wip, handmade, six months
sadly this little book bag has been in progress for a couple of weeks. it is a birthday gift for my mother-in-law who works at an elementary school library. better late than never, i think i can get the straps sewn on tonight and pop it in the mail tomorrow. i think. hmm. i also had to whip up a baby gift last night for a coworker's shower today. as i was sewing i was playing that mental game of ping pong in my head that always occurs when doing something handmade for someone i dont know very well. you know what i mean? will they like, or better yet, will they even notice? is it even worth the effort when really they would be happier with a pack of diapers and some dumb toy? sigh. i never know. the first thing i ever knitted was a baby sweater for someone, i agonized over it (silly me started with a cow print pattern that required yarn bobbins) for weeks, trying to get it done in time, only to have it opened, glanced at and tossed in a pile. i am fairly certain it was never, ever put on the child. i was crushed. and i felt a little stupid as well. of course not everyone appreciates handmade, i understand that. my dilemma is should i give handmade because it makes me feel better? is that ultimately selfish? i dont know, i dont know. all this for a stupid burp cloth and bib. grrr. it will be interesting to see if this just gets tossed onto the pile. i will let you know next week.
and now onto a more pleasant subject, arlo! in the midst of all that mad quilting i forgot to post a six month picture tuesday. yikes! i mean, this is the closest thing to a baby book that i can muster right now, so bear with me.
i can not believe that six months has gone by already!! oh my goodness. arlo my love, you are truly a blessing that i never ever expected. i thought our family was set at four, but now i know that it was always supposed to be five. thank you for the joy you bring us, and at some level understanding that our life is so crazy right now and just going with the flow and being your laid back self.
posted by hannah at 8/18/2006 07:29:00 AM
17 comments
17 Comments:
your mother-in-law also checks this blog from time to time. better get that in the mail fast!
Oh, I love the fabric for the bookbag and the pear, SO cute! And I hear you on the "handmade" dilemma! I can't wait to see little Arlo in a few weeks!
All of that fabric is so great! Love the pear.
I know what you mean about giving handmade stuff. When I receive that kind of thing, I'm so appreciative, but I wonder if that is just because I know the love that goes into it. I don't know if people that don't make stuff always get that!
Cute pear! I would love that bag if it was for me.
Yes, the dilemma of the handmade gift, I go through this all the time. Will it seem cheap and funky? Is it their taste? If I spend too much time on something I am tempted to ask if I can come visit it. I never want to ask if an item is being used, but I actually have asked twice because I never heard from the recipients. It's meaningful to me, is it to them? I hope so.
The pear is adorable! I'm totally jealous right now.
And look at those chubber cheeks! And those beautiful brown eyes.
Seriously, Arlo, stop giving me baby fever!
the bag is great - love the pear!! do the handmade - a gift from the heart is always a good thing in my book. and arlo - stop looking at me like that - makes me want a family of 5! (you are soooo cute!!! happy 6mos!)
arlo is so beautiful! I come from a family of 5 and it's quite nice, I think. Kids outnumbering the parents and all (maybe better from the kids' point of view, of course.)
I absolutely love the soft citrusy greens of that book bag. Just lovely.
And do these people who are not appreciating the handmade gifts know they're getting handmade gifts? If they are completely dense, maybe they don't realize the time and effort involved. Or maybe they get it, and still don't care. If so, they really don't sound like very interesting or nice people, so I would just ignore them. Or maybe stuff the handmade gift in question down their throats. literally.
Hmmm, maybe you need a Huffmania label. Who'd toss that in a pile?
And Arlo has got the sweetest cheeks! I totally want a third baby now.
besides being more meaningful, i also like to give handmade because i'm super-frugal - especially when it comes to baby showers and kid birthday parties - it always seems so wasteful to buy an outfit or buy a toy that will likely be recycled w/in six months...(arlo is so cute!)
I think that is the best picture of Arlo so far. So cute. I love that little girl!
*surprise* babies are wonderful, in my opinion. i was one! and i have one...he's a sweet patootie and can't imagine life without him.
but the factory is now closed, thank you very much.
cute pear!
I feel the same about diy remodeling - people who have done it are sooo appreciative, people who wrote a check don't seem to get the tremendous mental and physical effort required to learn a new skill and learn it well.
crap here i am talking about my house again...somebody shoot me now.
Cute bag, even cuter babe.
Make them something anyway, I say! Just hint at all the time and energy like this, "Hey lady. Look at the gift again or else. I spent 147 hours making it." Or something equally subtle. :)
A total Huffster--so cute! Your joy about Arlo and being a family of 5 makes me smile!
Ditto on all of the thoughts about making a gift. A handmade gift is ALWAYS special! I like the idea about adding a label. I have found that a label solidifies that you actually did make it!
love the handmade. As much as I am let down if it isn't appreciated as I wanted it to be...I love the time I spend on any project that is a gift..I just love spending energy that way, you know?
Lovely bookbag! And I'm not just saying that because I have the same fabric. Interestingly, my project with that background natural/green/blue fabric is also taking forever, maybe it's something about the fabric that slows down projects....
Arlo is such a cutie!
Your story about the cow sweater made me cringe. Thankfully no one was ever as obvious as that with a present that I had made by hand, but on a few occasions I've had my doubts about whether the item was used. On the other hand, I never did use all the baby presents we received, either because of size/season mismatch, or sheer forgetfulness. Now I do presents by time. If I have enough time, I'll make something. Something relaxing that I can do in front of the TV. If I don't have enough time, I'll buy something. I hope your latest recipient is more aware of the effort that goes into handmade.
arlo, i could eat you up! you are so cute! there isn't anything better than baby cheeks!
LOVE the pear (and fabric too)...is it a freezer paper stencil? and happy 6 months to Arlo -- we love you girl!
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