Gifts

I was just at the mall today picking up a specific present for my mother in law (rice cooker), and the whole frenzied experience made me glad that there are so many other ways people are embracing gift giving this year. I guess the regular commercial shopping thing will never quite die out but I have noticed that it's just not cutting it for everyone anymore.


Many have taken the handmade pledge this Christmas, and I have noticed crafters getting involved with charity by donating handmade toys.

All these lovely softies were made by crafters and are going to Mirabel foundation. I wish I had known about it earlier so I could have been involved. but next year, right?

"The Mirabel Foundation supports children affected by a parents substance abuse. We thought it might be nice to give these kids some softie support too. Make a softie and send it to us. We'll pass it on to the Mirabel Foundation to distribute in December as part of their Christmas Toy Appeal. It will be lovely to have some handmade things to donate! You can post photos of your work on this photo pool - and even of your work in progress! Thanks for getting involved in our Softie Christmas!"

Click here to see more

For those who are looking for last minute gift ideas and/or ways to give to charity, OXFAM and Tear Fund have alternative gift calendars that allow you to donate to the third world. So why not give someone a pig for Christmas? or some school books, clean water, environmental protection, or.. okay you get the idea.
A friend of mine said "most people I know have everything thing they need and if there is something they want, they just go out and buy it. So this kind of gift is really good"


I didn't quite take the handmade pledge but I am happy to say I made and bought quite a few handmade gifts this year. I like the idea of the pledge but you don't have to be ALL OR NOTHING, in fact I think that attitude sometimes stops people from doing good.

here's a bag I made for my sister, with her initials. (Carling, if you are reading this, don't look! ... she never reads my blog so I think I'm safe:)


The LOVELY Nikki and I did a swap and this is the receiving end for me. Isn't it gorgeous! It's on the way to America for my niece's Christmas present. The quality sewing on this little number impressed me a lot, and I am thinking I got the better end of the swap, thanks Nikki.

And a little more receiving. This fabric used to be my Grandma's, in case you haven't been following along, she died recently and I was unable to go to the funeral. It was very touching that my family would think of giving this to me, my grandma loved to sew and they know that I do too. I intend to make some stuffed toys out of the blue and white fabric and give them to the great grand kids in the family. That colour blue was one of my grandma's favourites:)

hope you all the best with your shopping, my advice? avoid the malls :)

-kimberlee