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It’s five days away.
Are your gifts still piles of fabric? Still in the skeins? Does your sewing machine tragically need to go to the shop right now, in the thick of it, like a toddler with a bursting bladder only AFTER you’ve loaded up the grocery cart?
Oh my friends. This year I thought I had reached handmade gift zen. Last year was a menace, and a nightmare. I had decided to make EVERYONE A QUILT because everyone needs a quilt, and quilts are what I think I do best in the world. Cut to December 12, and I was a crying, shivering mass under a pile of scraps and WIPs with no present-able presents. I did eventually pull it together for the big day, but I didn’t want to be there again this year.
Today I’m on the other side of Christmas 2013, the done-with-a-fairly-handmade-Christmas side, and I thought I’d share with you a little bit about my process this year. Maybe so you can laugh at me. More so I can look back at this blog in August next year and play things a little differently. So, without further ado, here’s how I made my handmade holidays happen this year.
1) Procrastinated. Pure and simple. Sarah started posting about Christmas way back in the heat of July. It was all a big blog hop movement to get people like me to get their rears in gear and make at least ONE Christmas gift while the making was good. I commented on her post about it. I was all, “I will do this!” And then I went and did another thing or seven, none of which was a Christmas gift.
Fast forward to the week before Thanksgiving, and commence step
2) Bit off more than I could chew. “What do you want me to knit you for Christmas?” I texted my family. “I can do all kinds of things! Socks! Cowls! Hats! Mittens!” My family, who, by now, knows I am dopey, kind of tolerated these texts and provided halfhearted responses, knowing in their gut they’d never see those emerald-green little-cable knee socks. How smart was I about this, though–after all the trouble I got in last year making quilts, I was in awesome shape. No quilts! All knitting! And knitting can be done in front of the TV! How relaxing!
By now you’re guessing that the next step is certainly
3) Deny, deny, deny. I productively procrastinated by winding ALL of the yarn while watching Pitch Perfect on loop from the sofa on the day before Thanksgiving. I cast on my grandmother’s Bees to Honey shawl Thanksgiving morning, and knit three stripes during the parade, thinking, “this is just flying along! Going so fast! I’m so awesome! Going to do all the knitting!” Never once did I think “My Bees to Honey took four weeks to knit and I am in serious trouble right now.”
4) Enter plague of death. You know the one. The plague that your kid brings home from some preschooler activity that makes her sick for one day, but that takes down all adults for a week. I was so sick that all I could do was watch Ja’mie on the sofa with my cast-on hat edge sitting next to me. (If you’re sensing that there is more TV than holiday gift making in my plan you are correct.)
5) Get totally distracted. By cats. Because, Catvent! What an awesome idea! I love Advent! I love Christmas! I have scraps! I can make four cats a day and make a throw for my cat-loving sister! I have the backing! I have the scraps! It’s practically a free present–a present made out of pure freeness and love! Watch me watch me make TWELVE CATS A DAY!! (Still plague, here, also.)
6) Realize there’s a problem in this plan. Also realize that Christmas is 20 days away and gifts must be shipped in 13-14 days. Panic. Work like a fiend, on all the wrong things. More cats! Penny Sampler! Finish Grandma’s Bees, feel awesome–but not for long because that hat got effed up while you were watching Ja’mie, gotta frog it all. Producing a ton of stuff at this point, but no gift-like objects are emerging.
7) Wake with gift clarity, on December 8, when all the people are at Joann’s already. Tote bags are the answer. Let’s take the cats, make cat totes. Three cat totes. Need cotton duck. Need denim/chambray. Need zips. Need…Joann’s. I’m so grateful that I had my little tote revelation on a Sunday, when I could leave my toddler-helper at home. Joann’s is never really a place you want to be but it is the Last Place You Want To Be on a weekend day in December.
8) Sew totes. Produce things. On a roll! All the things that I was going to knit are now totes! Only my control-freak sister says my mother won’t use THAT kind of tote, she needs the OTHER kind of tote! OK I can do that too! Packing! Shipping! Totes! Books in the totes!
9) Knit the things. On a roll! Two boy hats for the boys who presumably don’t carry things like quilted totes with kitty cat faces on them.
10) Ship, on a snow day. With the toddler, in this stupid population-dense place we live, from a PO with the smallest parking lot ever.
11) Here’s where I am now: January gifts. I really like to make little things for my friends, but that totally got lost because I put everything off too late. I think the January gift is the best idea ever. Everyone gets so many gifts in December, but January is when you are on your budget and on your diet and it’s cold and snowy and life really kind of stinks. That’s when you need your surprise cashmere-blend handknits, your Art Gallery Fabrics quilts. Right? Right?
How about you? are you still manic? (Clearly I am a little.) Or are you zen, having long ago figured out the key to having your handmade holiday and enjoying it too? Do tell! And have just the merriest of Christmases. I owe a finish to Do Good Stitches by 12/31, so keep a look out!
little and lots 
Hilarious! I told someone the other day that I’ve hit panic mode from here on out. I’ve spent most of the year determined that I was not making anything for anyone until this month and now the last week of December, I’ve decided to make a water bottle holder, a pillow, and some potholders because those seem doable in 4 days (at least they did until I found out I have to work all weekend). Glad you got all your cute family gifts done. I love your “Merry” block. Enjoy your holiday.
Hahaha, I could have written this exact post, minus the toddler, and instead of totes, I made voile scarves. 😛 We are almost there!!
Ha! I kept it simple: two union-jack tea cozies, one for each sister. I was going to do one for my mom, but its only half-made, too late to ship. She has a birthday in March, so I’m hoping she’ll call me up full of envy when she sees my sister’s, and them I’m all set birthday-wise. Instead, I gave books. Good thing too: toddler plagues visited us as well—Influenza A. I’m still exhausted, but Wiggles seems to be more manic than ever…
This was thoroughly entertaining! I um have been putting off a queen size quilt due um Christmas Eve and ya one of my two sisters has a gift and um my dads quilt is done but my moms isn’t I’ve been contemplating gifting a honey cowl to gift less sister but that is maybe 3 of the 11 inches finished so yeah I know your situation and I may have promised two homemade cakes for a cake sale tomorrow oops
Such a fun post! This year I made a quilt for my MIL in October (I know, hate me) and a bag for my mom this Dec. That’s it! I’ve been busy with class-making and baby quilts needed for some friends. I’d like to make handmade things for my friends, so I like this January idea. It’s more meaningful when friends give you gifts not at Christmas, anyways, and it doesn’t create that “we do gifts at Christmas” expectation.
Very fun. And good luck with that!
I’ve rarely made holiday gifts but of course there are plenty of occasions — weddings, births, graduations, etc — for which there’ve been deadlines. I do pretty well with that, but that’s usually one item at a time.
Last year I decided to make quilts for each of my husband’s siblings. There are 8 of them. I decide at about mid-year, and that I would give them at Thanksgiving, since most would be in one place then. So… about 2 a month.
I did it and am glad. But rather than it being 8 separate projects, in my mind it became ONE horrific project, and one never to be repeated.
Except… my medallion sew-along. Though my “deadlines” have come and gone on that, I am a finisher, so all 8 or 9 or whatever! of my samples will be done eventually. Today I finished #1!
Merry Christmas. I can tell you are a loving, generous person. I hope your family appreciates your gifts of love, time, and effort.
I am dying. No one is getting anything from me except one person. And it’s still not do r. Hahahaha. I have to start Christmas 2014 tomorrow.
Yes, that’s the answer! We are going to start Christmas 2014… Right away!
That is the most sweetest post ever! And the gorgeous shots of projects and toddler, too! Thank you so much for this! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Quilty/Knitty New Year!
I don’t make gifts. Especially not christmas gifts. I buy them, from Amazon, then enjoy using all the time I’ve saved to make things for me. Christmas gets in the way of sewing time enough, I have sacrificed whole evenings to wrapping and food planning and soon cooking. No need to be gift making too 😉 I did relent and make a baby quilt for a new nephew born just this week but nothing handmade for Christmas at all. I am a very selfish sewer 🙂
What a cute post!! Merry Christmas!
If I did Christmas, I’m pretty sure that I would have all off the ambition and then completely panic at the last minute. Loved this post and the last pic of your little made me lol – adorable! Those totes are fantastic and a great way to Catvent 🙂
Laura, I can totally relate! Too many Christmas seasons found me in exactly the same mess of too-many-gifts-to-make-and-not-enough-time-left. I eventually learned that I would never improve and stopped trying to make every gift I gave. Sad, but true. Have a merry Christmas and congrats on the improvisation in your plans.
I like the cats. I vote everyone just get things with cats on them. In January. I think I am also going to copy you and do January gifts. Also, let me be real and say even though I said I was going to start Christmas sewing in July, I made exactly the three trivets pictured and then moved on to more fun things. Then I made all of my Christmas gifts last weekend. Yup, the only reason I am done right now is that I just made everyone potholders. So, never feel bad and keep knitting all cozy in front of a movie.
xoxo
Oh for goodness sakes you crack me up! So does the crayon picture of your little. Your end-products are gorgeous and worth it despite the stress.
Your
You’re a brave woman. Next year just say no. 😉
Hilarious post! I want to start early but I’m a new quilter and have a job so I hate to start too early because I just might learn something new and what I made in March could have been improved on in October, November or December…. But to be honest, while I think this way, I am an anti-procrastinator. I just can’t do it. I already have a quilt made for a wedding present in March.
As awful as it is, this post made me laugh. I think if I realistically want to make handmade presents for people I need to start in July. I already told my co-workers that their presents are new-years presents because I need the extra 2 days off to finish them :p You really did get ton accomplished and those cat totes are super adorable (as are the random toddler pics sprinkled in there) 🙂 Merry Christmas Laura!
Ha ha! I’m halfway through writing a post saying a similar thing…my sin is leaving everything till the last minute. I have a backlog of things to post about too this year (no blog last year!). My mum is getting a cushion (hopefully) that she asked for in the summer…oh dear! I think she has given up hope on it so at least it’ll be a surprise. Love your cat totes, they look fab. What’s the pattern? Think you might be a little crazy with the January gifts…it’s time for a rest!! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and santa brings you some special quilty gifts 🙂
I love this post. I didn’t have quite the right perspective on the brown knit hat photo at first — it looked like the largest knit hat in the history of hats, LOL. I’m curious to know if you used a tote pattern for your cat totes (which are adorable, by the way).
Just. Peed. My. Pants! {I Heart You}
LOVE THIS!! Especially about JoAnn’s…unfortunately I made SEVERAL trips there, oh and then back again because I ran out, or forgot something, and or lost my mind there. I’m just glad it’s all over!! I’m the same way, wait until the last minute and think I can do it all!! We can, right? 😉 I adore those kitty totes. So cute!! I hope your New Year is less stressful and you can relax a little!
I very happily made NO ONE a handmade gift for Christmas this year. The adults in my family do a secret santa, so I shopped for one person (plus my kids). It was very nice not to have that looming, overstressed, over hyper deadline hanging over me. I finished my big finish for the month and then did nothing for like two or three weeks. I guess I’m not much of a xmas-y person, so if I make you something, you’ll get it when it’s done.
Such is the nature of a handmade holiday:-). Gifts received in January get way more attention, or at least that’s what I was telling myself as I finished making napkins minutes before leaving for the airport. Those catvent tote bags are awesome… don’t be surprised if next time you see me I’m carrying one;-). Merry Christmas and a very happy new year!!!
valentines gifts might be even better than January ones. =)
I feel your pain, as you know. next year, by thanksgiving! so we can enjoy the season with our little ones, right?
your cats are darn cute, btw!
Wonderful post. Very much what happened here in my house as well 🙂 I hope Christmas Day was a little less stressful though.
Oh my goodness you had quite a month. I love the totes it was a great idea. My Janome is giving me problems too. I’m taking it to the shop this week. I hope there is nothing serious with yours.
Procrastination is my middle name! Glad to see you figured things out. I’m sure your gifts were well received.
Hil.ar.i.ous! My zen giftmaking is Amazon, ie, little to no giftmaking. I still owe several couples a quilt and many have been married going on three years now. Heyo, anniversary presents! 🙂
I actually did sew a gift for my 2.5 year old. I spent hours and hours on Velcro dress up dolls (I thought it would be quick – ha!) and when she opened it on Christmas Eve she said immediately she didn’t want it and just tossed it aside. I only cried a little bit. I’m hiding it and will bring it out on some random day when it isn’t overshadowed by everything else Christmas. There is still hope.
P.S. I think it’s incredibly awesome that you try to make handmade gifts. I would be thrilled to receive any of those items you made. I love those catvent totes. I hope the receivers know how lucky they are to have such a talented relative/friend!