A Handmade Christmas

I love giving handmade gifts at Christmas, though I do tend to give them to people who I know will appreciate the love and work gone into making them. I remember when I rang mum on Christmas Day a few years back so she could open her handmade quilt over the phone… there were tears, which was wonderful! Last year I made my nephews some very bespoke cushions – they’re both Games Workshop mad – and they were over the moon to say the least… I have no idea how I’m going to beat that this year!

When you give handmade, you’re giving much more than the item, you’re also giving the love and hard work that went into making that gift. You chose the colours and the design and always had the recipient at the forefront of your mind while making it. Isn’t this what gift giving is all about?

I know we’re not all makers and creatives, but I think the same could be said about buying handmade – with so many one-off beautiful gifts available on Etsy, Folksy and Notonthehightstreet, it’s much easier to find the perfect gift that will be treasured for what it is – and what’s more, you can shop from the comfort of your sofa! I’ll be sharing some of my favourite finds in weeks to come.

But for all you sewists out there, there’s still time to make something unique and beautiful for that special someone, so below I’ve listed some of my go-to blogs for inspiration and free tutorials for small weekend or evening projects that you should be able to get done before the big day.

I think I love every project on Svetlana Sotak’s blog – from cute zip pouches, to plant pot cosies and drawstring bags, these are great small projects for last minute makes – perfect for stocking fillers or Secret Santas.

Another great source for larger makes such as these gorgeous bags is Noodlehead. Anna is a fabric designer, teacher and blogger and I just love her fabric choices in her beautiful designs. Why not make yourself her duffel bag for your trip to see family this Christmas?

My final lovely blog and a new find to me is Sew Delicious. Ros, like me is mostly self taught and I like reading about her new adventures and discoveries in her sewing life. This HST pouch would make a great gift for a teenager!

And of course, there’s always YouTube for some great tutorials, such as this one by the Missouri Star Quilt Co. Perfect for those gorgeous fat quarters in your stash, these pouches always come in handy for something!

I hope these projects have inspired you to get creative. However, if sewing isn't your thing, and you just love buying handmade, I'll be sharing some of my favourite gift ideas with you next week.

This week, I'm linking up with;

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrications

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation 
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts