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Friday, July 3, 2015

One hour (or so) baskets

After my practice/gift basket a week or so ago, I felt ready to tackle 3 more "1 hour baskets"assembly-line style as thank you gifts for my daughter's preschool/kindergarten teachers. These will be the last handmade teacher gifts for awhile because apparently in German public schools, holiday gifts are given as a class and not individually and end-of-year gifts are not given. phooey!

Honestly, while I was frantically stitching away late last night, I did wonder about my tendency to pressure myself  with making a handmade gift just because I can make something. When I finished, my already sore back and neck were throbbing in protest. According to my math, I calculated that I could make 3 simultaneous baskets in an hour since I had taken the 3 previous days to get everything ready. Nope... took me like 3 hours.



Kaufman Quilter's Linen in Charcoal w/ Juggling Summer

Kaufman Quilter's Linen in Raffia w/ Simply Style

Quilter's Linen in Silver w/ Simply Color/Simply Style
 If I'm really honest (which I will be for a moment,) I don't think the teachers fully realized the value of these handmade gifts. How do I know? Not one of them sobbed at the beauty and perfect marriage of these fabrics - hmph!  Generally speaking, I know people here are not the most emotive (unless you do something wrong in traffic- then you'll be told off immediately,) but dang! Can I get a hearty "Thank you!?" Can't you see that I've shared my precious stash of Quilter's Linen with you? Can't you appreciate how beautiful it looks with Simply Style, Simply Color and Juggling Summer? Don't you know how long I've been holding onto these and looking for the perfect project? Can't you give me one tear or at least a joyful moan? Just kidding..sorta. I am grateful that they've loved, taught and nurtured my daughter for the last 2 years, which is why I haven't gone and snatched them back.
In the lining seam, I put my new label from Ikaprint. I'll take some pics and share for next time! 

My daughter loved stuffing the baskets with flowers, hand cream, tea, pencils, chocolate and a little Prosecco! 

Proud little Wildchild and Kindergarten graduate
FAL Q2 goal list

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11 comments:

  1. I think they turned out gorgeous and you put some extra work in them with the piecing and quilting. Glad to see what you have made.

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  2. Soooo lovely! Do you think they even realised that you made the basket, not only chose the contents? In my experience, people who don't sew, simply don't realise something is handmade! Particularly with quasi-pro labels etc. i once had someone nod thanks, only to hear years later she never realised I actually made a dress I gave her daughter...

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  3. Love your baskets. The teachers probably feel the same, you know parents don't know what we put into caring for and educating their kids. We quilt for the joy of it, not the praise mostly ; }

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  4. I think those are awesome gifts. I appreciate your fabric choices! It's tough to know if something is appreciated: I drive school bus and as students reach their last day, some will bring a gift out, or their parents will meet the bus with something - and it's so hard to say thank you because I've got a pile of kids behind me wired for vacation, traffic piling up all around, and some of the most adorable people in the world to say goodbye to...I think teachers might feel the same at Christmas and summer breaks. I appreciate everything given to me because it is the thought that counts :)

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  5. I completely know what you mean about hoping for that teary eyed excited thank you when giving a handmade gift. To be honest, before I quilted myself, I didn't come even close to understanding the amount of time and effort and LOVE (and sweat and tears and sometimes blood) that goes into making a quilt. Now, as tough as it is sometimes, I try to make the gift for the spirit of making without holding on to how much the recipient appreciates it (too much). I also am getting better at making quilted gifts only for very close family and friends, though. I, too, immediately think up a billion hand made gifts to give for just about any reason or season. So-and-so is having a baby? Quilt! So-and-so is getting married? Quilt? Not much time? Mini wall hanging quilt! So-and-so is going through a rough time? Quilt filled with love! So-and-so just graduated? Quilt!!.... but realistically, I haven't even made quilts for my sons or husband yet. The gift of time is worth more than gold!

    One thing I do to help me feel a little better when giving handmade gifts now is to be sure the recipient at least knows that I made the gift. I'm not longer shy about talking about the fact that I made the gift---and sometimes, I tell them exactly how long it took. I don't do this for any reason other than for them to know exactly how much love and effort went into making it. But when people think making a quilt takes just a few hours, they need to understand that, "no.... this baby quilt took me 20 hours to make. I LOVE you dude!" We makers gotta make. I can promise that if you ever make me a handmade gift, I'll gush ;)

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  6. Yeah, we don't really do teacher gifts here either. It's caught on a bit more in recent years, but it's not really a thing unless you particularly liked that teacher! I suspect my teachers were just grateful to see the back of me ;o)

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  7. These are really beautiful baskets. I can see why you'd want to snatch them back. Perhaps they like them more than you can tell.

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  8. These are beautiful, and the fabrics you picked are lovely for each one. I'm helping Adrianne with the FAL and I'm to also say that I am visiting as part of the FAL Cheerleading Team.

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  9. สล็อต 1688


    10. ในปัจจุบันเกมสล็อตได้ถูกพัฒนาให้สามารถเล่นในรูปแบบของ สล็อตออนไลน์ หรือการเล่นเกมสล็อตผ่านระบบออนไลน์ โดยมีอินเทอร์เน็ตเป็นตัวเชื่อมต่อ มีจุดเด่นในเรื่องภาพและสีสันที่สวยงามเหมือนเกมออนไลน์ทั่วไป พร้อมไปด้วยรางวัลโบนัสพิเศษ, รางฟรีสปิน, แจ็กพอต และรางวัลใหญ่อย่าง BIG WIN

    ReplyDelete
  10. เว็บ สล็อต

    ในปัจจุบันเกมสล็อตได้ถูกพัฒนาให้สามารถเล่นในรูปแบบของ สล็อตออนไลน์ หรือการเล่นเกมสล็อตผ่านระบบออนไลน์ โดยมีอินเทอร์เน็ตเป็นตัวเชื่อมต่อ มีจุดเด่นในเรื่องภาพและสีสันที่สวยงามเหมือนเกมออนไลน์ทั่วไป พร้อมไปด้วยรางวัลโบนัสพิเศษ, รางฟรีสปิน, แจ็กพอต และรางวัลใหญ่อย่าง BIG WIN

    ReplyDelete

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