days leading up to it was exciting. I was crafting these presents and imagining how they would react; I even cried (happy tears) when I wrote that little poem for the baby, because the knowledge that my cousin had found someone to share his life with and take this big step with made me so happy. The reaction on their faces when I gave them my gifts that day was amazing, they were so happy and amazed and the fact they liked my creations made me even happier (afterwards I even heard both my aunt and cousin had framed the paintings and displayed them around the house). For me giving gifts is something special, it's not about how expensive something is, it's about the intention and thoughts and wishes you put into something and the happiness on the faces of the people you give the gift to; happiness on the faces of the people you care about. my Instagram is: helenalena_art (the gifts I mentioned are also posted on there; if you feel like looking :) )
A very large Christmas cracker for each of my nieces and nephews. I filled it with little, pretty or useful things like tins of crayons, tiny sewing kits, storm troopers ( this was long ago) each individually wrapped with ribbons and bows. I also included star sequins, gold chocolate coins, wrapped sweeties (candies) party poppers, hats, terrible jokes (an English custom) and smaller shop bought crackers. When they opened them a whole pile of glittery stuff fell out with all these little gifts. They loved them (much to their parents disgust Lol!) so much they kept the ‘cracker’ for years. It became a family custom to the point they are known as Auntie Crackers as I get to make them every year. (I buy or make things throughout the year to put in them - my white felt Ballerina Mice have always gone down very well and I knit socks and mittens and such like as they get older) and love to do it. It also keeps my best loved people in mind as I’m always looking or making little gifts for them) I’ve been thinking of making a clasped bag for ages - in Edwardian style as that’s the period I’m most in love with. Now after seeing your beautiful effort I’m encouraged to go ahead and do it. Thank you. (Yes I know this is too late for Christmas!)
My favorite gift I’ve ever given was when I gifted my dear friend her own dress to wear to SCA events. I worked hard to make it exactly how she wanted it. It makes me really happy to see her wear something she loves so much and to see her have fun while wearing it. @sew_unforgettable
What a lovely project... Ohh that fabric! Favorite gift given were the matching flannel nightgowns I would make every Christmas for my daughter and niece. They always looked so cozy and sweet in the yearly photo we would take. Hard to beat soft flannel on a cold winter night. My Instagram is # abhayathomas.
I have a friend who writes and has a set of characters from the victorian era. She also collects dolls. I don't have the funds to buy the dolls she likes, but i do have the skill and the fabric stash to make clothes for the dolls. My favorite gift was for this friend; I made the chemise, stays, and petticoat, plus I made a (mostly period accurate) over dress. I didn't have an actual pattern, just a bunch of images from google and it turned out really well. My friend was remarkably excited about it. Her reaction to it is what makes it my favorite gift given.
I think my favorite gift that I've made and given was a few years back when I made little felt card deck pouches for each member of my family for Christmas to hold their Dutch blitz cards. My family has always really loved playing Dutch blitz and they all have a specific color they like to play with, but there are so many of us that we have to use multiple decks, so I hand lettered each individual card with the player's name and a little symbol for quick identification during the sorting process. The pouches themselves had little felt scenes related to something that was important to each person. For example: the one for my younger sister has a moon and a viewer looking up at it (her nickname is moonchild cause she loved the moon when she was little), and the one for my husband has a knight on a horse with a plume on his helmet, because while we were dating we used to read "the white company" by G.K.Chesterton together, and he was in the USMC before we met.
My favourite gift I made for someone was for my husband's 30th birthday. I secretly contacted all of his closest friends and family and asked them to write a short note telling why they love him or a favourite memory with him. I then compiled the notes in to a hand bound booklet. We both got teary and shared some laughs while he read the notes aloud. IG: xx_misfit_xx
Best gift ever was my new sewing machine I received. My old one refused to stitch anything without cutting the thread into smithereens. I've started to find my creativity and making props for LARPs has been never so simple and easy.
My favorite Christmas gift was a sewing machine to a close friend who had just started college and needed one to help her with theatre. I really loved seeing her smile when she opened it! Insta- sarahs_stitch
Twenty years ago, a week before Christmas my first niece was born. I really didn't have much money as I was a college student but wanted to give her something. So I made her a Christmas Quilt. I had never quilted before but I made it for her. I think that was the best thing I made for Christmas... that and the nightgowns that have gone through all five of my nieces and my youngest niece now wears. lol
I have a couple favorite gifts I've given but I think one that I'll always remember was a couple years ago. My grandmother always wanted a pearl strand necklace. Ever since I was little she always mentioned that but my family has always been very poor and could never afford one for her. Well a couple of years ago now around her birthday I had the means to finally get her one. It wasnt a super fancy or expensive one, it was a cheaper one from Kohls, but I finally got it for her. She has Alzheimer's and dementia now, but when I gave her the necklace I could see the recognition in her face and she mentioned how she always wanted one and she cried. My insta handle is Shiina_Yumi.
This looks amazing and I'd love to try it, whether I win or not (have bookmarked the links for the future). The best gift I ever gave was a 3D printer to my fiance. I've always been creatively good with my hands. Drawing, sewing, modelling, etc. But he never had that. He did, however, get really good at 3D rendering and I couldn't get over the thought of what if he could bring HIS creations to the real world? So I bought him a 3D printer that would let him do just that. He literally became like a kid on Christmas. He was dancing, he was running back and forth excitedly to make his new project on the computer and then watch it print. I honestly don't think I had ever personally smiled over him and a present as much as I did just watching him interact with it. I still beam when I think of that first week of him working with it. He was so adorable and excited and now we get to work on our costumes together. Which just makes those projects all the more special. @Lyesera
I am going to have to make this bag for my wedding! My favorite gift I have made for someone is the stuffed bunny I made for my niece about 4 years ago. Several reasons its my favorite. 1, my niece adores it. She still has it. 2, It was the most challenging project I had ever done (at the time) so it was a test of my skills. 3, the colors and the fabrics are so great. Instagram is alorastarcreations
The purse is lovely. My favorite gift that I've given was a leatherman wave to my brother for Christmas. Watching a 30-something act as giddy as a school boy was a sight to behold. On a side note, evidently emergency rooms are relatively slow on Christmas day so you get seen faster to get stitches...
I got my husband a cat “Ring” that is like a giant hamster ring for cats to run on. He’s been training our cats to run on it and he LOVES watching the cats play on it. “TheAgeofFabulous” is my instagram handle
I would LOVE TO MAKE ONE OF THESE. My favourite gift that I've ever given was I got my friend a subscription to a gym app. I know, it seems sort of peloton bike, but she's been struggling a bit and has voiced to me in the past that going to the gym has really helped her mental health. She left her job, and so knowing that she'd no longer be able to afford a personal trainer, I was really happy to be able to get her that subscription. It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing that she would be getting use out of the gift and it would increase her over all health.
OMG my sister would love that. My favorite creation was making a quillow ( part quilt, part pillow ) for my birth child who found me 40 + years after I gave them up for adoption. I sewed 40 years of love into it in a very short time. It was a bookshelf design, pieced, embroidered, appliqued, and free motion quilted incorporating many of their favorite books, pets, and designs into it. The best part is knowing he uses it regularly, and is wrapped up in my love.
I think the best gift I made for someone was I made my aunt the type of crossover back linen apron she really likes. It was a dusty pink colour - I mean it still is, she still has it - and the fabric was the most expensive fabric I’d ever bought at the time, even though I think I got it on sale. It might still be the most expensive fabric I’ve ever bought. I embroidered a little chicken on it while in Christmas mass to get it done on time and it was the first handmade gift I ever gave that didn’t feel like I was cheating (by making something instead of buying something). I drafted the pattern myself, and even though a cross back linen apron is not exactly a highly complex garment I’d never drafted anything before. It was finished with bias binding, and I’d never made or used that before either! I make it all the time now, just because I find it kind of peaceful. It turned out so well she asked me where I got it, because those types of apron are quite expensive here and she’d never seen a shape like it in the place she bought her’s and didn’t believe me for ages when I said I’d made it. She panicked a little when she realised she’d wiped her hands on it already. An apron is a pretty mundane object and it’s just in the rotation with all the rest of her aprons now but it was lovely when I’d be at her house pre-covid and she’d just be wandering around making dinner without a care in world, with complete faith in my sewing ability that if she put it in the washing machine it would come out again. I’m almostphd on Instagram, which I almost forgot to add!
You really encourage me! While my era is 1780s , I think I want a medieval bag! The best gift I have ever gifted was a crocheted hat made from pure wool, colored naturally from a dark grey sheep. It was from a sheep raised approximately 100 miles from our home. We live in Idaho. I gifted it to my namesake niece, Jane.
My favorite gift I have ever given was the fist cloak I ever made for my friends, it wasnt that good, the ends where uneven and the ribbon i lined,the edges with had more waves in it then the sea, but they loved it wore it every where we went. It encouraged me to continue to create, cloaks dresses caplets, so i keep making things for the people I love ☺ sadly i dont have an Instagram but I hope my story bring a smile to a face
I am so excited for this giveaway! Detailed rules are in the description box, but in short: don't forget to comment with the most favorite gift you've made for someone and your Instagram handle so I can contact you if you won!
What is your most favorite gift you've ever given?
If you don't have Instagram, is email okay?
Should we reply to this comment? Or just comment our entry as a separate comment?
@@TeaAndCroissants others seem to be doing separate comments
I don't have instagram but will reply anyhow.
For my best friend who unfortunately lives in another state from me, I spent an entire year making an "apothecary's travel chest" based on one of her DnD characters. It came with a journal of "alchemical recipes" (I purchased a Harry Potter potion kit and used it's recipes and ingredients repackaged), letters from the character's mother and mentor, potions, maps, small trinkets from their travels, artifacts, and even specimen jars.
THANKFULLY all shipped well and in one piece. She was so damned thrilled to receive it and I to send it.
Now, once a year, we craft things for one another (though not as extensively) as well as our other friends and family!
The best gift I've ever given, Sticks and Rocks.
My partner told a story about their parents saying they would get Sticks and Rocks for Christmas if they were bad, my partner said they wanted them anyway. Christmas came and they were disappointed to get toys and were looking forward to Sticks and Rocks.
That year for Yule I had gotten some interesting fossils that my family and I found while traveling in a dried up desert bed. I also gave them pieces of petrified wood that I had.
They cried when they opened it and told me that nobody had ever gotten them Sticks and Rocks for the holidays before and they told that story all the time.
This makes me smile :D Yay for getting the gift you knew they wanted!
that is so! sweet!!
That is honestly the coolest story ever.
LOL....I put sticks and rocks in my oldest son's Christmas stocking one year when he had been a real stinker. There was a note from Santa about why he got sticks and rocks, and life moved on. The real joy came 3 yrs later, when I was telling little brother that he was going to get sticks and rocks if he didn't straighten up. Older son came flying up the stairs to inform his brother that I was not joking around because it happened to him!! LOL Score one for Mom.
That is a wonderful story. Thank you so much for sharing.
My favorite gift I’ve ever given was a 5 foot square hand knitted shawl I made for my mother. She wanted it in dark, heather gray, acrylic yarn. That yarn was nearly impossible to find in the summer (she wanted the shawl for Christmas), and I didn’t manage to purchase it until October 28th. It was to be knit with worsted weight, on size 7 needles from the center out, and was the largest project I’d ever attempted at the time. I wasn’t a speedy knitter, so I regretfully told Mom she’d get it for Mother’s Day, instead. Then I knit my fanny off. I finished blocking it at 11:30 pm Christmas Eve, wrapped it, and snuck it into my parents house Christmas morning. Mom actually cried when she opened it. Twenty years later, she still wears it every chance she gets, and treasures it. It’s my favorite because I get to hug my mom every time she wears it.
IG: metatrongirl
Hello morgen im from the country the fabric shop is from (the Czech republic)and im glad that you are seporting smal businesses i have bin to there store and the people ho work ther are rely passionate about the fabrics and plus you can buy corset and stays supplies in store and that is amazing i dident know that you are able to Buy from them online but is good to know☺️
Oh gosh, it's so hard to choose a favorite, because I'm always making things! Well there was this one...
I crocheted my dad a cozy little set one year, it was intended to help him recover from losing his father, then my mother, and then his mother, all only a couple years apart from each other. His mother was constantly crocheting ripple afghans, and always in a brow/orange 1970s color scheme. One day we were looking at my parent's wedding photos, and I saw that my grandmother had made them a set of throw pillows, to decorate their living room with, and I actually managed to find the pattern for one of them online. Ripple afghans are very easy to find patterns for, so I made him one of each, in matching colors. I used 3 colors of yarn, purple because it's his favorite, burgundy because that was his father's favorite, and a baby blue because it was actually a ball of my mother's old yarn. Every detail was so well planned and meaningful, it felt great to be able to do something like this for him. If you can't help someone get through their depression, at least you can give them something to cry on! 🤷♀️ My Instagram is wild.rose.knits
What a pretty purse, and a fairly easy seeming pattern!
My favorite gift to give is probably iffy on the gift. But bone marrow donation. It gave an entire family hope and joy to watch their child recover.
Aww, I think that is a very thoughtful gift!
Alas, no Instagram here
The gift of continuing life through a personsal sacrifice, thats commendable, hope all is well with you and the donee
And you made it yourself! Brilliant! I’m not eligible as I’ve had a blood transfusion but lots of my friends are on the donor list. Bravo!
That is an awesome gift!
That purse is GORGEOUS! And thank you for sharing the "how-to's" with us. Your outfit was adorable, there toward the end. And you're sharing? How awesome and sweet of you!
The Favorite gift I've given: one year I started early and crocheted 2 very intricate, old style Bedspreads, one for my Mother in Law, one for her mother: husband's Grandmother. Once I was finished, I couldn't stand waiting until Christmas so I gave them to their respective recipients. Which turned out to be a good thing. I was able to see Grandma's eyes light up, get a hug, hear her words of appreciation over her gift. Grandma passed away about a week before Christmas. Her children gave the Bedspread back to me and I still cherish it.
That’s a lovely purse. I think I will make one, though I will make it slightly larger.
Best gift? I gave my 5 year old son a hand sewn Spiderman costume, and also gave his best friend a hand sewn Venom costume. They had a blast playing out stories together. Twenty-three years later, I gave my son a long tailored wool overcoat. I had costume-draped fabric on him to make the pattern for it, and it fits so well that he can LARP in it.
Awesome purse! I love it! And this fabric... Gosh!
I'm not very good at present. I like to offer spontaneous little things.
I've made this Christmas for my partner a beautiful casquette with Harry's tweed I bought in Edinburg last year. It tooks me several days and several mockups to achieve this. It was also a symbol of my slow recovery from endometriosis. I've knited him two years ago a snood when knitting was the only thing I was able to do in my bed, with medications and pain. He always wear it during winter. So I wanted to thanks him for his kindness, generosity and patience with a gift made with a clear mind without any medication and almost free of pain. 😊❤️
My favourite gift I made was when I crocheted my best friend a pirate plushy and an eye patch for her. She loved pirates and created many characters so i made the plushie based on one of her characters. It was no nice to see her face as she opened it and recognized her character. Then later down the years seeing the doll on her bed when i visited :3
I think the best gift I have ever given someone was the quilts I made for my now neice and nephews. I had just started dating their uncle a few months earlier but had been wanting to date him for a couple of years but he seemed to always have a girlfriend. I never put myslef forward when he was available. When I found he was then I jumped at the chance. Onward to the first Christmas we were together (2014)... He wanted to have gifts for the niece and nephews. I offered to make quilts for them. We arrived on the gift giving day, which in the family is the day they ride the Polar Express Train in our town. They were very very young then. I made a point of learning things about them so I could incorporate those into the quilts. They adored them. The wrapped and cuddled in them immediately as we watched the movie The Polar Express. it always makes me happy to see people enjoyiung the warmth of the quilts I make for them. But one of the things that made me super happy was my now husband's brother saying "This one really must want to stay around". I laughed and said "Darned right I do". Here we are 5 years later (we married in May 2019) and there is another neice who received her quilt this year. This year Uncle Justin and I took them on the Polar Express Train without Grandma or Grandpa as is usual (illness kept them home) with our daughter who turns 18. I am currently working on her quilt for high school graduation. Instagram monicamabreysmith
This was great! Thanks for introducing these great reproduction artisans. Also, why am I not suprised it’s mostly red 🤷♀️😂❤️
A girl knows what she likes.
Favorite gift I’ve ever given someone.... . When I was younger, and my family was going through a really poor year, my siblings and I all decided to pool together and get my Mom a new sewing machine. My Moms machine was old and dying, she had been trying to nurse it back to health, because we didn’t have enough money to get a new one. So us kids worked hard to earn the money through mainly babysitting, ( because that’s all we could get paid for at the time, sense it’s was fall/ winter). We worked hard earning all the way up to a few days before Christmas, when our Dad agreed to take some of us (so as not to be suspicious) to the sewing machine store, and to get the machine. I remember that my Mom was so happy and that she started crying when she opened that gift that year. I know the machine meant so much to her. Because of that experience now every year us kids get together and plan on we are going to get my Mom for Christmas. We haven’t ever gotten anything quite as expensive as that sewing machine, but we do try and get something that we know she would love and or want. @jessicagarcia17880
Mini cauldron: I halp
Me, overwhelmed by cuteness: YES YOU DO!!
A couple years ago my dad was laid off right before the holidays. Now Christmas is his favorite holiday and he is constantly taking care of everyone around him so he wasn't spending any money on himself that year. While out shopping for gifts he saw a Christmas plate that had some Victorians in a sleigh and my mom and I knew that he wanted it and it was only something like $35 but he wouldn't buy it for himself. It was a rough Christmas because the next day (Christmas Eve) when we were putting the finishing touches on the roast one of mom's cat's ate the ribbon off a present and off to the vet they rushed. I refused to eat dinner with my bf (now husband) and when I mom said that the vet was done I reheated all of dinner, tossed on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and when they got home I gave my dad his plate and a warm dinner. We still use the plate and dad is back at work, but that gift always sticks out in his mind as something that has to go on the table every year. @fru.kaa.acklie
Lovely video. My favorite gift that I give -- or really share--is my gift of teaching. I am an art teacher and have worked with all levels, in all sorts of situations. Probably my favorite teaching episode was when I was teaching painting to seniors in a dementia wing at a nursing home, in the Seattle area actually. My mother had dementia and was a resident there . I actually was frustrated with my "crowd" because I had been scheduled with the "assisted living group" and then was reassigned to the most mentally challenged. Some of these folks hadn't recognized their family in years. Needless to say: tough crowd. I decided to demonstrate a watercolor snow man with a dark blue evening sky in the background. I held the finished piece up for the group of maybe 12 adults in their wheel chairs circled around me. Quite suddenly a woman in the front, who appeared to have been staring off in space the whole time, shouted, "snow man!" So I said, "Yes, that's it." Her aid literally jumped out of her chair and a wave of astonishment circled through the caregivers and nursing staff. I didn't know what was going on. Later, as I was cleaning up from my demo, a family member of the woman who was excited about the snow man, came to me with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. " She hasn't spoken or responded in two years. We didn't know if she was still in there." Thank you, God. My frustration was turned into one of the most awesome situations I have ever experienced. I was so humbled by the gift I have been given. It really is a honor to be able to teach art. My Instagram is: JaneMMason Thank you for the opportunity to remember and share this story.
What a beautiful story, thank you so much for sharing 💖
When I retired as an Elementary school counselor, I gave my entire last paycheck to my husband in Lowe's gift cards. He kept opening them and opening them. He looked like a kid in a candy store. He tells this story to almost everyone. He like your husband is a wood worker. He bought a lathe and turned spindles to handmake an octagonal baby bed for the child we were expecting! We named this little girl Faith because we were told we could not have children but God gave us Faith and through Faith in God she is turning 18 on March the ninth. All praise and Glory to God alone.
I'm not a good enough sewer to make use of the purse so if chosen please bless someone else with the gift. I throughly enjoy following you and Bernadette's channels. Just found them this week. Have enjoyed hours of the best media of my life by watching u both. Praying you two will be forever friends and you both will continue to bless the World with your content.
My favorite gift I've given so far is actually one from this last holiday season. Everything I gave was handmade by me, since I don't have much money, and the highlight for me is the Biscuit Chicken.
The Biscuit Chicken is a little casserole cozy thing to help keep your biscuits warm. The old one has been around for 30+ years, so it was starting to look a little tired. My grandma found the original pattern, (also pretty tired, so I made a new one of those too) and lent it to me, and I hand-stitched a nice new blue chicken to warm our biscuits.
I hope the term "Biscuit Chicken" haunts your brain now.
My favorite gift that I ever made was to my twin stepsisters. One Christmas, I knit them monogrammed scarves. I used what I know of cross stitch patterning to plot their initials in a diamond pattern, as was the fashion in the 80s as monograms go, and made them winter scarves. I’m not an expert knitter, but I was very pleased at how they came out and I know that one still has hers. The other lives in south Texas where scarves are definitely not as necessary as they are in Minnesota. (My handle is lkmelby.)
Oooh, I love this! My favorite gift I’ve ever made to give was a set of matryoshka dolls I painted with the life stages of a macaroni penguin for my penguin-obsessed sister one Christmas. It was delightedly received and is still on proud display many years later ❤️
I love that she still displays them, how sweet!
I would say my favorite gift I've ever given was a piece for a cosplay. It was a uniform coat for a military officer based on a character in a book that hadn't even come out yet. The friends for whom I made it are friends with the author, and the group of them had plans for a big cosplay photoshoot. So, they asked if I could make the thing. I put a *lot* of work into that jacket. The design was a challenge because it wasn't based on existing visual media, so I was essentially creating the design of the uniforms in this world. I went back and forth, asking questions about what sort of aesthetic they wanted, what visuals already existed, and the like. Thankfully, another of the author's friends had drawn maps for the world, so it gave me a little bit of inspiration, which I was then able to translate into a pretty neat design.
There are some things about it I would want to fix and do a little differently, but it was quite a hit among the entire group. Normally, I would have wanted to charge for something so labor intensive, but as I was just as excited about the project as they were, I made a gift of it.
What a beautiful little purse.
The greatest gift I’ve ever given at Christmas was this past year. I crocheted a christening gown, complete with booties and bonnet for my son and daughter in law. It took me 7 weeks to complete and was so heart warming to see the look on their faces when they opened the box. It was a shell stitch design worked in white crochet thread with pink ribbon lacing thru the bodice, sleeves, booties and bonnet along with half inch pink ribbon roses. I also made a chiffon underskirt for the dress that was gathered and whip stitched to the bottom row of the bodice. All that’s needed to truly complete it is a grand baby to wear it ❤️❤️
Simply gorgeous!
The best gift I gave someone is a toss up between the series of Famous Five books to my mum and the scrap quilt for my friend.
My mum was given the Famous Five books when she was little by her uncle. She read them every night and loved them, even reading them to my brother and I as kids. When her uncle passed away she gave them back to his children who were still very young. I searched everywhere and tracked down each book as they had gone out of print here. Finally tracked them all down for her....now they release them as a box set 😆
The other was a quilt for a friend who loved her jeans. They had been worn everywhere and were mostly thread bare and patched. She'd had these jeans for nearly 20 years and was so sad when she thought they were no longer redeemable. She gave them to me as scrap material to have another life. I cut them up and together with cute fabrics she'd been eyeing off in my stash, I pieced them all together to make a shaggy lap quilt.
_liskaye_
Damn, that fabric is pretty!
I am so in love with it 😍
i concur
My favorite gift that I ever made was a wedding vow renewal dress for my dear friend. She was a missionary in Haiti and had been married several years before her Haitian husband finally got his visa to come to the U.S with her. We hosted a vow renewal ceremony and reception so they could celebrate in front of friends and family who were finally able to meet him for the first time. What a joyous celebration! Her dress was my first "real" (aka non-costume) project where I really focused on perfecting every seam and detail. I used a commercial pattern as a starting point but drafted new sleeves, did a full bust alteration, altered the skirt, etc. for a custom design and fit. My friend loved it, and it was a joy to make her a dress that really embodied her unique sense of style. This dress (well really, any dress, much less something custom made) is something she could never have afforded, so it truly was a blessing for me to make it and see her face light up when she got dressed that day. She told me she had never felt so beautiful. Finally, all my hours of watching your channel and videos by other wonderful historical dressmakers paid off with beautiful hand-sewn seams, a perfect fit and several special details. :-) My instagram handle is crmarble.
My mom lives several states away from me, so I only get to see her a couple times a year. One year, for Mother's Day, I orchestrated a surprise with her sister (my aunt). She invited my mom and grandmother over for a pre-Mother's Day dinner. I hid on the back porch and waited for them to come inside.
It was a very simple gift, but seeing her so surprised and happy just made my heart burst. I think it had been a long time since anyone had given her a pleasant surprise, and it was so worth the long drive.
That turned out so cute! I do a lot of handmade gifts. A favorite recently was a set of memorial pendants I gave my birth mother and her sister. I'm a glass worker. So I put some ashes of their mother (my maternal grandmother) into a glass cabochon. She requested the glass to look like a "colorful nebula" which I achieved by using a black base and colored dichroic glass. I'm also a wireworker, specifically I weave with wire, so I set each in a fully woven bezel. They both loved their pieces. ❤️
Favourite gift I've given.... that's a tough one, because I like gifting a lot! The best gifts, I think, are practical & useful. Probably one of my top 3 favourite gifts was a pair of Coppergate socks I made for a dear friend and fellow Viking reenactor!
Bonus: one of my favourite gifts I've ever *received* was a whole box of acorns! It sounds strange, but I LOVED it. I used those acorns for 3 dye batches and got some great colours from them, which was immensely valuable to my knowledge and my collection of dye sample documentation.
This would look perfect with my ren fair dress! 🥰
My favorite gift I ever gave was to my dad when i was really young. i had saved up money and bought him a #1 dad shirt and he loved it. it was a small gesture and i had barely anything to spend but i could tell he really appreciated it
Aww, so cute!!!
I made a signature quilt for my Nana’s 90th birthday. It took my almost two years to hand quilt, my family was so thrilled to give it to her at the family reunion. She is gone now as are several of the folks who signed. I have it back and love to see all the love captured in fabric. 💜
My favorite gift I gave this year was needlecases I made and added a sewing needle made out of a Russian Olive thorn! Thought they turned out super cute 🙂
I have two favourite things that I’ve made and given. The first I thought of was when I gift drawings to my mom. I usually chose very meaningful family pictures that I draw in pencil. She usually cries happy tears.. ☺️ But then I thought about the gift that I preferred giving and that I’m most proud of. I made a quilt for my daughter. I started making it when I was still pregnant with her. I chose some marine biology inspired fabrics and some of my old t-shirts that I got from my scientific conferences and internships. I cut the fabrics into squares, ordered all different types of fabrics and then got overwhelmed. I started looking for help on TH-cam like the good Millennial that I am.. 🤦🏻♀️😂... and found Bernadette, and then you through her, when you constructed your beautiful red corset which she mentioned. You two plus the instructional videos on quilting got me through the procrastination and anxiety of choosing a project that is too big to chew. (I have to mention here, that I barely have any sewing experience before project quilt).. I finished the quilt when she was a bit over one year old, and I was so incredibly happy and proud that I made it through and that she will now have this blanket to cherish forever, even if for now she doesn’t know its value yet. ☺️ My Instagram is ck_mtl. Thanks for inspiring me ! ❤️
This is so freaking pretty and really cool. Such a neat project. I love how yours turned out. I totally just ordered the small purse kit of my own. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Awww, that's awesome! I hope you have a lot of fun putting it together!!
The most favourite gift I ever made for someone was for a best friend I was totally in love with. That relationship broke down, but I still look at the photos of the item and feel damn proud of myself!
It was a messenger bag. We were both in university and he always carried things in his hands/pockets, and never carried an umbrella. So I drafted for him a messenger bag full of pockets, with an interlining made out of oilcloth (one of those tablecloths you can buy at measure from a roll), a rubber bottom made from a cheap car mat, decorative piping all around made from scratch, and I even hand-made an embroydered button with a quote from an inside joke. All the layers were too thick to machine, so I handstitched that beautiful monster. I am still proud of that thing! It's been 12 years, and I would bet you it is still holding in one piece, wherever in the world it might be.
No instagram handle, I just wanted to share :)
I gave my sister a canvas print of her favorite character Belle. It was painted by the voice of Belle herself. And she autographed it with a message for my sister on the back of it. My sister was so excited and happy with the picture then when she realized it was autographed she cried.
My favorite gift to give was the year I made "rice socks" as Christmas presents for all of my family. These are reusable heating pads like the Bed Buddy that is now commercially available. You microwave them and the grain inside stores that heat and releases it slowly. Even better, the grain absorbs moisture from the ambient environment, so the heat is moist heat. This is best for aches like arthritis or cramps. I made little, flannel pillowcase-like covers for each one and included some dried lavender in with the grain before sewing them shut.
The reason these were so amazing to give is that they were like little hugs that I could leave with my family when I had to travel back home! They live in areas with cold winters, so they used these often to ward off chills. And each time they got a little bit of lavender relaxation, a warm, fuzzy, flannel hug, and I got to be with them for just a moment.
My Instagram handle is rapunzle79
My favorite gift I've given was a Western quilt I made for my twin. Was the first big project I ever attempted! No Instagram, but loved the fabric very pretty!
Absolutely gorgeous bag, I want one! Lol! My favorite thing I've ever made someone is a lap quilt for my grandma for christmas! It had snowmen and sparkles, and tons of christmassy fabric! It meant the world to me to make her something, as she's in a nursing home and I dont get to see her very often since it's quite far away.
That fabric is gorgeous! I had a ton of 1” flat glass beads left over from another project and now use those as weights. Best part is they’re from the dollar store.
One year I had just started my crafting adventure. I made a gift basket for my grandmother in law (the queen). The contents included: home made apron, basket lining, home made soap, three different home made jams, and a heating pad. I over did it a little.... everything was made with love, and mistakes. It took sooo many hours, but I was so proud and happy.
This purse turned out amazing! My favourite gift was from this christmas, my roommate gifted me a knitted mermaid tail blanket in our secret santa, very useful in these cold evenings 😊
That purse is gorgeous!!!
One of my favorite gifts I’ve given is an embroidered handkerchief I made for two of my best friends in the SCA. I designed and hand embroidered personal monograms on white linen handkerchiefs for them and included a tiny hidden badge for each of them as well. It felt great being able to gift something I worked so hard on to people I love
That has to be the cutest purse ever!
Favourite gift I've ever given has to be an ornament I purchased for my boyfriend. We'd been saving for so long that we hadn't been able to give gifts till this Christmas just gone. He loves Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, and I found an ornament that perfectly represents the poem and knew it was the perfect gift for the perfect man. It now sit beside his computer and I see him smiling at it when he thinks I'm not looking.
Don't have Instagram, so don't mind if that voids me from the contest.
Wishing you a joyous new year! :)
my favorite gift to give was a wedding gift, a kitchen trash can full of a variety of cleaning products that a newly wed couple never gets as a gift, yet may find that they need and can be overlooked when setting up for married life , With a second small bathroom trash can filled with small kitchen utensils such as a can opener. The initial response is always just a confused look and thank you. Then later i get oh my gosh! That was the best gift ever, The power went out and i needed a can opener etc. It is the gift that while practical in nature continues to give
ENTRY: At my childhood home, there was a patch of wild, miniature roses beside the road in front of the house. One of my brothers ran over the rose bed with the big tractor mower and turned all the plants to mulch. For my mother on Mother's Day, I bought new miniature pink roses and replanted the patch. She loved it! Thanks for the giveaway. IG handle: jdmgeorgia
Honestly this year every gift I gave meant so much to me. This was the first year I had a job and could afford to buy my family and friends gifts with my own money. (Previously my parents paid for it) and seeing them open the gifts that I was able to give them on my own was amazing.
I also got to make my Boyfriend joggers, and his mother a bag, and scarf combo! This Christmas was definitely one of my favorites.
Love Billy and Charlie!
For giveaway: One of my favorite gifts that I’ve ever given was a very handsome modern watch to my new husband. It was for his graduation from Graduate school. We were young and poor graduate students at the time so I got a second job waitressing and put all the money I made towards this watch. My hubby was really floored when I gave him the present. 37 years later, he still feels it was one of the best presents he’s ever received because of what it meant. It still gives me joy thinking about it! ❤️
My Instagram handle is @traceystoever. Thank you for doing this lovely, educational videos. I’m learning so much from you! Happy 12th Night!
My attention span is such that I usually get bored of, or fast-forward through sewing videos, but not this one! I watched every stitch. It is so beautiful.
The cauldron fabric weight is such a mood. I've use mine may times haha!
What type of cauldron is it?, and where did you get it? (if you dont mind me asking). It is so very cute 🙂
@@amberrogers8424 Cast Iron, I got it from a shop in my area that sold bongs and witchcraft supplies, lol! They're shut down now because the owner retired.
My favorite gift that I gave to my parents was to come home from Europe after being stationed there for a bit. It was a surprise and full of wonderful emotion. Best gift ever.
It's so cute. I should try to make some history bonding stuff in the future
I didn't realize that was a medieval technique for weaving. I actually have a simpler pattern fabric, now contemplating making a purse of my own. I hope the recipient of your purse parts had success with the pattern.
I find the stories in here delightful. I will add to them, just for fun.
I have given several best gifts, that I have planned as spectacular items, but the one that got the biggest reaction was an act of generosity toward a stranger. Several winters ago; I put special treats in paper bags and handed them to people asking for money. One of the most popular treats were 2-4 oz bottles of spirits. One person opened theirs, and instead of the usual nod / quiet smile/thank you, the person lit up in stunned glee as if I had handed them something impossible and perfectly desired. They even hopped up and down in enthusiasm. I think I have never seen anyone so happy before. I smile even thinking of it now.
To quote you, this is stinking darn cute
My favorite gift I made for my grandma on my dad's side. A ten by ten fully hand embroidered mandala. She displayed it on her fiftieth wedding anniversary and kept it in the nursing home up until her death last year. I knew she really appreciated it because she embroidered too, and knew how much work it was.
The best gift I ever received was a feather my dog Cassie found on the beach, she thought it very precious, but presented it to me rather than kept it. @macida17
That's so sweet!
Since my family doesn't celebrate any winter holiday, I'm used to rarely receiving gifts, usually only on birthdays, and often birthday gifts can be a little underwhelming, not that I'm not thankful, but it can be hard to maintain jubilation when one receives a tool box, after a year of asking for nothing more than sketchbooks instead. So when a thoughtful gift is given during a time other than my birthday, I find myself ecstatic with thankfulness, which brings us to my story. one Christmas, a few years ago, my family went up to visit my extended family, an occasion I always dreaded for the exhaustion from political, religious, and social disagreements I had with my family. but that year it was different, my aunt treated me so kindly, I never wanted to leave her side, and she showered me with so many kind works, I felt so loved and accepted, and she even gave me a small coin purse and told me she bought it just for me and that if my dad ever got angry if he saw I had it, to tell him it was a gift from my auntie. Christmas was amazing and I felt like a part of my family for once, but as for the best gift, it was given by both my aunt and grandma, the day we were to leave for home. they brought me down to the basement, where my grandma's sewing station was and they pulled out this beautiful pink plush velour, and told me they heard I was getting into sewing. They told me to keep it and to make something beautiful out of it and that they were excited to see where I went with sewing. I eventually made a poofy ruched jacket and matching skirt out of it, but I never forgot the kindness behind that gift, and the faith and support they had for me. I poured my love into that outfit because I knew it was, in essence, for them.
Instagram: itssrhynne.official
So last Christmas I got to make gifts for four of my family members. My mom had given me my deceased Pepere's navy pants and asked me to make her some mittens out of them since they were wool. I made her a pair of mittens, my uncle a pillow, my other uncle a scarf, and my Memere a Christmas ornament using the fabric and buttons from his pants. It was really great to see them all open their presents at the same time and to explain to them how they all connected. It was an awesome moment.
My instagram is @DreamingInTattoos
My top 3 favorite gifts (sorry, I can't narrow it down to 1!) in no particular order:
1. A signed (personalized!) picture for my sister by the main actress from her favorite show for her birthday.
2. A decorative cutting board engraved with a recipe in my grandmother's writing for my mother (it was her mom's hand writing).
3. Handmade stuffies, crocheted by me, for my littles. They were just so beyond excited about them and the feeling of someone being so excited for something you made is just amazing!
My favorite gift that I’ve given was to my sister this last Christmas. I sewed her a handkerchief, crocheted a lace edge onto it, and hand-embroidered flowers and her initials on it. She said that she loved it and is afraid to use it because of how pretty it is. Many hours went into the making of it so I’m glad she loves it so much. I was rather joyous when I saw her reaction as she opened the gift.
Instagram: taylor.huls
the most favorite gift I did was for all the children in the family. I found cute Christmas themed storage jars in the dollar tree. I bought one for all 10 children. I filled the jar with all the dry ingredients for my oatmeal, chocolate chip or fruit cookies and gave them the recipe so they can finish them or make them themselves later. I even gave them the directions for freezing the cookie dough so they can make them whenever they want a few. All the children love these cookies and were so excited that Aunt Kathy shared them.
sorry I don't have instagram but you can get me on facebook Kathleen Barron Scavone.
Such a wonderful little project ! Very tempted to make one for myself, maybe even embroider it ? Who knows ^^
I love how it turned out!
My favorite gift I’ve given would probably be the jacket I gave to a friend for his birthday a few years ago. I was the only one who bought him a gift that year, he said he hadn’t gotten a gift in a long time from anyone. He still wears the jacket and it’s been a couple years now
I love how this turned out, so beautiful!
One of my favorite gifts was for my mom for Christmas one year, shortly after my dad passed away. Earlier in the summer, we took a vacation to Lincoln City, OR. Mom had always wanted to find or make one of the glass floats, but never got around to it. So, I made an appointment to visit the glass float gallery and make one. The whole family participated, choosing colors to add or doing the actual blowing, all under the guise that it was for myself. Everyone knew but mom and everyone, even the young nieces, kept the secret until Christmas eve. When mom opened her special float, she cried, and couldn't believe what we'd done for her. It was wonderful. 😊
Instagram @tiffany.schademan
It sounds kind of dumb... But six years ago, we had to put our family dog down(she was almost 17, was spoiled rotten, had a good long life). But it was so incredibly hard on my mom. Chloe was her baby. My sister and I had been moved out for three years, and it was before my dad retired, so Chloe was my mom's constant companion after kids flew the coop, while my dad was at work. She was so attached to Chloe that get grief was immense. That was January of '14. That Christmas, my mom was sort of dreading, first Christmas without Chloe. So I(not being hugely techie/photograph savvy) picked out the cutest picture of Chloe I had, went to Walmart to get it printed, got a pretty wooden frame, and decorated the frame with Chloe's name, and other doggie-like decorations. It wasn't huge or expensive, but as soon as my mom unwrapped it, she clutched it to her chest and started sobbing. Freaked me out for a second, but she insisted it was absolutely perfect. The picture of Chloe still sits on the end stand by my mom's side of the couch where they would cuddle up every day to watch soap operas😊
The favorite gift I made might be a Christmas ornament for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. I took the beads off my grandmother’s wedding veil crown (which was totally thrashed from being used as dress-up) and learned how to make a beaded cover for a gold ornament. I painted pink roses on the ornament on the lower half, and put the beaded cover on the top. My grandma hangs it on her tree each year.
@carrieatoneandonlyoutfits
That fabric is astoundingly beautiful.
My favorite gift is a leather journal cover that I gave to my girlfriend-now-wife. I had just started to learn the basics of leather craft and I had noticed that the journals that she used were a bit beat up. I did so much practice learning how to saddle stitch so that the stitching on the cover didn't look like a drunken toddler did it. It was so satisfying to make, and even more awesome when she opened it.
One year I crocheted a little dog sweater for my Aunt's dog. My Aunt loved the dog sweater so much and she always talked about how she wanted a matching sweater. For the next Christmas I crocheted my Aunt a matching sweater. It was the first full size garment I had ever crocheted and I was so proud and excited to give it to her.
Thanks for reading!
IG: @crazyboutelephants
My favorite gifts I've given were done this year, I do not want to enter your contest but I want to say that I made a pair of custom maces (yes the medieval melee weapons) for my friends in the SCA arenas. One was an 8 flanged mace based on squid, and the other was a combined flanged/spiked mace based on bees. I think making gifts for friends it the best thing ever I love it and I love the purse you made.
I unpicked the lining from a cardigan I own. Love the fabric and didn't want to leave it in the Purgatory they is my craft bin. I'll have to make a purse out of it!
I think my favorite gift I've given is a baby blanket for my niece. It was my first crochet project, so it was a lot of trial and error. But she's five now and her 'blankie' is still on her bed. 🥰
IG : aly_deary
greenmommy03
About 8 years ago I started teaching myself to loom knit and sew. Since then I've made several knit blankets, hats and shawls and a few Historic-ish costumes for myself and my daughter. In general I feel that the best gifts I've given were those I've made myself but even more special to me are the gifts (shawl, hat and cowel) I've made for my Grandma. I never appreciated the things my grandmas made for me when I was little but with a new respect for homemade items, I'm grateful that I can now make a few useful things for my remaining grandmother.
I still plan to make her a quilt with some of my grandpa's shirts, he died about 7 years ago.
That is beautiful fabric I won’t enter although I love the purse I am a quilter I just love your content.
I just discovered you, during the gift exchange, but I am really enjoying your videos! My favorite gift to have given is that I gave my granddaughter a quilt sewing kit this Christmas. It has everything you need to make a baby sized quilt, including the fabric! She has just started sewing (she's 13, and "special"). I love that I've been able to assist her in learning my favorite hobby! Love your work!
I've been wanting to make one of these!!!! So happy to have a guide now! I'm european so no chance for the giveaway but I dont even mind
I do not mind mailing to Europe, as long as you are not in a country that has restrictions on giveaways like this one.
@@MorganDonner thats amazing, I'll give it a try then~
I’ve so in awe of this gift. It looks so gorgeous and is in my favourite colours and in fact I have a beautiful pair of shoes in those colours that are crying out for a bag like that.
My favourite gift was when I was a young girl.
We weren’t well off by any means and all my parents savings has been eaten up when he had a heart attack in his 30s. This was at the time when very few occupations had sick pay and the statutory sick pay by the government was barely enough to live on. Just as my dad was ready to back to work -he was a miner- he took another heart attack and so this was going to be another 6 months off work. For a fur active man as my dad had been this was dreadful and emasculating as he couldn’t support his family or so he thought. This was in the 60s and there were more women at home than not.
Christmas Day came and up I jumped to see what Santa had brought. I of course knew nothing of any worries as I was only 6 or 7 at the time. I had so many presents from so many people and there was even a blackboard from mum and dad. There was another parcel from them and when I opened it there was what I can only describe as the most wonderful thing. Nowadays it would be classed as Mixed Media.
It was in a frame about 2ft x3ft and it was a bookcase. I loved books, on the shelves were little fluffy cats and white curly poodles, there were bookspines of cardboard with my very favourite book titles. There was a small wooden crochet hook and knitting needles with a tiny ball of wool. There were tiny paintbrushes and a wee paintbox. There was a blackboard, there was a small photo of mum dad and I and other treasures. My eyes widened, gosh I can remember this so clearly and my eyes are filling as I write.
What I didn’t know was my parents were totally skint that year. My blackboard had been paid up weekly from Feb to December but this magical box was just everything.
My mum and dad had been sitting on Christmas Eve with the equivalent of 75c and mum was crying that it would be a poor Christmas and it was going to just be sausages for Christmas dinner
Over the day, a huge box of shopping was delivered, someone dad worked with handed in a massive ham as he raised pigs. All my relatives and lots of neighbours handed in gifts for me but the most special was that wooden frame that dad built and that they both worked on to put things I loved on each shelf. It was made a few days before Xmas as they didn’t have any money to buy some of the things needed until then. Neither of them was the slightest crafty or good at DIY so it was indeed a Labour of love.
I loved it with my heart and soul and was always one of my prized possessions if not THE one.
Sorry I’ve rambled but I couldn’t cut it short.
Bobbi8201is my Instagram but I don’t use it. I’m sure once it’s announced I shall check it in case I was so lucky.
Thanks for the chance to share this treasured memory
Oh, this is so cute!
As fas as favorite gifts go, i like to make character themed stuff for the other people in my D&D group, and i made everyone embroidered dice bags last year! Everyone still uses their's every week, it's really nice to see that i really nailed it in terms of function AND creativity!
(Ig handle @araviir)
That purse is gorgeous! Beautiful work!
The favorite gifts I've ever given were handmade (not hand sewn) quilts I gave to each of our kiddos a few years ago. Each one really showed the personalities of our kids.
The favorite gift I’ve ever given was when I was a teenager. My mom had been in the ICU so I knew how hard it was not to be able to hug her. A young wife who’s husband was (fatally) injured came into the icu & she was devastated. All she wanted was to hug him & she couldn’t because of the injuries & medical stuff. She mentioned missing her Persian cat, so I ran to the store & got her a stuffed Persian cat. She was so happy. 💜 @elmoresr
My favorite gift I have given was during Christmas this year to my parents. I have been knitting for around 7 years and I enjoy it very much. I made a blanket a couple years ago but it was made out of mismatching yarn with different thickness and last year, I decided to make another but in black. At first I made it because I just wanted something to do with my hands during movies or long car rides. I started mid summer and ended it a few days before Christmas. When I layed it out to cast it off and weave the ends in, I discovered that I had 5 or 6 different shades of black, that it is wider than it is tall, and I ran out of yarn to finish casting it off. Luckily, I finished casting off the rest and as long as you use it sideways, it should be fine. But regardless, I decided to give it to my parents and I tried my best to cram it into one of those thin cardboard boxes with the help of tape. Christmas rolled around and my mom grabbed the oddly shaped mass under the tree and when she was unwrapping it she said that she probably knew what it was. Sure enough, she opened the box and took out my hand knit blanket and said that she liked it! It made me extremely happy to gift my parents something that they enjoyed. There is something about homemade gifts that make it all the more special opposed to store bought, it makes it so much more personal! And my Instagram handle is ali_the_aligator3862
My first ever attempt at quilting was on a pillow that I gifted. That was my favorite gift I gave. That purse is too stinkin' cute. It reminds me of a sporran.
@ Ruthiesherwood
My favourite gift I have ever given is to my aunt and uncle and my cousin and his girlfriend and their little baby.
Almost one year ago my cousin and his girlfriend had a little baby. I wanted to give them all something special to celebrate this mile stone in their life: the baby (of course) was born, my cousin and his girlfriend became parents and my aunt and uncle became grandparents. For the baby I had crafted a little fairy out of dried flowers and I had made a little poem for her; the fairy had a string attached so it could hang in the baby's room. For the parents and grandparents I had made a painting of the little girl; I had received so many baby pictures of her so I made two paintings with watercolours. The reason why I feel like this is my favourite gift is because not only the moment of giving was beautiful, but also the days leading up to it was exciting. I was crafting these presents and imagining how they would react; I even cried (happy tears) when I wrote that little poem for the baby, because the knowledge that my cousin had found someone to share his life with and take this big step with made me so happy. The reaction on their faces when I gave them my gifts that day was amazing, they were so happy and amazed and the fact they liked my creations made me even happier (afterwards I even heard both my aunt and cousin had framed the paintings and displayed them around the house). For me giving gifts is something special, it's not about how expensive something is, it's about the intention and thoughts and wishes you put into something and the happiness on the faces of the people you give the gift to; happiness on the faces of the people you care about.
my Instagram is: helenalena_art (the gifts I mentioned are also posted on there; if you feel like looking :) )
So cute! My favorite gift I've given was a hand knit shawl to my sister. My Instagram is threadedbytabby
A very large Christmas cracker for each of my nieces and nephews. I filled it with little, pretty or useful things like tins of crayons, tiny sewing kits, storm troopers ( this was long ago) each individually wrapped with ribbons and bows. I also included star sequins, gold chocolate coins, wrapped sweeties (candies) party poppers, hats, terrible jokes (an English custom) and smaller shop bought crackers. When they opened them a whole pile of glittery stuff fell out with all these little gifts. They loved them (much to their parents disgust Lol!) so much they kept the ‘cracker’ for years. It became a family custom to the point they are known as Auntie Crackers as I get to make them every year. (I buy or make things throughout the year to put in them - my white felt Ballerina Mice have always gone down very well and I knit socks and mittens and such like as they get older) and love to do it. It also keeps my best loved people in mind as I’m always looking or making little gifts for them)
I’ve been thinking of making a clasped bag for ages - in Edwardian style as that’s the period I’m most in love with. Now after seeing your beautiful effort I’m encouraged to go ahead and do it. Thank you. (Yes I know this is too late for Christmas!)
My favorite gift I’ve ever given was when I gifted my dear friend her own dress to wear to SCA events. I worked hard to make it exactly how she wanted it. It makes me really happy to see her wear something she loves so much and to see her have fun while wearing it. @sew_unforgettable
What a lovely project... Ohh that fabric! Favorite gift given were the matching flannel nightgowns I would make every Christmas for my daughter and niece. They always looked so cozy and sweet in the yearly photo we would take. Hard to beat soft flannel on a cold winter night. My Instagram is # abhayathomas.
I have a friend who writes and has a set of characters from the victorian era. She also collects dolls. I don't have the funds to buy the dolls she likes, but i do have the skill and the fabric stash to make clothes for the dolls. My favorite gift was for this friend; I made the chemise, stays, and petticoat, plus I made a (mostly period accurate) over dress. I didn't have an actual pattern, just a bunch of images from google and it turned out really well. My friend was remarkably excited about it. Her reaction to it is what makes it my favorite gift given.
"i halp" is too cute, i ded
I think my favorite gift that I've made and given was a few years back when I made little felt card deck pouches for each member of my family for Christmas to hold their Dutch blitz cards. My family has always really loved playing Dutch blitz and they all have a specific color they like to play with, but there are so many of us that we have to use multiple decks, so I hand lettered each individual card with the player's name and a little symbol for quick identification during the sorting process. The pouches themselves had little felt scenes related to something that was important to each person. For example: the one for my younger sister has a moon and a viewer looking up at it (her nickname is moonchild cause she loved the moon when she was little), and the one for my husband has a knight on a horse with a plume on his helmet, because while we were dating we used to read "the white company" by G.K.Chesterton together, and he was in the USMC before we met.
My favourite gift I made for someone was for my husband's 30th birthday. I secretly contacted all of his closest friends and family and asked them to write a short note telling why they love him or a favourite memory with him. I then compiled the notes in to a hand bound booklet. We both got teary and shared some laughs while he read the notes aloud.
IG: xx_misfit_xx
Best gift ever was my new sewing machine I received. My old one refused to stitch anything without cutting the thread into smithereens. I've started to find my creativity and making props for LARPs has been never so simple and easy.
My favorite Christmas gift was a sewing machine to a close friend who had just started college and needed one to help her with theatre. I really loved seeing her smile when she opened it!
Insta- sarahs_stitch
Twenty years ago, a week before Christmas my first niece was born. I really didn't have much money as I was a college student but wanted to give her something. So I made her a Christmas Quilt. I had never quilted before but I made it for her. I think that was the best thing I made for Christmas... that and the nightgowns that have gone through all five of my nieces and my youngest niece now wears. lol
OH! My IG handle is Seamed_Things.
I have a couple favorite gifts I've given but I think one that I'll always remember was a couple years ago. My grandmother always wanted a pearl strand necklace. Ever since I was little she always mentioned that but my family has always been very poor and could never afford one for her. Well a couple of years ago now around her birthday I had the means to finally get her one. It wasnt a super fancy or expensive one, it was a cheaper one from Kohls, but I finally got it for her. She has Alzheimer's and dementia now, but when I gave her the necklace I could see the recognition in her face and she mentioned how she always wanted one and she cried. My insta handle is Shiina_Yumi.
This looks amazing and I'd love to try it, whether I win or not (have bookmarked the links for the future).
The best gift I ever gave was a 3D printer to my fiance. I've always been creatively good with my hands. Drawing, sewing, modelling, etc. But he never had that. He did, however, get really good at 3D rendering and I couldn't get over the thought of what if he could bring HIS creations to the real world? So I bought him a 3D printer that would let him do just that. He literally became like a kid on Christmas. He was dancing, he was running back and forth excitedly to make his new project on the computer and then watch it print. I honestly don't think I had ever personally smiled over him and a present as much as I did just watching him interact with it. I still beam when I think of that first week of him working with it. He was so adorable and excited and now we get to work on our costumes together. Which just makes those projects all the more special. @Lyesera
I am going to have to make this bag for my wedding!
My favorite gift I have made for someone is the stuffed bunny I made for my niece about 4 years ago. Several reasons its my favorite. 1, my niece adores it. She still has it. 2, It was the most challenging project I had ever done (at the time) so it was a test of my skills. 3, the colors and the fabrics are so great.
Instagram is alorastarcreations
The purse is lovely. My favorite gift that I've given was a leatherman wave to my brother for Christmas. Watching a 30-something act as giddy as a school boy was a sight to behold. On a side note, evidently emergency rooms are relatively slow on Christmas day so you get seen faster to get stitches...
I got my husband a cat “Ring” that is like a giant hamster ring for cats to run on. He’s been training our cats to run on it and he LOVES watching the cats play on it. “TheAgeofFabulous” is my instagram handle
I would LOVE TO MAKE ONE OF THESE. My favourite gift that I've ever given was I got my friend a subscription to a gym app. I know, it seems sort of peloton bike, but she's been struggling a bit and has voiced to me in the past that going to the gym has really helped her mental health. She left her job, and so knowing that she'd no longer be able to afford a personal trainer, I was really happy to be able to get her that subscription. It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing that she would be getting use out of the gift and it would increase her over all health.
OMG my sister would love that.
My favorite creation was making a quillow ( part quilt, part pillow ) for my birth child who found me 40 + years after I gave them up for adoption. I sewed 40 years of love into it in a very short time. It was a bookshelf design, pieced, embroidered, appliqued, and free motion quilted incorporating many of their favorite books, pets, and designs into it. The best part is knowing he uses it regularly, and is wrapped up in my love.
I forgot to include my Instagram ... It's waterscathy
@waterscathy
I think the best gift I made for someone was I made my aunt the type of crossover back linen apron she really likes.
It was a dusty pink colour - I mean it still is, she still has it - and the fabric was the most expensive fabric I’d ever bought at the time, even though I think I got it on sale. It might still be the most expensive fabric I’ve ever bought. I embroidered a little chicken on it while in Christmas mass to get it done on time and it was the first handmade gift I ever gave that didn’t feel like I was cheating (by making something instead of buying something). I drafted the pattern myself, and even though a cross back linen apron is not exactly a highly complex garment I’d never drafted anything before. It was finished with bias binding, and I’d never made or used that before either! I make it all the time now, just because I find it kind of peaceful.
It turned out so well she asked me where I got it, because those types of apron are quite expensive here and she’d never seen a shape like it in the place she bought her’s and didn’t believe me for ages when I said I’d made it. She panicked a little when she realised she’d wiped her hands on it already. An apron is a pretty mundane object and it’s just in the rotation with all the rest of her aprons now but it was lovely when I’d be at her house pre-covid and she’d just be wandering around making dinner without a care in world, with complete faith in my sewing ability that if she put it in the washing machine it would come out again.
I’m almostphd on Instagram, which I almost forgot to add!
You really encourage me! While my era is 1780s , I think I want a medieval bag! The best gift I have ever gifted was a crocheted hat made from pure wool, colored naturally from a dark grey sheep. It was from a sheep raised approximately 100 miles from our home. We live in Idaho. I gifted it to my namesake niece, Jane.
My favorite gift I have ever given was the fist cloak I ever made for my friends, it wasnt that good, the ends where uneven and the ribbon i lined,the edges with had more waves in it then the sea, but they loved it wore it every where we went. It encouraged me to continue to create, cloaks dresses caplets, so i keep making things for the people I love ☺ sadly i dont have an Instagram but I hope my story bring a smile to a face
As a fan of cloaks, your story certainly brought a smile to my face! Thanks.