Thanks for stopping by for the weekly Quirky Question—where questions are just for fun, your answers are always welcome, and you could win an eBook for free!
(Right: “Wrapped Up in Ribbons” table runner from Deck the Halls)
Everyone loves getting gifts. (Isn’t it nice to know that someone was thinking of you?) But whether it’s for family, friends, neighbors, or even complete strangers, quilters have a special relationship with gift giving. For many of us it just can’t be helped, you see—our passion for our craft inspires us to give. And that inspiration leads to this week’s question:
What is the most memorable gift you’ve ever given?
Post your answer in the comments before noon (PST) on Monday, December 17, for your chance to win. The winning comment will be posted on Wednesday, December 19, along with the next question.
Last week’s question was, “What’s one step on your creative journey that you’re really glad you took?” Here’s the winning response:
“My mother asked me to join her at her quilting class after I had torn my ACL. I agreed to go, thinking she would then get off my a– . Little did I know what an addiction quilting would become for me, and I get to hang out with my best friend, my mom. Thanks, mom, for starting me on this journey.”
Last week’s winning comment was written by Beth. Congratulations, Beth—look for an email about how to get your free eBook.
The gifts that remain memorable for me are those that were handmade by me for family and friends. As our children were born we each made birth samplers for one another. Some were primitive and others very sophisticated and detailed. We all still have those beautiful pieces of heartwork hung with the photos of our growing children. They will be passed on to the adult children…..when the time comes.
—Pamela on December 12, 2012Many, many quilts to family and friends!!!!
—deb heath on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I’ve ever given? Easy – not long after I was married (about 2 years) I learned to crochet – mainly to make things for the new baby. But, I worked my butt off to crochet nice cardigan sweaters for my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They turned out really nice. They never wore them, I never knew what they did with them. I swore from that moment on that I would never make something for anyone unless I knew they would appreciate it and the work that went into it.
—Nancy B from Many LA on December 12, 2012When my father was in failing health and not able to travel anymore, I made a trip to the area in Kentucky where he grew up. I took pictures of the houses he had lived in, the farm fields he had worked in, and the favorite places that he liked to visit. I put the pictures together in a collage and gave it to him for Christmas. It meant a lot to me to create this gift and it meant a lot to him to receive it. I no longer have my dad but I still have the collage, and all the memories that go with it.
—Laurel on December 12, 2012When my two youngest daughters were 2 and 3, I filled a Rudolph bag for each of them with art supplies. When my parents arrived for dinner, the two year old told them that she was an artist. And she still is!
—marycarolyn on December 12, 2012A hand knit jock strap, made with purple mohair yarn. And he was a good sport about it — enough said.
—Sheryl on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever received was from my bestfriend, Nancy. I married for the first (and only) time at the age of 46. She decorated the dining area of the church with her Mother’s silver, linens, and crystal. She had a beautiful cake made and prepared the other food herself. Nannie, her mother, was too ill to attend the wedding but was very involved in the proceedings. I am very lucky to have Nancy in my life and I miss Nannie everyday. The love they showed me means everything.
—Anita Langford on December 12, 2012My Mother learned to crochet late in life, and started making strips for an afghan. When it came time to put them together, all the strips were different lengths, she became frustrated, and put them in a box. They sat in a box in her closet for many years, becoming a cat bed. I came across them while helping her clean one fall. I washed the strips, unraveled them to the length of the shortest, and joined them together. She was so surprised and delighted to get a finished afghan. I loved finishing it for her.
—Sally H on December 12, 2012I gave a good friend one of my handmade quilts….she was beside herself
—marjorie on December 12, 2012I have given lots of gifts over the years. But Id have to say that the most memorable gifts I have given is my son and daughter to my husband. He was a little iffy about having children, but in giving him this wondours gift he changed his mind althogether.
—Lori Smanski on December 12, 2012My most memorable gift that I gave to my children and grandchildren was when I wrote them a poem telling them that we would be camping at a special campgrounds for a weekend int eh summer. They all came and we had a terrific time.
—Mary DeBrunner on December 12, 2012I made baby clothes for my great neice. with the leftover material i made a quilt. now the quilt is used on her big girl bed. By the way do not let mothers to be open a homemsde gifts first everyone ohs and ahs over them and passes the rest of the gifts fast.
—Linda Moseley on December 12, 2012My most memorable Christmas gift…..A couple of years ago I purchased a program to make a recipe book. I gathered recipes from everyone in my family – especially from the ones who were no longer with us. I entered those recipes into the program along with what make them so special to me. I printed, punched and bound enough for my whole family (I think I made 75) and gave it to them for Christmas. It still brings tears to my eyes remembering how my brother went through the whole book. I have added to it as I go along or when ever someone remembers how my Mom, Aunts, and Grandmothers made something. I only did it because I was afraid that the recipes would get lost.
—Bonnie on December 12, 2012It’s hard to pin down the most memorable but I will go with the last two quilts I made for family. I made a t-shirt quilt out of my son’s old football jerseys from his younger years all the way through High School. The first square was from when he was 6 and the last was his High School senior. Had to pay to have a jersey made for the High School one and then promptly cut it up! In the bottom corners, I printed pictures of him in each jersey and used those for corner squares. On the back, the label was shaped like a jersey and listed all the jerseys and their year.
Also, I made a Mountains Galore quilt for my husband using about 25 different fish fabrics from my collection. He loves tight stippling so I stippled the entire quilt. He, who never shows emotion over gifts, got so excited he cried.
—Donna Royson on December 12, 2012I had taken a course at one of the quilt stores in how to make pillowcase with an enclosed cuff…it was great. I went home last year and whipped up a few for Christmas gifts. Family and friends loved them so much and have asked me to make a set for them every Christmas. With my vision problems, it makes me feel appreciated.
—Anne on December 12, 2012The best gift I ever received was from my grandmother. She taught me to crochet and knit. The crochet was with thread. I still use all the ideas she gave me includung her hooks and needles when she passed away. I still use them.
—Mary S. on December 12, 2012When my father was alive, he had Parkinson’s Disease. Mom started a quilt for him. She would work on it while they were waiting at the doctor’s. Over the years Mom’s macular degeneration became too bad to do close work. She came across the unfinished quilt one day while she was going through things. I finished it for her. She calls it her "Spring Quilt." Her eyes have gotten so bad that the front of the quilt now bothers her, so she puts the back up. Just think, all the embroidered Sunbonnet Sues and Suspender Sams I embroidered to go between the pieced squares she made can give her hugs while she sleeps. Mom will be 94 just before Christmas. When I think back on the life we have shared over the last 69 years,I can truly say that Mom has been a great blessing to me.
—Jeannette Bessler on December 12, 2012Mi regalo más memorable no es el de mejor técnica. Para el 25 aniversario de bodas de mi hermana le hice un quilt con aplicación. Ahora lo miro y ni el acolchado ni la aplicación tienen nada que ver con lo que hago ahora pero en ese momento el trabajo y la dedicación que le puse sólo lo sé yo. (Translation: My most memorable gift is not the best technique. For the 25th wedding anniversary of my sister I made a quilt with applique. Now I look and the applique has nothing to do with what I do now but at the time the work and dedication that I put into it only I know.)
—Jacquelin B. on December 12, 2012I started learning to quilt just a little over a year ago in September 2011. There are a few of us at the church I go to that wanted to learn so another one of the ladies started teaching us. The first thing that we made was a Rail Fence lap quilt which I donated to the church to give to one of the Senior members. I had no idea who it would be given to but found out that it was given to the lady that my husband and I frequently drive to and from church. What is ironic is that the individual who presented this lovely Senior lady my donated quilt had no idea of the relationship that we had with her until after presenting the quilt. This is something that neither myself nor the lady that received my quilt will ever forget.
—Patti from Delaware on December 12, 2012I made a fancy crocheted trivet and entered it in the local Fair in August. In September, at my sister-in-law’s birthday party, I showed a picture of my Fair entries with their blue ribbons. And then I gave the trivet to my sister-in-law. Her jaw dropped as she pointed at the picture, then at the trivet in her hand, then back at the picture. I just smiled.
—Lynne on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have ever given was a dish set for 12 that I gave my Mother when I first started working after High School. We were relatively poor at the time and my Mother always wished for dishes that matched as we had bits and pieces of everything.
—Jean Marshall on December 12, 2012As for many of us, money was scarce when were kids. The income of a milk delivery man with a wife, daughter and 4 sons didn’t allow for extras. At 8, I’d just learned to knit and loved it, but I had no money for yarn. Stuffed away in a closet, long forgotten, was an afghan my great grandmother had knitted. Always a recycler, I decided to unravel it and make scarves for everyone. When I proudly presented my gifts to the family (every one a maroon and white wonder), my mother was immediately suspicious. Where did I get the yarn? As I explained my brilliant solution, her entire body drooped in sadness. She remembered the afghan and said it was put away to preserve it and the memory of her grandmother. Well, I can tell you, we remembered her now! We all referred to our scarves as the GGAS (great grandma afghan scarves)and wore them for years. Though we kids are now in our 50′s and 60′s, every time one of us sees a similar scarf, we ask if just maybe that is a GGAS for someone else. Really, would we ever recall great grandma so often and so warmly, 70 years afer her passing, had I not recycled that yarn?
—Sally Neckvatal on December 12, 2012The Christmas after my Dad passed was very difficult, as you can imagine. He passed very unexpectedly in late September 2004 and none of us were looking forward to celebrating the Holidays. I did very little shopping that year, using the products of my "quilting therapy" as gifts. My Mom was having a hard time sleeping and cried most of the nights away. She hated the "big, empty bed," as she called it. During my "quilting therapy" sessions, I had started randomly piecing bright, flannel squares into a large lap quilt. This became her Christmas quilt. Shortly, after Christmas, she called me with a tearful thanks for "The Magic Quilt." She had spread it over the blankets on her bed the evening before, and went to bed. She had finally slept the whole night. To this day, she still uses "The Magic Quilt" when she needs a good night’s sleep.
—Jaci E on December 12, 2012The most memorable gifts are things I have made for my family and after years they still use them. I made a quilt for my granddaughter and the first thing she did was put it on her bed and then on her facebook page.
—Connie on December 12, 2012That told me she really loved it.
The most memorable gift I gave was probably a gift for my son when he turned 13. Becoming a teenager is a big deal for a kid and I knew that there were going to be some interesting years ahead, so I used index cards to make a set of coupons for him to use to help him get through the years. They included things like going to the movies, a shopping trip to the mall, forgiveness for coming home late, lunch at a restaurant of his choice, etc. I can’t remember all the things I put on them but he coveted them so much, that when he found them after turning 20, he was bummed that he hadn’t used them all!
—Carol C on December 12, 2012I made a quilt as a gift for nephew’s new baby. One side was mostly pink bars pattern and the other mostly blue primitive hearts pattern. When Jonathan was 5 months old both my nephew and his wife (both members of the Air Force)were activated for Desert Storm (the first Iraq conflict). Jonathan’s grandmother flew from Seattle to South Carolina to pick Jonathan up from the babysitter he was left with and brought him back to Washington until his mom returned 7 months later. The quilt came with him. During that time we developed a special bond with that little bundle of joy as the whole family pitched in to care for him. His parents returned, a sister joined him, Air Force assignments in Japan and Germany followed. When Jonathan was about 10 I again saw the quilt I gave him. Or more accurately the remnants. It was stitching with pieces of fabric attached. He didn’t want to show me but said he never flew anywhere without it. And since he had flown all around the world as a kid that told me bunches. I have always felt that that was my most successful quilt and meaningful gift given.
—Susan K on December 12, 2012When I was 4 year old,(1950′s) my aunt gave a doll with 5 outfits she had made. The most adorable buttons with button holes! My parents had recently divorced and I had become naughty. She gave me a gift of love- just for me. I treasure it. I have made & passed this gift on.
—Sherry Dye on December 12, 2012The most remembered and probably the most appreciated gift I ever gave was time. Five years ago, for my parents 60th wedding anniversary, with the help of some of my brothers and sisters, we had a surprise family get together. My parents had no idea about it until they arrived at my brothers home. Not only did we manage to get all 6 children together(for the first time in nearly 20 years), but had 10 of the 13 grandchildren there as well. It took several months of phone calls and emails to coordinate everyone’s schedules and flights(6 kids in 6 states from coast to coast and north to south)but it was well worth it. And we all managed to keep quiet when we talked to our partents. My parents were completed surprised and appreciated the family day together more than any thing material we could have given them. We will all cherish the memories of that day forever
—Linda on December 12, 2012a la naissance de mon deuxieme enfant j’ai reçue de ma voisine en cadeau une jolie courtepointe pour enfant qu’elle avait acheter au marché . sa ma vraiment plus j’ai tellement adorée que je me suis dit …quand la retraite sonneras j’apprenderais a faire de la courtepointe quilting et tout ce qui va avec . me voila maintenant pres a commencer
—Dada on December 12, 2012The most memorable quilt I made for a gift was for my cousin’s daughter who she was able to adopt after taking care of her as a foster child beginning at two days old from the hospital. My cousin had tried for a really long time to become pregnant but was unable to do so. I could totally relate to how she felt because I had also tried for six years to become pregnant and only after giving up (sort of) found out I was pregnant right before my 40th birthday. My cousin, prior to adopting her daughter, took care of my son for me on occasion and baked cookies, played games and did other things with him that he loved. He was very fond of her and still is. When my cousin’s daughter was about four or five, I decided to make her an "I spy" quilt. I spent several months collecting special pieces of fabric that I could fussy cut to get just the right look and kept two of each "picture". I also included a few real pictures of Anna and Jordan. The quilt turned our really nice and Anna could not only look at all of the pictures but could play the memory game by trying to find the matching picture since there were two of each. Anna is now 13 and Jordan is 19. Everytime I am in Anna’s room, I see the I spy quilt and remember how much fun it was to make and I know she and her mom feel the love that I put into making it.
—Diane Hinton on December 12, 2012I grew up sewing and crafting. My daughter, unfortunately, never took an interest in any of those types of activities. But when – at age 30 – she became pregnant for the first time, for some reason she decided she wanted to make curtains for the baby’s room. I saw this as my chance to stick my proverbial foot in the creativity door of her mind and took one of my beloved Featherweights over to her house and showed her how to use it. Five years have gone by and she is addicted to sewing and crafting as I am! I give my little Featherweight all the credit – she still loves that machine as much I as ever did, and uses it all the time. Not only has she made home decorative items with it, she’s taught herself how to make clothes for her daughter and friends. I am thrilled and so proud of her creativeness which far exceeds my own – and am over the moon after having helped her pick out fabrics for her very first quilt. <3
—Peg H. on December 12, 2012I have three children plus spouses and seven grandchildren. Thid past year for combined Christmas, birthdays, etc. for the year I gave the family a week at the beach – all of us in one house. It was really a gift to myself, although everyone thought I had done it for them. There wasn’t a single cross word, no sibling or cousin fights or anyone saying "I’m bored". If I could afford to do it, we would make the trip every year. There were tears when the week was up and we all had to separate and go our individual ways. I picked up sea glass and beach stones while we were there. This year everyone is getting a necklace or keychain with a sea glass/ sea stone wire wrapped pendant as a reminder of our time together.
—Linda on December 12, 2012I will never forget when I gave my Mom a dozen red roses for her birthday one year and the first thing she said was "I’ve never gotten a dozen roses before." It made me feel good that I gave her something that made her happy and she had never had before.
—Betty on December 12, 2012My most memorable gift is a quilt I donated to a home for adults with cerebral palsy. My father-in-law won the home’s raffle basket at the state fair. When we drove to the home on a cold, rainy day to pick up the basket for him, we found a warm , homey environment with a patient full of cheer, helping man the front desk. I was so touched by this place that cares for disabled people who might be institutionalized or stuck at home with aging parents. I decided to make them a quilt each year, and they ended up having an annual quilt auction to raise money for wheel chairs, vans, and electronic speech boards. The greatest gift ended up with us being associated with this wonderful home, not receiving the basket of goodies.
—Melody D. on December 12, 2012Quando tinha doze de idade aprendi com uma tia(Carmela)Fazer crochê.Toda semana eu trazia do sítio da minha avó um pouco de barbante,e ia fazendo os blocos.Era o que eu sabia,e emendar nada,fui pedir a minha avó para me ajudar,ela me ensinou e disse:Faça você.O serviço foi cansativo,pois costurar mais de trezentos não foi fácil,ainda mais para uma criança…Quando chegou 12 de setembro aniversário da minha avó eu levei a colcha pronta para ela,que não acreditou no que viu e chorou.Esta colcha hoje vive na casa da minha irmã,é reliquia.
Translation: When he was twelve years old I learned with an aunt (Carmela) Do crochet.Every week I brought my grandmother’s site a bit of string, and would be doing the blocks.It was what I knew, and mend anything, I ask my grandmother to help me, she taught me and said: Do you.The service was tiring as sewing over three hundred was not easy, especially for a child …When he arrived September 12 birthday of my grandmother I took the quilt ready for her, that did not believe in what he saw and wept.This quilt now lives at my sister is relic.
—Maria do Carmo on December 12, 2012When I was young I adored Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Waiting until my wedding day wishing that I would someday get that special Blue Box.
When I was grown up and I was preparing for my wedding and the out of town gifts starting coming in by mail. To my surprise a card (from a special family member, who remembered my childhood fantasy)arrived with the most unforgettable words "Every bride deserves a gift from Tiffany’s, your should arrive next week".
This may sound materialistic but the set of wine goblets from Tiffany’s of New York is a gift I believe I will always remember receiving, as well as the loving thoughts and memories that came with it.
—Debbie on December 12, 2012My daughter tells me that the most memorable gift that I ever gave her was a baby doll I made when she was 8 years old. It had a homemade quilt with it. I had no idea of the significance of this. It was a quilt! My first I guess.
—Diane Wright on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever gave was an anniversary gift to my parents. The gift was a trip to Toronto, Ontario via train to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. My dad loved trains and was thrilled. Mom was just excited to go somewhere.
I worked my tail off to buy their tickets, pay for the hotel and gave them cash to spend. We didn’t have much money back then, and still don’t today, so this was a huge surprise for my parents.
Mom and dad talked about that trip for years.
—Rhonda C on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift given:
—Linda Otis on December 12, 2012My husband has an elderly cousin who is a Holy Names Sister who lives with two other sisters. As they have taken a vow of poverty and only have their bedroom to keep personal things it is hard to figure out what to give them as a gift. No matter what you give them they will give it away to “someone who needs it or just the perfect person”. I know it gives them the pleasure of giving a gift as they don’t readily have money to buy gifts. I have received many such gifts just as we were leaving their house. One time I noticed they were all sharing one apron (ok not at once – just whoever was cooking). I made them each an apron to their style and favorite colors then got a friend of mine who had an embroidery machine to sew their names across the top. Sister Patricia etc. They were so excited to get something so personal and I was so happy to see the excitement on their faces. It is several years later and I have seen them all wear them and could tell the aprons were used. That was one gift they didn’t give away.
My most memorable gift is a Father Christmas figure. It was given to me by one of my clients and I had done her mother’s hair for years. Not only was she very special to me, but her 3 daughters as well. The Christmas after their mother passed away, they gave me this "father" Christmas figure. It has fur on it’s robe, and it is mink from their mother’s mink coat. They told me, only "special" people that touched their mother’s heart received one. That meant so much to me!
—Cindy on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift that I have given myself was a sewing machine (Singer Stylist 9960)early this year. I knew NOTHING about sewing. But I tell you with all these SEWING websites and classes on-line and dvd’s I’m very proud of myself. I have learned soooo much. I love especially the quilting part of it. It just relaxes me. I’ve made pin cushions, pillows, baby blankets —–and when you give it as a gift people appreciate it soooooo much. I am so happy that I bought this sewing machine that I know I will have for years to come.
—Grisel Martinez on December 12, 2012My Dear, darling husband volunteered mr to make a quilt for HIS friends who had admired my work. After being sent paint chips I would have the exact colors, I grit my teeth and found fabric I loved(and wish I had for me) and a relatively time intensive pattern and began piecing. While finishing and quilting, the calls began. They kept wondering where their quilt was. As if, I had nothing else to do except sew like in a sweatshop daily for just their quilt. This went on every week for a month until I finally bound and labeled the quilt
Yes, I think they loved it, but I never even seen a picture of it in their home. I told my DH that the next time he volunteered me, I would begin giving away suits from his store. From the one orphaned block, I made a pincushion to remind home NEVER to volunteer me again!
—Judi Reiss on December 12, 2012Quilting has always been a tradition in my family. Both of my grandmothers quilted, and I always remember seeing a quilt in progress at both of their homes.
—Kellie on December 12, 2012When my grandmother passed away, my mother "inherited" my grandmothers christmas cactus plant, and continued to nurture it, and in a small way, it was for my mother, like having a piece of her mother with her.
In the summer of 2004, we experienced a series of hurricanes and storms in our area. Even though we did everything we could to secure "outside things", my grandmother’s cactus plant was blown away and we were never able to find even a small piece of it anywhere.
I always knew I wanted to make a quilt for my mother. So when I saw the strip quilt "A Christmas Cactus Wreath", I knew this was the quilt for her. I finished it in time for Christmas and when I presented it to her, she was thrilled to have a quilt from her daughter as well as a piece of christmas cactus again as a reminder of her mother.
My grandmother was well known in our small community for her quilting, carrot cakes and a loving heart; my mother who has recently retired to take care of my ailing father, served our elderly community meals for close to 15 years, and is known for always going above and beyond what was expected for her.
I only hope that I can somehow, be remembered for even half the goodness and kindness that the women in my family were known for.
Back in the early 70s, before I was even married, I bought a kit to make a tree skirt from Mary Maxim (I think)–it was white wool felt, and came with the other colors of felt, printed with holly leaves, poinsettia parts, and bird parts, printed and ready to cut out, plus all the beads, sequins and embroidery flosses needed to make the tree skirt. I made it for my parents for Christmas (although I really underestimated the time it would take, and they didn’t actually receive it until about a month or so after Christmas!).
—Charlotte Trayer on December 12, 2012They both loved it, but my dad, especially so–he always thought it was a work of art, and he said so to me almost every year! Sadly, they are both gone, daddy in 2005 and mom in 2007, but the tree skirt is now mine, and I think of them every time I see it. It was a real labor of love!
The most memorable gift(s) I’ve given are Memory quilts I made for both our daughters, and also for our niece. It was a big but fun job to pare down their favorite tees from their HS activities, softball and volleyball teams etc. They each had enough to fill 3-4 quilts but they knew they were getting just one !!
—TxGal on December 12, 2012Now with college, it looks like college memory quilts are on the not too distant horizon …
I think the most memorable gift Ihave ever given was a wall hanging made from my grandmothers hankerchief given to my mother on mothers day, the same year that my grandmother passed away. just a small reminder of loved ones to last a life time.
—Beverly on December 12, 2012My most memoriable gift was mu quilt I made and gave to my mother. It was the year her mother, my grandmother died. She was over come by it as she didn’t know that I could make a quilt. Her mother had made many of which I received one that she made 50 years ago. I received this two years ago when my mother past away along with the quilt I made for her.
—mary on December 12, 2012When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me my own pair of embroidery scissors. It was a grown up gift and I was honored. I still have the scissors. I have enjoyed sewing, quilting and crafts since that time. I have recently attended a felting class.
—Lesley Stanford on December 12, 2012The gift of scissors was just part of the gift. The rest was the love of sewing and crafts to share with one of my favorite people. All because of a small pair of scissors!
My Dad passed away in 2000 and that Christmas I had Teddy Bears made out of his flannel shirts for my family – A total of 8 Teddy Bears sat under the tree that year. After all the tears, my family was very thankful for such a rememerance.
—Maryjo on December 12, 2012My minister at church was very ill and we knew that her time here on earth was very limited. So I wanted to make Rev. DJ a quilt. I wanted this quilt to wrap her with love. I wanted to also honor my Mom as I lost her less than a year before.
Mom and I learned to quilt together then these lessons turned into a quilt group that met every Tuesday for several years until I had to return to work. This was time that I loved as my Mom was my best friend.
I pull out most of the fabric the Mom had left and started to cut strips of different widths and all the colors that I could find. I knew that I had to make it fast so I made a strip quilt. It went together fairly fast. I did machine embroidery quilt motifs in the center of each block. It turned out beautiful. I made the label and had it finished and ready to take to church on Sunday so I could give to her husband. When I got to church, I found out that Rev. DJ had lost her battle with cancer 2 days before.
I took the quilt back home and made another label and added it and then gave it to her husband the following week at her memorial service. That was the most rewarding thing that I have ever made as a gift to anyone.
—Sharon L. on December 12, 2012in september 2003, my bff and her hubby celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. i wanted to make a quilt for them, but as things go, i didn’t get around to it in time. i decided i would commit to making one and giving it to them for christmas. and i was so glad i did because the following februray my sweet bff was diagnosed with cancer. she lost her battle 7 months later as we all said goodbye. i know she enjoyed the quilt for the few months she had left. im just so glad i purposed to complete the goal.
—Jocelyn on December 12, 2012One year my husband wanted a small dorm type refrigerator for his office. I secretly obtained one and hid it were I work as there was no place to hide it at home. Christmas morning I had a scroll under the tree for him and he had to go on a scavenger hunt that eventually led us on a trip to my office where it was hidden. Much fun and laughter ensued!
—Laney Miller on December 12, 2012I love creating special gifts for family and friends. One of my favorites was for my sister Fall of 2012. My sister fell and broke her humerus (not very humorous) and had to have her arm strapped to her side for six to eight weeks. I lived at a distance and could not be there to help her. Her family was there but I could not be. So I did the next best thing. I raided her Facebook friends list and secretly messaged each. I also roped in her daughter. I had them all take 5 inch squares of fabric and write a get well message in the center. I figured that from those who were not talented at "square" I would be able to trim 4 1/2 inch squares. I had enough blocks in 10 days to piece a 42 inch top. I forwarded the top to her good friend, Bonnie, who is a long arm quilter. She put a quick border on it, layered and quilted it and then delivered a lovely lap quilt to my niece. My niece managed to surprise my sister with my special letter and gift. When I was younger, I took delight in trying to make my sister cry. I was delighted when I made her cry this time more than any other.
—Margaret M on December 12, 2012The most memorable gifts I have given are 14 cross-stitched Christmas stockings for my two daughters, their husbands, and my 8 grandchildren. The stockings were entirely covered with stitching and took approximately a year each to make. My goal was to have the stocking done by the time each grandchild was two years old. I met that goal for all but the last one. She was four. I was working on it that Thanksgiving when she walked in and excitedly said, "Oh, Grandma, are you working on my sock?" She learned to spell her name from her stocking. My family treasures their stockings to the point they will not put them in their luggage but hand carry them every time they have Christmas at our house. I know that when I’m gone they will still treasure their stockings and all the memories attached to them.
—Virginia/AK on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift that I have given anyone was a beautiful, green sweater/jacket that I gave to my mother-in-law. She wore it all the time and told me how much she loved it.
—Marianne on December 12, 2012Early in my marriage my mother-in-law and I didn’t always see things the same way. With time we were able to figure out our relationship and grew to love one another. She was a very special woman loved by many people.
When my feelings are unintentionally hurt by my daughter-in-law I send up a prayer to my mother-in-law asking her to forgive my ignorance. She taught me how to be a good mother-in-law through her actions.
When I think about my mother-in-law I remember her always with a smile and kind word wearing her green sweater.
I have missed her every day since she left us for heaven in 2005.
We don’t exchange gifts among the adults in the family, but one year I gave memory jars to my sister and brothers. For months ahead I would add brief memories to an ongoing list.
Some applied to all of us (schools, names of pets, towns we lived in as Navy brats, etc.), some just between one sibling and me. Many of them would make no sense to anyone else but us. (Casper and the Mermaid is unknown to anyone but my sister and me!)
When Christmas got close I printed them all out, cut them into strips, folded them in half, and put them in jars. I made pretty labels that said "Jar Your Memory."
—Bert in Rice, WA on December 12, 2012It’s hard to choose which is my favorite gift given, but I can say that of any of the things given, the favorites have all been children’s quilts. To choose the right fabric for each child, the right pattern, to see the quilt come together, and then to watch the faces as they receive them, well, that’s the best. My eight year old granddaughter wants to learn to sew so she can make quilts for other people! Is there anything better than that?
—Glenna Pocock on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I gave was helping my friend who had MS and was in a nursing home for several years of her life. I wanted to help her but she couldn’t take money because of her situation on Medicaid. So I decided to sew her some dresses. It was difficult for her to get them on so I made sure they were ‘slip over the head’ kind or what we used to call MuMu’s. She just loved them and when she passed away her mother gave them to some of the remaining residents.
—Beverly Hindman on December 12, 2012The most memorable Christmas gift I ever gave was a fishing knife to my former husband. It was the year we had no money due to him being laid off for the month of December and we choose to not to exchange gifts with each other. To make ends meet I sold some unsentimental jewelry to buy fabric to make our young kids dolls and stuffed animals. In addition we choose to buy a tree, food and pay the monthly bills as best we could. I did keep a bit of money aside to purchase him this knife with. Well I believe that knife was the only gift he ever really enjoyed from me and he was so pleased with my resourcefulness he bought me a beautiful diamond pendent with the intention of one day making it into the diamond ring I always wanted.
—Grace on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift that I have given was to my sister.For her 50th Birthday I gave her a crocheted tablecloth.I have been crocheting since I was 9 years old.Not going to say how long ago it was since I was 9.I have since moved on to quilting.A landlady taught me so that I would be busy after school and probably thought it would keep me out of trouble.Thank you to, her. I have a picture of my sister opening the gift and it is priceless to see her face.She still has it a puts it on her table every now and then.
—Sandy D on December 12, 2012My gift was actually given jointly with my sister. My father’s little brother, age 3, was killed by a drunk driver while playing in his own yard back during the depression. From the time I could remember, a large hand-tinted picture of the child (his only portrait) hung in my grandparents’ house. After they were both gone, the picture disappeared. We all figured (rightly, we found out only recently) that a relative had gone in and taken the picture before it could be decided where it should be. Over 20 years after the photo disappeared, my aunt found a snapshot-sized version of the portrait among some old photos. Nobody had realized it existed. She gave it to my sister who is a photographer. She had a large version made for our parents and hand-tinted it. I made a fabric matte and put it in an antique frame with the bubble glass, and we surprised my father with it. Oh, and by the way, Sis did make 8X10 copies of the photo for all the aunts and uncles as well. Seven siblings survived to adulthood, and four are still alive ages 85-94.)
—Billie on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift was a "Gag" gift. My now husband was just a new friend and his birthday was coming up soon. For a man who has everything it was a difficult decision but the one thing he had that needed help was his browning lawn. I bought him a 50lb. bad of 15-15-15 fertilizer, wrapped it up with a big bow. He asked me to marry him since he said I was so creative.
—Dianne Deaver on December 12, 2012Most memorable gift was the little car quilt that I made for my only grandchild. He loved it so much that it was loved to shreds.
—Sandra Pardue on December 12, 2012My most memorable gift, by far, is a wallhanging that I made for my mother-in-law before her passing. There were 8 children in the family, my hubby being the oldest. This was when the picture quilts were just in the beginning, and supplies were not as good as they are now. I put a picture of the in-laws in their wedding apparel in the center of the quilt, and surrounded it by pictures of the 8 children (high school graduation pics) to make the wallhanging. I sewed lots of little trinkets and lace on it to embellish it. I gave it to her for her birthday and she cried a LOT!! I put an embroidered label on the front with the year for her to remember it by. I later borrowed it back from her to enter it into the fair. I’m not sure if the MIL or the FIL was the most possessive of it, and wanted assurance that it would be returned to them. It won a blue ribbon in the fair. It went back to their home where it hung (with the blue ribbon) until they had both passed. I think it was one of their most prized possessions. I know it was certainly THE MOST MEMORABLE item I have made in my quilting adventure!!
Diane Kimber on December 12, 2012
—Diane on December 12, 2012A knitted helmet style hat. Well, it wasn’t really in fashion in 1965 and the ‘real’ wool was a little scratchy. I made soemthing knitted for my 8 siblings that year. My brother laughed about that hat for years and complained too until one day heI wore it ice fishing. Then it became the best gift ever as it really kept him toasty warm out on the lake!.
—kathy on December 12, 2012I had a set of plates that had cute sayings on them. I used them to give as hostess gifts when we went to a friends house for a visit. Some I baked cookies for, others a cake or pie. My friends were always so amazed that I left the plate for them to remember our visits.
—Shell2u on December 12, 2012The Christmas after my dad passed away, I made my mom and sisters photo books memorializing his life. It also turned out to be our life story too! I sewed everyone something for Christmas way back when and won’t put that type of stress ever again! People get my quilts and purses as I finish them!!
—CarolH on December 12, 2012For my birthday I sent flowers to my mom with a card thanking her and wishing HER a Happy Birthday.. Dad said she cried all day.
—Sheila Craft on December 12, 2012My friend’s husband was having brain surgery. He loves eagles, so I made him a quilt with a panel of a soaring eagle in the center. It was separated from the pieced border with a verse that I stitched into the smaller inner border: Isaiah 40:31 " But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". On the backing were written messages of love and encouragement from many of his friends. He kept the quilt on his hospital bed while there.
—Karen on December 12, 2012I’m involved with helping women who have been rescued out of sex trafficking. I had been provideing transportation to and from work for one of them. It was about a 20 min. car ride together. She was usually very quiet. As I was about to drop her off at her home, I told her how proud I was of her for starting a new life and working hard to provide for herself and her baby son, and how I knew it wasn’t easy for her, that she was doing a great job. She leaned over and gave me a big hug.
—Paula on December 12, 2012It was a free gift of encouragement to her. But it made a huge difference in our relationship thereafter. Giving huges to each other became the norm and she began opening up to me conversationally. She’s moved away now. But I still miss those hugs-her gift to me!
This year I returned a quilt to my son-in-law which was made by his grandmother and given to him for high school graduation. He asked me several years ago if I could repair it and I said "sure" before I saw what kind of shape the quilt was in. I have no idea where that quilt had been (but I’m pretty sure it involved college-age boys, several moves, and dogs). The quilt is a Mexican Star pattern made from feedsacks and clothing remnants from the 1930′s. It was so tattered, torn and dirty that I almost couldn’t bear to touch it. But I did. I dug into my stash of feedsacks and replaced multiple patches in every square on the quilt. But I got it finished, and by the time I put a new binding on it and gave it a bath, it looked great. I thought Brian was going to cry when I returned the quilt to him.
—Betty Caldwell on December 12, 2012Just recently my 96 year old grandmother moved in to a nursing home. She shares her room with another lady who’s beeen there for a while. I had made black and yellow log cabin quilt this spring and had showed it to her. She was an artist until recently and has always loved color, escpecially in the winter when everything is so blah! I walked in to her room last week with the log cabin quilt to surprise her. She was very happy for the colorful gift, and tells everyone where it came from.
—Rita McCart on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I made was a twin sized quilt for my Mother for when she was at Dialysis. I was in a block swap, and to make filler blocks, I hand dyed various different colored fabrics and had other family members color pieces of fabric with inktense pencils. I made the filler blocks in a wonky log cabin pattern and the other blocks were positioned to look like stars. When I gave it to my Mom, I told her she will always be wrapped with love that reached to the stars.
—Denise S. on December 12, 2012My most memorable gift I’ve ever given was to my Mother. Two years ago she was diagnosed with cancer, stage 4 multiple myeloma at the age of 75. She was given the chance to have a stem cell transplant, which meant she would be 200 miles away from her family for up to 3 months. I became very depressed because of her health and had to seek counceling. My doctor suggested finding a way to grieve my Mom’s health. So I threw myself into making her a quilt so she wouldn’t feel alone through the transplant. I asked all our friends & relatives for a word of inspiration for her to help keep her spirits up while she was going through the transplant. I embroidered each & every on of the well wishes on the quilt. 109 quilt patches later she has an amazing quilt! I’m so proud of her, she is now healthier than ever & in remission! I took a leave of abscence to be with her through the whole transplant. It was very hard to see her in so much pain & so sick but it was also the best gift she has given me, to be there for her, and to still have her with us. We are very blessed!
—Lisa Franck on December 12, 2012I’d like to say that I’ve given some great gifts to some great people over the years, but the one gift that I remember giving that has given ME joy over the years is being able to send a young girl in Thailand to vocational school She wouldn’t have been able to continue on to school and would have had to work in the rice fields, but our ongoing gift to her is an opportunity for her to be able to continue her education so she can be successful in life. She always sends letters of thanks and promises me she will do her best and won’t disappoint me. I am proud of her work ethic and her sharing her absolute joy in being able to go to school. I had one opportunity to send her a package last year and it included two quilts. The pictures of her and the quilts were the best…I’m so blessed to be able to enjoy the gift I have given.
—Debbie Loizzo on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever gave was given along with my brother & our families. We gave our parents a 50th wedding anniversary party. They knew about the party but did not know any details of what the party would be like. We also did not tell them which friends & family were coming to the party. We planned, schemed & gathered pictures for months. With the help of some very special friends & family members we were finally ready for the big evening. Our parents arrived…..had a few minutes to look around the room…..and then had a great time greeting everyone who came to celebrate their special day. One hundred forty guests came to the party that night……..a true testament to the friendships they have made through the years. We had a video of pictures to show & stories to tell that we had prepared. Everything went perfectly that evening……..we were a very happy, relieved and tired family. My other most memorable gift would be my 1st finished quilt for my husband for Christmas. He was totally surprised!
—Pam on December 12, 2012I used to have a theme for my Christmas purchases. One year my theme was "The strange, the bizarre, the unexpected- this is the gift I challenge you to believe it or not" I even had gift tags made with this on them. So- my brother got a rubber hand with fingers that move(I have it now) and my sister got a preserved puffer fish.
—D. Kirchoff on December 12, 2012Given many quilts, but one that is memorable to me is when just chatting with a very closed friend, she mentioned that she wished her Mom would had made her a quilt. Her whole life she never had a quilt. Immediately I chose one of my quilts for her, I gave it to her the following week. She couldn’t believe it, but didn’t want to receive it. I couldn’t take a no for an answer. Now she truly enjoys that quilt. It really broke my heart that in all her many years, she only wished she had a single quilt. Happy to know she has one finally.
—Emma Conley on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have ever given was just today at the Nursing Home where I work in an office located close to the residents rooms. It was the Christmas party for the wing I’m on and we employees who choose to do so, "adopt" a resident and then decorate their door and give them a little afternoon Christmas tea. I gave the resident I chose, Bernice, a beautiful classy teddy bear that sings Friends. Bernice had tears in her eyes and hugged the bear and told me she never expected to get gifts. Tomorrow, Bernice probably won’t know me, but we’ll have the conversations all over again. I have promised to have coffee with her in her room one of these next days, to talk about old times. She tells me I need to bring the coffee. What a sweetheart. Merry Christmas, my friend Bernice.
—susan lentz on December 12, 2012Several years ago we were having serious financial problems and we didn’t have any money for Christmas gifts. So having been a Teddy Bear nut I made a mohair bear for our daughter, Debbie. The giving of that bear meant more than an expensive gift.
—Linda Janovitz on December 12, 2012The year my father died my mother gave me his gold bracelet, my husband doesn’t wear jewelry and it was much to large for me to wear so I tucked it away. A year later I took the bracelet out and decided to have something made from it for my mother, sister and two daughters. I went to the local jeweler and after considering the options my jeweler gave me, I had four pendents made from the large links of dad’s bracelet. I wrote a poem on special card stock "Roses are red, violets are blue, I had this pendant made especially for you. I toiled and struggled with what I could do, to make something special, from his bracelet for you. He would be thirlled knowing you each had a piece…..so wear it close to your heart and remember the man who loved you so dearly all of his life." So for christmas that year those were the very special gifts I gave to my family. They love them and wear them all the time and they always get comments on them because they are so unique.
—Jane on December 12, 2012I have been designing and making quilts for our seven sons and their families for years. One of my recent quilts was for my son who had served in the Iraqi War. He had asked for a red, white and blue quilt and a mariner’s star as part of the quilt. With the help of my husband, a mathematician, we made the red, white and blue quilt with a huge mariner’s star pieced and appliqued in the very center. Our son cried when he saw it–it was just what he ordered.
—Janey Cook on December 12, 2012One February, we (my dad, husband and I) took a steelhead fishing trip down the Rogue River in a drift boat. We camped under the stars and cooked over an open campfire. It was a blast and my dad talked about it all year. For Christmas, I put together some photos of the trip and had them framed. He was speechless when he opened the package. The photo still hangs next to his fishing poles 32 years later!
—Terry K on December 12, 2012Many years ago a co-worker I had worked with for about 10 years was going to be graduating from college. She had finally done enough hours, a few at a time, and would be grduating in a few months. I made her a quilt while at work. I cut it out, hand pieced it and even mostly quilted it, at work. She had wandered in/out of my computer room many times during the process. I lied to her about who it was for. The look on her face when she opened the gift was priceless. There was a lot of work and love that went into it and I was well paid by her enthusiasm when she opened it. Needless to say, she liked it!!
—linda c on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have given was to a quilter I met on line. She lives in Zimbabwe, Africa. After writting for several months I found out that she sewed every thing by hand because she did not have a sewing machine. I also found out that both her and her husband had lost their jobs. Zimbabwe once was called the bread basket of Africa but now it is very very poor. So I send my friend a sewing machine not only for making quilts easier, but hopefully she can make projects and sell them to help the family.
—Marilu Franks on December 12, 2012My husband and I gave a Playboy Bunny birthday gram to my brother-in-law for his 40th birthday. It was a logistical challenge because he worked at NASA. We enlisted the help of his boss who OK’d getting the "bunny" into the office. He called my brother-in-law into his office for a "chat." The bunny was a little late in arriving and my brother-in-law thought it a bit odd that the chat went on and on with no work related topic. The entire office enjoyed the birthday gram when she finally arrived. Unfortunately this led to a number of prank birthday gifts going back and forth. The final one was a Godzilla inflatable balloon being gifted by my husband by his brother. The balloon was larger than our 2-story house. He called a local reporter who photographed my husband and Godzilla for our local paper. We decided that it might be best if the "gifting" ended after this gift.
—pamgantz on December 12, 2012I made a quilt for my husband for a wedding present. He had been watching me make quilts for others and he asked me to make him one. He’s an outside type of person so I made trees and wild flowers plus other things you would find in the woods on it. It’s 14 years old and still holding up.
—Vicki Lang on December 12, 2012Well, I have two. Where we lived years ago they did not have garbage cans with wheels. So,my husband bought me a two wheel cart to make it easier to take the garbage out.
The next one. He had major back surgery this year. He could not do as he called maintenance after going to the bathroom. So, I had to do it. He went and bought me a very expensive pink chunk of tourmaline for me doing what most people would not. That is love. For better or worse.
—Kathy on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever received is my mother in law’s Singer Treadle Machine. She bought it brand new and it looks like it came out of a show room. Her name was Blanche Carroll and she gave it to me a year before she went home to her maker. She died at age 90. The treadle is foot controlled, has all original parts and even the belt even looks brand new. I cried when she gave it to me and now I cry because I miss her so very much.
—Maria Carroll on December 12, 2012Gift-buying for parents always presented a problem. What to get when they really don’t need or have room, etc.? One year I decided on a stationery box. I loaded it up with writing paper and envelopes, all-occasion cards and postcards. Even put in stamps. When my mother-in-law saw the stamps, she went crazy! She got so excited and thought it was the best thing ever. It was even a better reaction then for the quilt I made years later.
—Patricia Hersl on December 12, 2012Our neighbors across the street were in their early 90s when we moved into the neighborhood. We had them over often for meals, and they soon became a part of all of our holiday celebrations. They had not put up a tree in years, as their children were grown and never came at Christmas. One year, just on a whim, we bought them a small artificial lighted Christmas tree, and some decorations. Our kids made a few homemade ones and we carted it over one night, telling them we would help them set it up as well as take it down and store it away. They were absolutely elated! We set it up in one of the front windows and we were amused watching them make sure it was centered and going outside to see how it looked. They told us it made their house "glow" and that it made them feel like kids again. They were really proud of the tree and we were happy that it gave them so much joy.
—Joan Stroh on December 12, 2012I misunderstood the question! The most memorable thing I’ve ever given or done is about 7 yrs ago I drove up on a horrible accident. I threw the car in park and I started assessing the people in the cars. We were about 20 mins before an ambulance could get to us. To make a long story short the patients asked if I would ride with them in the ambulance. So I did. A month later my boss called me into his office and read me a letter he had received from the victims and also told me that the next day they were going to have a dinner for me where I also received a plaque for going above and beyond the call of duty. And yes I worked in an emergency room at the time.
—Maria Carroll on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have given recently was a small quilt of inspired in part by "Duluth Trees" by Frieda Andersen. I made this for my Psychologist who helps me to see "the forest for the trees," by keeping stressful events in perspective. I loved making it and her speechless reaction was so touching to me.
—Vicki Lynn on December 12, 2012My in laws were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in 2000. (On their 50th we had made a memory quilt with photos of their life. Gold handprints of the grand children and gold foot prints of the great grand children on quilt blocks. All quilted by someone else as none of us sewed much back then.). I decided to make a "small art quilt" with the embroidered names and birth dates of the 17 great grand children born in the last 10 years. I got some advice from family. I ended up with Bill & Elaine on the top, the 9 children’s names and birth dates embroidered like a vine down and thw Grandkids as vines out the sides. The great grand kids were emb on on leaves…..It ended up being 44′ wide and 7 ft long! They loved it!
—Cathy Martin on December 12, 2012One year we decided that we would all buy each other "second hand" gifts. The rule was that it be used in some way. We all hunted in the Goodwill, Salvation Army or garage sales for the perfect gifts. They were the only gifts we could open on Christmas Eve. I found my daughter a mug from the 1939 world’s fair with her name on it. I found a shirt for my son with a Tallahassee team’s logo! (Tallahassee is far from Stroudsburg Pennsylvania!) My daughter bought my husband an oversized Mickey Mouse Watch complete with band, that hung on the wall. There were ooo’s and ahhh’s all evening. Many times we heard "where in the world did you find that????" It was probably the best Christmas ever, certainly the most fun!!
—elaine asper on December 12, 2012I have been seeing the same physician for many years and a couple of years ago I made a quilt for he nd his wife for Christmas that is being used and loved. He has a cute little Yorkie that he is just mad about and just to see his reaction I made a small quilt for the dog. My doctor carries a picture of the little Yorkie peeping out from under the quilt He shows it to everyone
—Pat Yucatonis on December 12, 2012A couple of years ago, I gave my 75 year old mother-in-law (who is a hoot) an ironing board cover. It’s the kind that has a good-looking hunk of a man printed on it, wearing nothing but a towel strategically placed across his nether regions. When you iron, the towel disappears, revealing all. She LOVED that gift, she thought it was just hysterical. She showed it to all her friends, they promptly decided they each had to have one, and I ended up ordering a whole case of them!
—Peggi on December 12, 2012The only way to know the most memorable gift you’ve ever given would be to ask the recipients. Since I enjoy making gifts for my family and friends. I assume all those receiving these various items (except the edible ones) do remember me every time they see them or use them.
However, I hope this year’s Christmas gift to my seven and a half year old granddaughter will be the most memorable for me and her, not because I made it, but because it’s a gift of trust and hope and creativity. She showed a strong interest in sewing while spending a couple of weeks with me this summer. I was surprised how patient she was and how well she listened to instructions. So Ava will get a brand new "basic" sewing machine from her Nonna and Poppa!
—VickiGene on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I gave was when I was part of a team of girls that made quilts, wheel chair bags and Christmas gift bags for the children at the local Cancer Hospital for those children that could not go home for Christmas. It brought a big smile to those childrens faces and put a smile in our hearts.
—Donna Hoefler on December 12, 2012I moved to Australia from England when I married and didn’t see my family for many years due to lack of funds for such a huge trip.
When my sister called to tell me that she and her husband would be coming out to see me I began working on a quilt to go on the guest bed.
My sister’s middle name is Rose, so I used fabrics that had a rose theme. The backing fabric had the words, ‘P.S. I Love You!’ all over.
When my sister arrived I showed her up to the guest room and watched her face light up when she saw the quilt. "Did you make that?" she asked. When I told her I had, she jokingly said, "I might have to steal it you know."
I told her to look at the label,’Paula’s Bed of Roses’ In memory of your first trip to Australia and your sister who loves you. xxx
The quilt looks lovely on her bed in England.
—Kayt on December 12, 2012To this day, the most memorable gift is one that I gave my brother about 35 years ago. As usual I planned on making many gifts for that Christmas. As the holiday came, I realized that I wasn’t going to finish in time. So I wrapped fabric in a box and gave it to my brother. With the promise to make him a shirt. To this day, he still ribs me about it.
—kathy on December 12, 2012My son challenged us to give him something fun and useless every year for Christmas. One year, when he had moved 550 miles away, we saved the Sunday comics for a year, and sent them to him. He still talks about it!
—Therese on December 12, 2012My sister and her family moved from the East Coast to New Mexico. I missed seeing them so wanted to make a special quilt for my 8 year old niece. Since I hadn’t seen her in a year I was unsure of what fabrics and colors she would like so one of my quilting friends brought her 12 year old daughter fabric shopping with us. She was a huge help! At the time I worked mainly with reproduction fabrics. This quilt was bright with lots of flip-flops, fish, and sea-turtles. I knew my niece liked the quilt but it wasn’t until this year I realized what it meant to her. One of her college entrance essays was on "her favorite possession." She wrote that it was the quilt made specially for her by her aunt. It reminded her every night that she is loved.
—Siobhan on December 12, 2012The Christmas after my Mother passed my Dad informed me he wasn’t putting up a Christmas tree…..too much work and he was depressed and 77. the very hardest man in the world to buy for! So I went out to a craft sotre bought a 4′ Table top tree, decorated it in red and white lights, all sorts of birds and nests, red bows and small framed pictures of all of his kids, g-kids and great g-kids, just took a piece of red velvet to wrap the bottom. 14 yrs later when he passed……….still putting that tree in the living room every year. My brother prepared a box to store it in his basement……never trimmed again.
—Prudy Hogrefe on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I’ve ever given was when I gave my sister the promise of a set of placemats with fabric of her choice. Of course she didn’t know about my ulterior motive of spending time together. We had a delightful lunch, visited a few fabric shops to find the perfect fabric, and another visit to deliver the placemats. Five years later she is still using the placemats and we reminisce about how much fun we had shopping for the fabric. Marcia in Redmond
—Marcia Ruthford on December 12, 2012The Christmas after my Mother passed my Dad informed me he wasn’t putting up a Christmas tree…..too much work and he was depressed and 77. the very hardest man in the world to buy for! So I went out to a craft sotre bout a 4′ Table top tree, decorated it in red and white lights, all sorts of birds and nests, red bows and small framed pictures of all of his kids, g-kids and great g-kids, just took a piece of red velvet to wrap the bottom.
—Prudy Hogrefe on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I gave was work I did on a mission trip to Costa Rica. We helped the poorest people in the country, who literally had nothing. However, these were the happiest people I had ever met. Why? They didn’t know what they were missing, and were grateful for what they had. We did work on their church, brought them clothing and medical supplies, and were given the hospitality saved for special guests. I think this was the most memorable gift I gave, and also the most memorable gift I received!
—Karen Schultz on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever gave is a T-shirt quilt for my loving husband. When I started quilting many years ago, it was to help keep me busy and take my mind off of how bad my husband’s health was. He suffered from severe Depression for years. I never doubted him, never wanted to leave, but I DID want to help him come out of the very dark cold hole he was in. He preached and taught at church camp for many years and each year would purchase a Camp t-shirt for the "memories" of that particular year. I thought a T-shirt memory quilt of all his camp shirts would help him when part of his memory was erased because of all the shock treatments he had to have to save his life. Today it hangs in his office, and we have shed tear after tear of memories of camp together and how his memory quilt helped him through the very rough times in his life. Although he will not be able to teach due to his illness, the quilt serves as a reminder of the "precious memories" he had when he did teach, preach in years gone by now. He said it was the best gift he had ever received.
—Dorene on December 12, 2012Actually, I have 2 similar memorable gifts for my husband. The first was a hot air balloon ride for both of us. We got up early in the morning and drove in the dark to the launch site, where I revealed the surprise. The second was a gift certificate for a ride in a WWII fighter training plane, which included the opportunity to take the controls. Both trips were memorable for both of us.
—Mona on December 12, 2012In 2010 I quilted a quilt for my significant other. I wanted to use browns and deep burgundies, beiges, and an owl motif that I fusicut in a snowball pattern. I really enjoyed quilting it for him but most of all I was very proud of myself for taking the plunge and actually quilt it. It turned out better than I thought and he absolutely loves it. Since then, my confidence in quilting has exploded. I’m not so anxious about thinking about the quilting.
—Marguerite Namdar on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have ever given was an album quilt, given to my parents for their 60th Wedding Anniversary. The pictures I used were from their dating days, wedding, all of their children through the years and their weddings, the grandchildren through the years, and a picture of them dancing just a year before at their first grandson’s wedding. Their wedding and dancing pictures were at the center of the quilt. My Mom was always impressed with my quilting, mostly because she did not quilt herself. Dad was so pleased, and Mom was tinkled pink when they opened it! Every guest to their home was shown the family quilt. Mom was so very proud of it. Mom passed away in May, and naturally the quilt was hung at her visitation at the funeral home and at the church for the viewing before the funeral service. It still hangs in their dining room. It is a gift that I know my Dad will never part with it.
—Mary Wallis on December 12, 2012The most memorable gifts I’ve given have been the items I’ve chosen for giving trees. We always gave giving trees gifts when I was growing up, even if we were struggling ourselves. I remember being in college and choosing one child from three different age groups – a young child, a preteen and a teenager. I’ve always hoped that teenager was thrilled to get her curling iron!
—Sharon A on December 12, 2012Thirty some odd years ago I gave my husband an early Christmas present, my second son was born December 22 , and we came home from the hospital on Christmas morning.
No amount of money could buy that!
Beth in Dallas
—Beth Patrick on December 12, 2012I photo quilt I made for my mother in law right before she passed away from kidney, bone and brain cancer. I made it with her parents engagement, wedding haveing her, same with my father in law. Then added there dating engagment and wedding and all the kids and the grandkids. She just held it and cried. That was the one thing she showed everyone before she passed away. She loved to see all the photos on one quilt over 250 of them.
—Denise Heid on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I ever gave was an I.O.U. note to me from a relative that hadn’t yet been paid off. I marked it "PAID IN FULL" and wrapped it in a box and gave it back to him.
—Susan on December 12, 2012After my best friend’s mother died from a long battle with Alzheimers, I contacted the Alzheimer’s Foundation to make a donation in her name. I learned they were collecting quilts for a travelling show to start from Central Park in NY in 2 mo. I designed a quilt chronicling the phases that Leslie’s mother went through and presented to Leslie 2 days before the deadline. A TV station and newspaper did nice features about the quilt which helped with local Alzheimer’s awareness. Leslie & I were featured in the quilt show opening materials as I was the only quiltmaker, out of hundreds, that was not a relative of the person memorialized. When the quilt show came to Los Angeles, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews all gathered to see the quilt and celebrate Mrs. Riddle. I was so happy to be a part of the family’s rememberance.
—Pamela Reim on December 12, 2012It’s not so much a gift but any gift, My 2 step grandchildren were from the first Christmas we spent together overjoyed with any gifts they received,the look on their little faces brought smiles to the rest of the family. I am making a quilt for my granddaughter (and hopefully my grandson) for christmas and can’t wait to see the look on their faces.
—ELIZABETH CROSS on December 12, 2012The most memorable gift I have ever given is the last gift I gave my mother. My husband, our two children (both adults) and I went to visit my mother. My husband had been practicing making bowls on his lathe and had made a particularly beautiful one that was my favorite. I wanted to show it to Mom since, long ago, her father had turned things on his lathe. When I put the bowl into Mom’s hands, tears came to her eyes as she remembered times as a child watching her father use his lathe. Mom liked the bowl so much we told her we had brought it for her. Her face lit up like I had never seen. Mom died a few weeks later at age almost 91. My husband has made many more beautiful bowls but that bowl, the most memorable gift I’ve ever given, is still my favorite. I have it and it will always be "Mom’s bowl" to me.
—JoAnne T. on December 12, 2012My daughter and her husband allowed me to be there when my 1st grandson was being born. I got to see my baby have her baby. After her husband cut the cord, he brought the baby to me at my daughter’s request. When the medical staff were done cleaning my daughter up, I gave little Billy to his mama. It was the most awesome gift.
My grandson is 8 y.o. now, and loves to help me in my studio. He is aways hunting for pins on the floor. He is also learning how to sew. What more could a grandma wish, but to pass on the love of sewing to another generation!!
—Sharon Hebein Shute on December 12, 2012My Grandma came to the U.S. after she married my Grandpa. They brought with them her mom and a charcoal drawing of my Great-grandpa, rolled up. He looked a lot like the Tzar. My grandma’s family was fleeing the red Russians.
Both my Grandma and Grandpa were gone. This portrait was still rolled up! It had been rolled up for at least 40 years!. I had been married a year or two and we decided to have this framed by a framer that had known my Grandpa and give it to my parents. Mommy was in on the surprise, but Daddy was really surprised! A piece of family history. I think he would say that was his best gift from me too. It’s been thirty years now. It hangs in their front room to this day!
—Sheri~mama to eight on December 12, 2012I made a commerative quilt for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary that featured 42 different family photos. One of my brothers helped by taking digital photos and sending them to me. My other two brothers knew about it,but somehow we all managed not to tell Mom & Dad know until they walked into the church hall. What a surprise! Priceless! I might as well mention that we live on different coasts, so that added to the overall intrigue!
—Joanne Lenigan on December 13, 2012I gave quilts to my son’s 5 best friends at high school graduation. They were flabbergasted!
—Mary lachman on December 13, 2012The most memorable gift I have given was a quilt that I painstakingly made for my dear Mum for her 90th birthday. I was a beginner with free motion quilting and I decided that I was going to quilt this single bed quilt myself on my domestic sewing machine. I think that if I had realized how much work this was going to be, I might not have started in the first place! She was really thrilled with it but I can say that it was I who was more thrilled at being able to give away that quilt that I had become so attached to and spent literally months working on!
—Carolyn on December 13, 2012The best gift I ever made was for my grandma. I found fabric that represented each of the members of our family,(which wasnt easy since I live in a small town where there is only 2 places to buy fabric, walmart and hobby lobby and a fabric store 30 miles away.) The squares were around the outside of the quilt and all the center blocks were what reminds me of my grandma. All her favorite things in her favorite colors. I couldnt be with her when she got to open it, but all my family that was with her knew what I was making so they were just as excited to open it as she was. They were very happy with what I had picked out, they all knew right away which block was theirs. She just loves it and told me when she goes to heaven she wants to be buried with it.
—Karey Hardesty on December 13, 2012My Mother is a lovely woman, but a challenge when it comes to buying her a gift. "I already have one", "I don’t need one of these" and my favorite "Oh, another thing to dust".
—Karen on December 13, 2012So a few years ago, I made her a lap size Christmas quilt, as she is elderly and spends many hours reading mystery novels. She is decidedly not the "quilt type" when it comes to decorating her home, but I thought it would be pretty and functional. To my great surprise, she loved the quilt so much, it is displayed on the back of her living room sofa. My Mother is not a "huggy" person, just not her personality, but this felt like a great big hug to me!
I was working on a blue and white mystery quilt. My son saw it, fell in love with it, and asked for it. Of course, I gave it to him!
—Sallie on December 13, 2012I made a Double Wedding Ring quilt containing 9 rings for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. The center ring had their names and dates. Surrounding the center were 8 more–one for each of their children, with their names, dates, husbands and children. The fabric making up each ring related to the individual families. For instance, my librarian sister had books, and trains for her husband’s hobby.
—Linda Towers on December 13, 2012They loved it so much that it still hangs in a place of honor in their dining room 14 years later!
One year I got interested in bookmaking. I had to obtain all the supplies by mail, since I didn’t have any craft places near me. I gave my late husband a book filled with his poems and writings he had written to me over the years.
—Tammy W. on December 13, 2012Over 30 years ago, long before internet as we now know it I arranged from Cold Lake Alberta (western Canada) to have a full length floor stand mirror made for my mom who lived in the Toronto area. Through many phone call style, color and pick up date were arranged. Many white lies had to be told since my family was looking forward to my arrival home for the holidays. I miss led them to the day I was flying in so my boyfriend (husband now) could get me and lend me his car for the adventure of a lifetime. Off I set for parts of Toronto that to this day I still don’t know where I was. The surprise on my family’s faces when I arrived a few days ahead of schedule and my moms’ pleasure with the mirror was worth it all.
—CHRISTI MACKENZIE on December 13, 2012I recently created a quilt for my niece (who was supposed to be born on my birthday but ended up the day before) who was going off to college and away from home for the first time. It was made up of Scrabble material and coordinating fabrics. The design was based on a Scrabble board. It had her name, her cats’ names, that she was a daughter, sister, niece, student, and several other adjectives that described her personality and hobbies. The intention was for her to have a bit of home with her while away at school. I titled it "Rachel’s Winning Words." My sister, who was in on the secret, was so excited for her daughter to open the package. My niece is not one to cry, but receiving such a personalized gift brought here to tears. It wasn’t one of my most beautiful quilts, but it was definitely one of the most personal and memorable.
—Krafty KC on December 13, 2012The most memorable gifts I ever gave was the year I started quilting. I asked my daughters; what was the grandchildrens favorite animals; then I made each of my grandkids quilts for Christmas that year. My 6 months was full of Butterflies, Dragons, jungle animals, and Thomas the train.
—Linda Dixon on December 13, 2012I worked my fingers off right up until 3 days before Christmas to get them done.
The faces on my grandchildren Christmas eve told me that all the late night hours was really worth it; as they all shouted with glee and I was given crushing hugs and mushy kisses by them all.
3 years later and they are still sleeping with those quilts. Now its time to start thinking about new personal quilts for my darlings as they are growinf fast!
Our Christmastime baby Brooke! Happy birthday, B!
—Linda on December 13, 2012My mother died last year and I inherited some of her fabric and craft items. I have made some of her items into quilts, table runners, and afghans to give to family members as a remembrance. She had 10 children and 20 grandchildren. Every time I give a gift it brings tears to their eyes. This is my way of keeping her memory alive.
—Cecilia Rogers on December 13, 2012My four brothers and I gave our Mom a "Tree of Life" pin for Mother’s Day many years ago. It had our five birth stones as well as Mom and Dad’s stones. My Mother wore that pin everywhere. It was even on her dress at her funeral. Being the only girl I received that pin after her passing. I had her diamond from her engagement ring mounted on the pin where Mom and Dad’s branches joined at the trunk. This pin means everything to me. She was my very best friend. Whenever we made something it was never done until we shared show n’ tell! She taught me to sew, quilt, knit, crochet, cook, etc. But most importantly, she taught me how to be a loving wife and mother. She has been gone just over 20 years and I still miss our show n’ tells, but above all, I miss my friend and her loving and gentle ways.
—Shirley Fuller on December 13, 2012The most cherish and prized possessions of my grandmothers hand work. She was very sick and I helped her do things she couldn’t do. Every night she would crochet or embodiery mainly on quilts. I was young at the time and I didn’t have the patience to learn crocheting and quilting. I am now trying to make quilts. She was the rock in the family and I miss her so very much.
—Chris on December 13, 2012It was shortly after 911 and someone on the Internet put out a call for quilts to go to families of deceased fire fighters. I had recently completed a Grandmother’s Fan quilt, white with yellow fan centers and lots of multicolored scraps from my stash, little reminders of all of the projects I had completed over the years. The quilt was meaningful to me, but in light of the tragedy, I thought that it would be meaningful to another family, and hopefully all my happy memories would help ease their suffering a little bit. I pulled the quilt from my bed and sent it to an address in New Jersey. I don’t know where it ended up, but every time I think of that quilt, I am very glad that I gave it away.
—Carole on December 13, 2012The most memorable gift I’ve given was an earring. Just one. I gave it to a dear, life-long friend who has stretched herself to wear it. I have the other earring. We wear them "together" one day a month; she in Alaska, me in Arizona. We also wear it when one of us is having a hard time.
—Janet on December 13, 2012The summer that we were building our "dream home", my husband and I attended an art show, at the bank where I worked, that featured bronze sculptures by a local artist that we knew. We both zeroed in on a small seated figure of Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, and agreed that it was our favorite in the show. We also agreed that since we were in the throws of building a new house we didn’t need to spend money on a sculpture. I couldn’t get it out of my mind and so a couple of days later I withdrew the money from my savings account and gave my order to the secretary of the VP who was handling the show. I explained how excited I was to purchase this for my hubby, with whom they were acquainted, and what a surprise it would be for him. It was necessary to pay for the sculpture in advance and then it would be cast. As Christmas approached I received my "gift" and properly wrapped it. On Christmas morning, after several gifts had been opened I pointed to the box and suggested that he open it. In response he indicated a box that I should open – - – Yes, we had "bookends"!!!!!!! The bank VP knew how excited I was to purchase this for him and likewise with him for me that they didn’t want to ruin the gift for either of us and so had two statues cast. In my box was a letter explaining the dilemma we had put them into and a check for the price of one sculpture, plus interest! It was certainly the most memorable Christmas gift and still makes me smile when I look at it today. (We were quite the talk of the bank for many months when the story was told.)
—Janet Shipley Hawks on December 13, 2012My parents, like many of their generation, held on to their furniture until it fell apart before replacing it. They purchased a new couch and chairs, but not their end tables and coffee table. My parents always warned us children, not to buy anything for them at Christmas but rather spend that money on ourselves. My siblings and I agreed to pool our monies together and secretly buy the tables for their Christmas present. My sister and I went shopping at Levitz Furniture Store and put a beautiful set on layaway. When we had finished paying for the set, we "housed" the boxes at her in-laws house, and nearer to Christmas, we transferred the boxes to my fishing van, which had curtains on the windows and behind the front seats for privacy. Christmas Eve came, we opened our gifts, and told our parents, they had to come outside to see "something". When I opened the van’s back doors, we children, yelled "surprise". Each of the three boxes had a big red bow on it and were taken inside the house to open. Daddy was excited to see the contents and while mom was opening their gifts; she kept giving us kids the "I’m going to kill you" look, but we could tell, she and daddy were both, quite pleased. My parents are deceased now and that same furniture now sits in my living room, and I can still "see her" and her "I’m going to kill you" looks.
Mother wanted a family Bible and we children surprised her and daddy, one year, with one at Christmas. She wanted a Mother’s ring and my siblings and I surprised her with one for Mother’s Day. Daddy and mother’s stones were included in the ring, and it just so happened, we had green stones on each end and a diamond in the center. When our daughter married, she wore mom’s wedding bands and her Mother’s Ring for something old, and placed a picture of them on the pew next to me, so they could "attend" her wedding.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa Everyone!
Keep smiling,
—Lynnita Shipman on December 13, 2012I made a beautiful quilt for my friend’s wedding. Since she and most of her family and friends are non-crafters & non-quilters, it got huge appreciation (people tried to sneak it out of the house when nobody was looking…) and I know it will be cherished for a long time! Thank you!
—Barb in MI on December 13, 2012I think the most memorable was a quilt to a quilting friend who was not expecting it. She was "teasing" us in our online forum that she wanted an entire quilt for her gift. I decided to make her wish come true and she was so surprised. She didn’t expect to get what she asked for!!
—Nancy on December 13, 2012An Extension Cord. Sounds strange but I had one that I used all the time and my husband borrowed it on the no return plan. So I bought another one for myself and wrapped it up for myself with a loving note from my husband saying that he was "sorry for taking mine and here was a replacement". He sure got a kick out of it.
—Maurine Monson on December 13, 2012It wasn’t a Christmas gift. A friend of my daughter bought a discounted wedding dress & was assured that it would fit. It did not. I was quite ill with breast cancer at the time, but was able to deconstruct the dress from just below the waist up & add the upside down gore in a silver satin that matched the men’s vests. I did it on the living room couch to be able to support the dress, while I sewed on a tray table. From the moment I saw her in it everything just sort of flowed. It turned out beautifully, & was a gift to us both.
—Sharon on December 13, 2012$100 to a needy family.
—Valerie A. Clark on December 13, 2012For my best friends birthday one year, I made a cross stitch picture called "Forever Friends". A couple years later it was their 25th wedding anniversary and I made another cross stitch picture combining two pictures of Mallard ducks. The two pictures hang together in her home. These were special items stitched with love.
—Lois Heath on December 13, 2012Hmmm. Tough choice but I believe it was my first owned sewing machine given to me by parents the first year I was in college. It was sold as a rock and I sewed up a storm with it. It kept me fulfilled and occupied with the birth of my 2 sons. I have since grown and now own quite a few machines and a business with all of them. Thank you Mom and Dad up in heaven, for recognizing my love of being a seamstress.
—Debbie on December 13, 2012The gift of life, birthing my two children.
—Bridget on December 14, 2012not sure
—linda on December 14, 2012The most memorable gift I ever gave was a cookbook I prepared with my mother-in-law. She cooked by a pinch of this, a tad of that and everything came out delicious. While she cooked for a year I measured everything she did and wrote a menu. After she passed away I made recipe books for me and my sister-in-laws. They were both so excited to receive them as they thought they had lost all her great dishes. One of my sister-in-laws passed away and I am now working on her favorite recipes and pictures of her to make a cook book for her three children as a memory of her and her great meals. She was a gormet cook and loved to entertain so I had a lot of recipes. This past year I have been collecting pictures of her to add throughout the book. Hope to give them out for next Thanksgiving.
—Barb E on December 14, 2012When my husband’s Sheltie "McCloud" died, he was devastated. He had lost his best friend of 12 years. After a month he wasn’t feeling any better and I knew I had to do something. Not knowing if it was the right choice or not, I began looking for another Sheltie. I found our puppy "McCoy" and gave him to my husband for Christmas. I told him that he wouldn’t replace McCloud but maybe he could learn to love this puppy. We both cried for our lost little dog and began to heal with our new puppy. My husband loves his dog that is a year old now and tells him lovingly that he will be just as great as McCloud was. His heart began to heal when he had another pup to shower with love.
—Marsha Nelson on December 14, 2012Well I have to say that my most memorable gift that I have given is the most recent. My sister in law who lives in Washington State was diagnosed with Stage 3 Inflamatory Breast Cancer in August of this year. She had made mention to me in June that she would love to have a quilt for her bed with the big star. It took me a moment to figure out what she wanted (I am new to quilting) and found a pattern for a Radient Star Quilt by Elinor Burns. I put the quilt together in the colors that she loves, mistakes and all, in a size that she can use to wrap up in during her chemo (you get very cold during the treatments) and also use on her king size bed. I mailed it to her with a note stating that every time she wraps up in it it is a hug from me with my love for her. She got it and was so amazed and touched that she cried for a couple of hours. She uses it during her chemo treatments and for her naps and takes it everywhere she goes to stay warm.
—Margo S. on December 14, 2012I sent my husband a singing telegram, a barbershop quartet all dressed up in shiny clothes with a flower in a mug. He’s an auto-tech so it was fun embarrassing him as the shop gathered around to watch.
—Cindy S on December 14, 2012When I was a little child, 4 years old, i remember sitting near my busy mother of 6 as she did some mending on the sewing machine. She somehow found the time to make me a little doll blanket, which I treasured, that had nursery rhyme characters on it. We had a pretty frugal existence, so I really treasured that quilt and it brought me a lot of joy. That planted the seed for quilting and giving! 25 years later I made them my first quilt, a patchwork quilt, with fabric from my dresses and fabric my mother had bought me. I gave them that quilt, but was not really sure if they would ever use it or not, because unfortunately we had had a falling out, over some impetuous behavior on my part. (Think: the Sixties Era). A short time later my dad got cancer and died. I was surprised and thankful to know that the quilt was on his bed when he died. 9 years later, my mom died, and again, the quilt was on her bed. My sister gave me the quilt after that. Our youngest daughter has always loved that quilt. I was just glad that my work on the quilt helped to bridge the gulf between my parents and myself. Now I have great pleasure in making quilts for a shelter for abused women and children far away from me, in a place I will never get to go to, but it makes there lives into a happier and healthy home. Quilts and love know no boundaries! Hope all of you and all the readers have a wonderful Christmas, giving and loving!
—mary Numme on December 14, 2012One of the most memorable gifts I’ve ever given had nothing to do with sewing. I gave tickets to my husband to see "Spamalot" and of course I had to tag along as well. That was three or four years ago, and we’re still singing some of the songs from the show.
—Cindy A. on December 14, 2012My most memorable gift has to be time. The time I was given to go to an art museum with my sister who lives hundreds of miles from me. The time I was given to laugh with my now adult children. The time I was given to be able to tell my dad again how much I loved him before he died suddenly. Time is the most precious of gifts and I’ve been so blessed to be able to share it with the people most precious to me.
—Elizabeth Tallau on December 14, 2012The most memorable gift that I’ve given is the table clock that I gave my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary. It was inscribed from all of us, and my father had it sitting where he could see it from his easy chair.
—MarciaW on December 16, 2012The Christmas that my husband and I got engaged we bought a couple dozen light grey sweatshirts in various sizes, bought a book with Looney Tunes designs and some fabric paints. We made sweatshirts for all our friends and family loosely based on which Looney Tunes character we thought fit them best
—Carmen on December 17, 2012I’m an engineer and a quilter too.
—Laura Gamaleri on December 17, 2012I worked with an architect on a project that trasformed a piece of our country from an agricultural area to a new national road with industrial building along it. It was a difficult task, but we worked very well together, finding time for lauging and joking also in the middle of difficult brain storming sessions.
When I found out that he will turned fifty in a pair of weeks, I immediately knew what to do.
I quilted a little wall hanging with a fabric version of the project and it was the only personal present among a lot of formal one.
When I was a member of a local wives club, we gave the makings of an entire Christmas dinner plus to a needy family. When we delivered it, the baby was being kept warm with a lamp of some kind, not safe but all they had.
Really sad but a good feeling of helping them!
—Pat on December 17, 2012