More Christmas Gifts Made

Christmas 2012 turned out to be the year for pillows.  I TRY to make gifts that are unique and hopefully will be special to the person(s) receiving them.  Admittedly, I'm starting to run out of ideas.

I made 5 identical pillow shams for my Dad and each of his 4 siblings using a photo of their parents (my paternal grandparents).

To continue the trend...I also made a pillow sham for my mom using a photo of her parents (my maternal grandparents).

I always find it extremely difficult to think of gifts for my in-laws....but since I was on a roll...I decided to make two pillow shams.  Both photos are recent....one was taken when they visited our oldest daughter and her family in Tennessee.  This was the first time they had ever met their youngest great-grandchild in person.  The other photo was taken when they visited us a few months ago and I was able to snap a picture of them with their son (my dear hubby) and our three daughters living here in New York.

 
I think everyone was pleased with their gifts.  If not, they didn't let me know! :) :) :)

A couple days before Christmas, my daughter Emily called and asked if I could "whip up" a Batman cape for her to give to her friend's 5 year old son.  She said it didn't need to be complicated....just something for him to put around his neck that would go with the Batman hat she had purchased already.

I searched on-line and was able to find a free superhero cape pattern that I could download and print.  Then I googled and searched for a Batman logo I could print off also.  With pattern in hand, I then had to go to the basement and search through my old fabric stash for a solid black.  I should be embarrassed to tell anyone this, (but I'm not)....believe it or not I found JUST ENOUGH solid black fabric for the cape that was actually left over from when I made my twin daughters identical Pilgrim outfits when they were about 4 or 5 years old (they are turning 21 in April!). hahahahahah

I know the little boy who was to get this cape and I knew it wouldn't be really safe to give him something that he tied around the neck....so I adjusted the pattern in order to use velcro to secure the neck.  Another search around my sewing stash unearthed enough black velcro (left over from making my boy dogs belly bands).

The last thing I needed was a small piece of gold fabric, felt, etc., to make the Batman logo.  I couldn't find anything appropriate and was beginning to panic when I looked in the corner and spotted a scrap of gold fleece (about 7" square) that was left over from when my daughter Kirsten made the fleece blankets for all the family for Christmas.  JUST WHAT I NEEDED!

I think it turned out rather cute, if I do say so myself!!! :) :)

Here's a close up of the logo....

Emily seemed to be surprised and very pleased when she came to pick it up.  I later heard that the young man who received it was beyond happy and kept it on all day, every day since Christmas.

Now it's time to get my sewing room back in order now that I no longer have house guests needing the room to sleep.

Time to get back to the many quilt projects I was working on before the holidays arrived.