Sunday, December 23, 2007

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

I'm finished. And I'm so freaking glad to be finished that there are almost no words for it.

A lot of what I'm giving this year is purchased, but I always like to make something for the women in Mario's family. They appreciate handmade, which doesn't happen as often as it should.

This kimono robe is for his sister Debbie. The pattern is Advance 8723, which I bought with the gift certificate to Lanetz Living I got for winning Patternreview's UFO contest. I had planned to make it for myself, but then I realized I'm not much of a robe-wearer, and she is.

I probably had a good fabric for this in stash, but when I was in my local store two weeks ago while buying thread for another project, I saw this mystery blend on the $2.95 table. They never have decent stuff on that table, so I grabbed this simply because it wasn't scary/ugly. It washed up really well, lost what little stiffness it had and it actually seems a bit more lingerie-glossy. And sometimes mystery blends are good for garments that are going to be coffee-stained or frequently laundered. This stuff will definitely take abuse.

This was a great fast pattern. It's all squares and straight lines, so it was a breeze to put together. I bought it in a vintage 14, which is more or less my size, and graded it down for Debbie because she's a good bit smaller than I am. Then again, it's a robe, so there's only so much worry about fit. I like making things for people where precise fit isn't an issue, since it ruins the surprise if you have to corner them for fittings.

Usually the default female gift is a bag. Last year for Mario's mom's birthday, I made her the Lazy Girl Gracie bag. It was my first handmade gift for her and I wasn't sure if she'd like it. When I saw her at Thanksgiving, the bag was almost worn out! I've never made something for someone that they actually used it so much it looked ratty. So she and his aunt both got these Miranda Day Bags, which are finally finished. I still like the pattern, and I still want to make it for myself one of these days, but not too soon.

And best of all on the Christmas horizon, my own personal Santa dropped off a bag of gifts downstairs a while ago. A big bag. I only shook them a little bit, but one of them feels like a gift certificate to Mood. Okay, so I looked. But only at that one. (I was worse as a kid, trust me.)

1 comment:

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

I sure hope your relatives enjoyed those amazing gifts! And you are right, it is rare that a handmade gift is worn to shreds! Hope you had a wonderful day!