Last year, I had a EUREKA experience about gift giving. For one thing, the gap between what I wanted to give and my budget widened last year when I made the leap from earning a paycheck to full-time homemaking. Additionally, I love unique, beautiful, handmade, quality, excellent and inspired creations. With many art, fashion, design, textile and decorating classes (and several degrees) under my belt, my taste runs toward the expensive, the artsy and the just plain different from every other Joe. Also, I was just plain tired of “Made in China,” big box retailers, and the overly franchised everything – UGH!
Like I said, I had a moment. It was one of those moments where you just want to pinch yourself really, really hard and ask “what is your problem?” Why not make gifts? Okay, it’d been a few years since I’d sewn and I’m not feeling as artsy as I was say in college. But, it wouldn’t be “Made in China,” it would be unique, it would be personal, and it would be FUN!
And, then I got the brilliant idea of making things in fours. With 8 nieces and 4 sons – easy math! I’ve 4 nieces who are between the ages of 13 and 21, and 4 between ages 3 and 7. This simple idea revolutionized my whole world and I was inspired (so much easier to do life when you’re inspired!). Now instead of agonizing over what I’m going to get for so-and-so, I have a plan and I’m constantly finding tutorials, patterns and ideas for my next series of fours.
Last summer, I began my journey with four sundresses each with a matching doll dress for my younger nieces. They were so cute I wanted to keep them all – my sons thought I was a little touched by that point. At that point, I realized my skill-level needs to dramatically increase to compete with the demands of my demanding & creative side….
Well before Thanksgiving, I’d my holiday gifts planned and I was so excited for the Season (a big coup for me). Christmas was probably the least stressful and more enjoyable I’ve had in years. I’ll have to blog about Mermaid Land sometime in the future – it was grand!
I’ve started my next round of gifts for the older nieces and had earlier bookmarked a really fun pattern – here. It’s a reversible purse so I needed fun fabrics….
The pattern was really easy to follow and I loved the results!
Please excuse the really old and ugly ironing board cover… I’ve found some patterns to replace it, but that project is toward the bottom of the list right now:)
I’m really not sure 4 is enough…. I may have to make a few more for kicks!
How about you? How are you breaking free today from the norm and finding freedom in the challenging and unchartered waters of your life?
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1a
Dancing with Daffodils 