Gifts from my hands and heart

At night isn't it fun to knit or sew while you watch TV?  I love it, it must be the puritan ethic in me but I feel slightly guilty if I am just watching a show.  We've been finishing up a program on HBO, Entourage.  It's a male fantasy kind of show with a movie star who takes care of his friends and family.  Wouldn't that be terrific, to be able to take care of everyone who is important to you?

I can only offer my friends and family a shoulder to cry on, a few curses on their enemies and some homemade gifts every once in a while.  Do you ever worry that people get your presents and internally are rolling their eyes?  They get home and say, "Oh boy, another dorky homemade present from Kathy.  Yipppee."  I stopped making clothes for my kids when I overhead my first husband telling my daughter, "You WILL wear this, your Mother worked hard on it, now put it ON!"  That same child begged me for a black and white room without a quilt, she just wanted a comforter like everyone else had.  She got the room...but not the comforter.  Now that same child's mantra is "All the quilts should be for me" whenever she sees me making one for someone else.  When she got married, I made her gifts for every shower and a wedding quilt.  OK, maybe the wedding quilt didn't arrive until after the second anniversary but I was working on it!  Most of the time.

Handmade gifts are useful in the fall - the nights get cooler and what is better than a handmade quilt to snuggle up under?  Some of the quilts I have made the girls have a "lived in look".  That's why I love being able to machine quilt now.  Those college quilts - you know they are going to get beer spilled on them and yikes, not on a hand quilted quilt, please!  I spent my four hours today in the sewing room working on the top for the latest college t-shirt quilt. One more row to go and then the borders/back.  It will be the first t-shirt quilt I will be able to do on my own Longarm.  If I can keep at it, I will have it pinned on within the week.  Will I be able to wait for her birthday or just give it to her when I finish?  I am terrible about waiting on gifts - I am so excited I can't wait until the holiday.

I give gifts of quilts, table runners and quilted bags.  Not quite the luxury cars, movie deals and tropical vacations that the Entourage boys get from their friend.  On the other hand, my quilts are for real, not just a fantasy on a show.  Here's an idea - the kids can make it big in Hollywood and give me the luxurious perks.

You can have all kinds of dreams sleeping under a quilt!