You know what they say about the cobbler's children wearing no shoes? I have at last filled my orders and posted them and it is now time to attend to our own Christmas. We will be working at posting more wares here soon and continue sewing, but I will take a pause to sew a bit for my own kids. I foolishly offered to stitch for them as I have in years past. It is a way of stretching dollars, as all sewers know and I reflect on the many projects that I had to finish while hiding out and sewing into the wee hours of the morning. Why should life change now, just because I am older?
There was the colorful little clown rag doll I made for my first daughter for her first Christmas followed up by a life-sized teddy bear for my second daughter, made from a special stretchy fabric that I didn't realize I was over-stuffing until I poked a hole in his neck and then had to attach his head to his shoulders with a banded neck. A scarf around his neck covered the error made the day before Christmas! Fortunately he was a rather odd looking bear to begin with. There were bed pockets for my oldest daughter that turned out to be more work than I ever imagined and are still waiting to be used after she cleans her room (never?).
We have also done the parent scramble looking for the toys that were sold out months before, like the Big Bird that had a tape player in his back and moved its beak as the story tapes played. We found the last one in Denver that year! My second daughter was about the same size and was mesmerized by this life-like toy that sat and told her stories.
Perhaps with age these memories take on more significance, like my favorite Christmas with the trunk full of doll clothes that were so richly detailed and made by hand by my own mother. I don't remember that these home-made gifts were favorites with my children at the time? Yet, they didn't pass up the opportunity to have me make something for them this year. With only days to go and nothing started for our own Christmas, the race is on. I am realizing that once again, I am without patterns...so what else is new. Take what I have and change it to make what they want. It is an old trick.They are older and wiser now, and have grown more particular. Can I pull this off? The worst case is that they may never ask me for another home-made gift again, and with that thought I am positive that this will be a win-win situation regardless how their gifts turn out, I am set to sew!