I am excited to say that the Rabbitat video has been viewed 15,000 times! It’s been almost 4 years since Daniel Cojanu and Elise Hugus of UnderCurrent Productions started filming me working in my studio and scavenging for driftwood out at the Quissett Knob. This film was financed with prize money from 2 awards I received for my book Pocketful of Posies; the 2011 Horn Book Award and the 2011 Golden Kite Award. The film was a wise investment and continues to hold up as a great communication tool.
And now for the Give-away! This is a world-wide offer. To enter, please leave a comment telling about a favorite gift that you made for someone else. The prize is a box of fairy making supplies, which includes green wool felt, 12 wooden bead heads with faces painted by Salley, 12 acorn caps to fit, wool fleece hair and faux flower petal skirts and wings.
Follow the directions in my book, Felt Wee Folk and have a fairy making party! The winner will be picked at random on April 14th. FYI, I also sell faux flowers in my Etsy Shop here.
Congratulations to the Give-away winner, Terri from Redlands, California!
SALLEY MAVOR 
I just purchased your 2 books on Wee Felt Folk and cannot wait to get started on making them. Just love the little figures. I’m a quilter, but will have to make time for these little gems!
hola !!! por favor cuenta conmigo 🙂 soy una gran fan de tu trabajo, y seria fantástico ganar ! gracias por la oportunidad y saludos desde mexico 🙂
I have loved making and giving different people flower fairies! No matter what age or gender people have loved receiving these. For older women I think it takes them back to remember a simpler time in their life. I am making a few flower fairies for a friend right now knowing she will love them and sharing them with her grandchildren.
I made my grandma a cloth doll with a straw hat when she was in the nursing home. She thought it was a doll she had when she was a child and it was such a touching moment.
My favourite present that I made was a cloth doll that I gave to a young friend of mine. Emily (the doll) became this little girl’s best friend and went with her everywhere. The young girl’s father was so amazed that anyone could make a doll that could be so treasured. I am told that over 20 years later, the doll is still around. 🙂
I made a little nome with a wooden lantarn in his hand.
My doughter somethimes has sleep issues and then she takes the nome to here bed, so he can watch over here. She is 19 years old but still loves the nome and usses him.
A favorite gift that I made was a pair of Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls for my daughter. She still has them as an adult.
Carol b
A fairy who looks just like my best friend, Jill, for her birthday.
My younger sister married a man from Jordan. They now live in Florida. She has been to Jordan and has pictures of the 2 of them riding camels. So he wouldn’t be homesick, I made him a stuffed camel that can be worn as a rather large “necklace”, it even has a couple palm trees for accent. They still have it hanging on the wall in their home.
Two of my favorite items were quilts that I made for each of my daughters when they turned 21. I had saved their baby clothes, pieces of favorite dresses I had made, pieces of special toys, etc. The backing was their birthday tablecloth. Every year at their birthday, all the kids would sign their name and I would embroider each year’s names in a different color. I think we all enjoyed looking at the quilts- they were the same , but different.
My favourite gift I made was a felted angel that went to an unknown person as a Christmas present almost five years ago. It took me ages to make her. I hope she is still a source of luck and happiness to them. I also received a handmade angel and I still keep it.
still in the practice stage here, working daily to make one cute enough to give away
still in the learning stage here, but having so much fun, can’t wait to give one away
Making art by hand other than food is very new for me, so I don’t have many opportunities to make something for someone as a present because I don’t think my work is good enough yet. I am working on a small art quilt for my four year old grandson to hang in his bedroom. It is a quilt of elephants because he loves elephants. He’s also too young to make judgement about the quality of the work!😊I try to stitch everyday so my work is getting better. I am making dolls using Salley’s techniques because I love that she incorporates quilting techniques in her work. At some point I hope to have lots of dolls and quilts to give as gifts.
I made my daughter a little cloth bear when she was a baby. She still has him after 40 plus years 🙂
My favorite gift that I made would have to be the stuffed rabbits that I made for my granddaughters last year for Easter. They were mama bunnies and her skirt was a pocket that held her babies when she didn’t hold them in her arms. I made one for my daughter when she was little.
I made a fairy home for my granddaughter…an old small stump, hollowed out for a home for the clothes peg fairies with a twig ladder to climb upstairs, a swing hanging from a branch outside, and little furniture pieces made from fimo and assorted nature finds.
.
Along with my two young granddaughters, we made quilts for my two little grandsons. It was so much fun teaching and sewing with them!
I wish I could post a photo here of my latest creation. I made a little bunny, from the fabric created by felting a gray cashmere sweater. I felt fine-textured “natural bunny colored” sweaters (white, beige, browns, grays), preferably cashmere, and make these little gems. The latest was an Easter gift for my daughter’s boyfriend’s 5-yr-old daughter for Easter. She was entranced! Couldn’t believe something could be created just from fabric, needle and thread. She was also fascinated by some knitting I was working on recently, while we were waiting for our table in a cafe. I think there’s hand-work in her future!
My favorite gift was a quilt that I made for my girl friend. She collects matryoshka dolls, so I made her a quilt covered with the dolls. She loved it. I bought your book Salley and have made a couple dolls. Right now I am making a set of dolls that represents the members of my family when I was little and on the farm. It is fun. Thankyou for sharing your amazing talent with us.
Annemieke Grono
Campbell River, British Columbia
Canada
I make dolls for my grand children. My seven year old granddaughter did a drawing of a cat and asked me if I could make it for her out of fabric. She turns eight at the end of this month and it will be my gift to her. I am a therapist and at a doll making workshop participants were asked to write an intention on a slip of paper and put it inside their doll. I thought this would be a good idea for the cat. I didn’t think my grand daughter would understand the concept of ‘intention’ so I simply asked her “if this cat could talk what would it say?” After a bit of time and thought she said ” I am cute. It would say ‘I am cute.’ ” So now the family is calling the cat Iamcute!
I am so inspired by your work and have just ordered your book. I am also grateful for the technology that has brought you into my life in a rural and remote valley in the Rocky mountains of BC. Thank you.
Today, may favourite memory of a gift made for others (there are so many!) is the group of pipecleaner-cored dollhouse sized portraits I made for my landlord’s family when I was in my twenties – four children aged 4-5-6&7, three boys and a wild tomboy girl called Hester, a big father with bald head (perfect for a wooden bead) and a slim tall mother. Each person received their own portrait, and at the time I thought little of the effect of giving them, self-absorbed by the making of them, finding solutions to the question of how I could make them clearly a representation of that particular member of the family, and focussed on the bother of how much each fell short of the vision. I was quite stunned by their reception! The children all took to their own miniature with intense feeling, and immediately started acting out their family life together (rambunctuous) – luckily I had thought to make them what Salley calls “sturdy” (playable with); they also immediately acquired their parents’ little dolls to have them play their parts. I realised it would not really have mattered if they looked a lot less like themselves! It was such a thrill to watch their enjoyment; that’s why I remember that particular gifting forty years later.
Thankyou Salley, for teaching us all the great pleasures of working with fine felt – it’s a lot better than dressing tiny dolls with fabrics that fray. I have always loved embroidering on felt, and remember a beautiful little felt coat and felt hat I sewed up and then became increasingly involved in embroidering for a 7-inch tall cloth doll I made for my younger sister, which still sits in her bedroom to this day, to my amazement again.
Usha
My favorite present to create was a primitive, hooked rug for my mother. She has two sheep and I was able to incorporate their raw wool into the rug. I wish I had thought to make the sheep in my rug in the image of her own sheep but will have to save that for another project. 🙂 I absolutely love your work and, even more so, the life you have created for yourself doing something you enjoy so much.
Favorite gift I ever made for someone else was a wool sweater that I knit for my infant son. It was a black cardigan with purple trim (I was a hipster living in Brooklyn then!) First sweater I ever knit.
Busy books for my children and grandchildren! They get more detailed and more fun to make and play with with each new edition.
Thank you for your inspiring work!
My favoirite gift was a knitted monkey,right now I am making your beautiful little people. I have recently bought your new book and looking at all the different cretures makes me very happy!
You can count me in as well. I love your work and if only I had more free time to give it a try.
My friend recently celebrated a ‘special’ birthday & she has spelt many hours helping me sort out my spare room into a creative hub so I decided instead of the obligatory bought novelty 40th present, I made her a felt robot (she loves robot films). I love making things for others as time and thought make priceless gifts…
One of my favorite gifts that I’ve made was a Christmas outfit for a niece about 23 years ago when she was 2. I also made a 5 or 6″doll for her with a matching outfit. I cut out a photo of my niece and made it the doll’s face.
My favorite gift was to my 34 year old son….I had made him a “Monster Quilt”…. he was over the moon…and later he came up to me and hugged me and said, “This was the best birthday ever!” He has always been hard to please…..especially as a child….after visiting him and seeing him use the quilt for his naps…and how he keeps the dogs off of it and also folds it and puts it up away from any animal danger…I say that makes me feel the best about a gift I made that I gave……I still “laugh” because after all …for goodness sake….”it’s a MONSTER QUILT!” gotta love it!!!!
I am making it right now, my first grandchild is to be born in June and I am knitting it a little rabbit. Fun to imagine them as companions over the years. I do love making your fairies too..perhaps as a Christmas gift
My favorite gift I made for someone was a cross-stitched birthday cloth I made for my son for his first birthday. We still bring it out each year even though he’s now 35.
I’ve made a lot of beautiful quilts for many charities, but the one that I did for my parents 50th anniversary was memories over the 50 years of photo to fabric pictures. They were so happy with it, my mother entered it in the county fair. It won a prize too.
Hallo Salley,
it was a bit difficult to get your book “WEE FOLK ART” here in Germany. But finally I found a way over GB to get it delivered. The freight cost from GB were much cheaper then from the US (3.-Euro vs. 19.-Euro).
Its a wunderful book with lovely pictures. I love it. It is amaizing with how much accuracy and love your works were created. I’m absolutely fascinated about it. I’m really glad to rework the directions from the book.
I’m crafting for my childrens in the Kindergarten and it makes me most happy when I can give it to them and looking in glad eyes.
Best regards from Bavaria
Susi
I LOVE your work! It is so inspirational. My most favourite creation is the one I made today! A needled felted penguin! What made it so special is that my beautiful daughter sat beside me and made one too! Two little penguins for us to enjoy!
My mother is fond of the Asian aesthetic (and was lucky enough to visit China and Thailand years ago), and also likes Blue. I made her a ginger jars wall quilt which combined both. Each jar was made from a different blue and white fabric. It’s been on her wall ever since!
I’m really happy with a gift I just finished: a tiny antiqued metal nicho from Mexico with a garden scene in it for my mother. The box itself is only about 1 1/2 by 3″ so it is extra magical! Much like your wonderful art, Salley!
I made a felted gnome family for my kids. They got personality:)
My favorite gift I made for someone was the quilt I made my son. Making it was not fun, but his reaction was priceless. It made me so very happy. 🙂
I’ve made hats for the hubby for years, some are nearly felted at this point but all well loved and holdin up great! love handmades
I made my son a “yew man” from a piece of deadfall off the property.
Many years ago I did a framed wall hanging that was stitched in counted cross stitch for my Mother. It is 24” x 36′ and says “Welcome” in beautiful script. I even made the frame! It is my favorite of gifts I have made for family and friends for 53 years now. Now I am making fairies, thanks to you, Salley! 🙂 ❤
I made a signature quilt for my best friend after she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. I had all her family and friends sign it with well wishes. She cried when she opened the box and discovered the contents. She loved it and kept it near as she went through the ups and downs of cancer.
I got my youngest, who at the time loved all things fat – manatees, pigs, bumblebees, a small pig. I made people-print pjs for the pig and pig-print pjs for my son.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to enter such a generous giveaway. I continually make all sorts of crafts and presents for family and friends, however one stands out above them all. I was lucky to be able to travel from UK to Australia for my best friend’s daughter’s wedding. I was extremely honoured when she asked me if I would embroider Emily’s wedding dress, the only drawback was that it was only five days before the wedding! I spent the next days and nights with a spotlight and managed to finish the embroidery in time. This has to be the best gift I have ever given to anyone and Emily was so delighted.
Who could resist. My favourite gift was an embroidery of a badger done on a painted background. I made it for a friend’s son, who had never had a personalised gift to celebrate his birth. I thought I did rather well with it and was really pleased with the result. Remembering this though, makes me realise I haven’t had the time to make such things for my own grandchildren. I did make them all a book though about their grandad and what he does out here in Latvia. All our grandchildren live in the UK and so we don’t get to see them so often, so I thought it might make a nice reminder and they do seem to like the book, even if it is just printed off the computer and in plastic wallets.
I created a garden fairy and installed her on a garden tiara for a retirement gift. This inspired another friend to begin making Wee Folk dolls after she bought her own copy of your first book. I was delighted to receive a doll of my own, complete with a little podium, from her for my birthday.
I’ve made so many wonderful wee folk for the children in my life, it would be hard to choose one of them. However…I’m ,now, working on a tree stump house, with several entrances, for my first grandchild, Harvey. It’s made of cans of different sizes. I’ve joined them together up right & sideways . Glue, paper, tape..it all goes into the bark. Paint, moss,flowers mushrooms etc. will finish off the outside, & homey comfort will be the inside. Wee folk & felted wee ones will live there. Harvey is just turning 6 months so he has to wait a while before he can enjoy it.
I made some rice bags for warming up frozen hands in winter as a X-mas gift and everybody liked it !
I get excited about every gift I make for someone, so it’s hard to pick a favorite! I just dyed a rainbow onto a playsilk and am going to make it into wings for my daughter’s upcoming birthday.
I just love your little fairies and hope to get the book soon. I have made a cloth Hitty doll when my grand daughter was about 3. She enjoyed it so much and we did make it together.
I love to knit sock for gifts. They’are a bit personal, can be a bit fun, easy to match a the recipient’s personality and everybody needs them.
Right now I’m learning how to recover some small chairs of my mother’s to refinish and reupholster for my oldest granddaughter who now has a room of her own and is having fun decorating it to be “hers”….so I’m excited about doing this for her and hoping I can learn as I go, since this is a new a new type of endeavor for me. I usually sew and embroider small things to give away to friends and family. Would love to make some fairy garden wall boxes with my granddaughters this summer and would enjoy winning this giveaway. They fell in love with fairies as young toddlers and have continued their love affair with them.
Little quilts for special occasions are my favourite presents to make
The last one was that for my friend to cheer her up after her breast
cancer surgery : “after rain comes sunshine” (I know for myself that
that is true !!)
I’m always making gifts for family members and friends. Anything from wool applique, crochet items, jewelry and quilted items. However, one of my favorite homemade gifts was for my daughter. She was 6 years old and was getting an American Girl doll for Christmas from her grandparents. I purchased a wooden toll painted doll bed at a fair and made a mattress, pillows, sheets, pillow shams and a quilt. The shams and quilt were a miniature 9 patch (half inch squares) in pinks and blues, done by hand and machine. She was so surprised! A few years ago, at the age of 23, she decided to pass the bed down to her younger 5 year old cousin. Hope she’s enjoying it as much as my daughter did.
I recently made a topsy-turvy knitted Cinderella doll, to my childhood friend. I love that doll a lot, I almost wanted to keep it for myself 😜……
Almost 50 years ago, I made, from a McCall’s pattern, a Raggedy Ann doll for my best friend, Debbie. She still has it.
I have two favorite gifts that I made for others. First, I had started smocking a christening gown for a son I had miscarried. I then had a girl and made the gown into a dress for her for Pascha (Easter) when she was two years old. The second was a quilt made from my husband’s plaid wool shirts (that were no longer wearable). We moved from Alaska to Texas and the shirts came with us since I had the idea for the quilt (he didn’t know I had packed them). Living in a much warmer climate, he missed wearing these shirts. My oldest daughter and I sewed them into a quilt, backed by a wool blanket, years after we had moved to Texas and gave it to him for Christmas. Now they can keep him warm again! I have also made many Wee Folk for my children and others. Everyone loves them!
My favorite gift made for someone else has to be the Newborn Layettes that I make monthly and donate to my local hospital. The thought of someone having a new baby and not being prepared is what keeps me busy sewing.
I have made hand crafted items for family and friends throughout the years. I have even made some of Salley’s dolls! My favorite gift was an 18 inch doll that I made from cloth with a painted face. I gave it to my oldest daughter along with some hand sewn clothes. She named her Collie. Now she is almost twenty–hard to believe.
I love to create mini albums and I am making one for my daughter to collect memories for her first born, my first grand child. I plan to create wee folk to go through the album to bring memories to life. The other diference, besides wee folk living in the album, is the album will be 12 by 12 but with pockets, pull outs, tabs, accordion and waterfall cards in the style of a mini album.
I made a rag doll that could “sleep” in a pillow that had a pocket especially for the doll.
It was for my cousin’s first baby over thirty years ago. It was my own design, and turned out well, so it bolstered my sewing confidence and my cousin loved it.
I went to one of the talks you gave for your felt wee folk book tour and learned a ton. I would love to have the supplies to carry out a project.
My favorite gift that I made for someone was a very dazzling wool felt flower pin. The flower was her favorite color (turquoise) and it had beads galore. She is a participant in the Phila. Flower Show and she wore it to that and it attracted alot of attention. She told me it made people come up to her smiling and telling her that they loved her flower pin.
My favorite gift was made decades ago, a pair of fully dressed bunnies for my son and daughter’s Easter present. The girl bunny stayed beautiful for years. The boy bunny had to be remade several times as he became my son’s best friend and wrestling partner.
Oh my! I would be thrilled to win!!
My favorite gift would have to be a little lamb I made for a friend’s new baby. The lamb turned out adorable and I paired it with a little Lambie onesie.
Oh my goodness! I’d be thrilled to win!!
My favorite gift I made was for a friend’s baby. It was a little stuffed lamb made out of vintage chenille and felt.
My favorite gift was a quilt I made for my son. It wasn’t a spectacular gift. What made it special was how much he loves it and how attached he is to it.
When my siblings got married, I cross stitched their names and the dates and a picture of something the couples enjoyed doing together. after 20+ years the framed gifts are still hanging on their walls.
We will be having a sleep-over at our school for 6th and 7th grade girls. I’m going to conduct a fairy making workshop as one of the activities for it using your new book. Having more supplies would be a gift!
I painted and decoupaged some wood blocks for my daughters with photos of our beloved little pomeranians. They keep them by their bedside. Great giveaway – thanks!
I made a crib quilt for my year old grandson last year. I embroidered four of the squares with 40’s style animals including a kitty that is holding blocks that spell his name. The other five squares have tiny polka dots that include all the colors in the embroidery. The back is vintage material that I found at an antique store – little bunnies wheeling each other in wheelbarrows. He loves looking at the animals.
Your work is wonderful. I so enjoy reading your blog.
My favorite gift I made was for my best friend. It was a cloth doll angel with outstretched arms. My friend is recovering from a major stroke which left her disabled with memory loss. She is an accomplished artist and we love to give each other art gifts. My hope was that when she looked at the angel she would feel the love and friendship and remember.
Creating my own hand made gifts is a personal delight, as the gift can be lovingly designed to reflect the interests of the intended recipient of the gift. Recent gifts have been hand knit Bunnies for young ones, and a specially created Japanese Cross-back Linen apron for a beloved friend, who is a Chef.
Making fairies with the granddaughters. Okay, not really a gift, it is a pleasure!
My favorite gift was making making an outfit for my daughter to wear while conducting an orchestra.
A hand sewn French heirloom lace, smocked Christening gown for my Godson. Thanks for the chance to win! I have my first fairy started, need wool fleece. I used silk leaves for the wings. Love your felt wee folk, so precious and adorable!
I made my first fairy last year; she is a redhead! I gave her to my mother (who is Irish). My mom loves her!
Congratulations on the 15,000 views of Rabbitat, Salley. I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of your new book. Thanks for offering the fairy-making supplies. What a fun gift to win!
One of my favorites gifts to have made and given away was actually several gifts. For my grand-nieces I made cloth baby dolls, several pieces of clothing for them, and a doll quilt for each. One of the nieces claimed the doll her favorite and asked for more clothes.
I made peg dolls Gnome family and toadstools for my daughter.
She was very happy and still plays with them two years later.
Thank you for a great giveaway.
I so love making things and giving them away as gifts. One of the most favorite things I made were quilted banners with the names of my grandchildren embroidered on them. The banners included some bling, buttons, lace, and stitching. It is so much fun working with my hands and creating something beautiful for a special person that I really care about. They seem to like the gifts so I keep making things and would love to learn how to create what you create. Thanks, for the opportunity and congratulations on 15000 hits! 😉
My Mother visited relatives in Norway and bought a pattern, material and thread to make a Hardanger table runner. I did not understand all parts of the pattern, got help and finally finished it. My Mother was thrilled and put it often on her table. It is probably my favorite gift that I made.
Very close behind are the wedding samplers for my son and daughter.
My granddaughter enjoys your books and I would love to have a fairy making party with her.
I’ve made a lot of little dolls for my daughter and friends, my favorite is a blue and white fairy with a glittery cotton batting shirt, wings and an elf hat with beads. She looks like a newer version of the old vintage spun cotton ornaments. 😉
I’ve made and given so many things, but my favorites are always the utilitarian ones– potholders, warm packs (microwaveable rice bags), eye pillows, burp cloths, dog toys– things that are used so often they just get used up.
When I was six my teacher helped my little classmates and me make hand print impressions in a kind of dough as a present for our mothers. Some 50+ years later it hangs on the wall of my studio.
My favorite gift I made was an embroidery of St.Joseph for a Sister I know…..a very kind and loving woman who just past away. She was a gift to all that knew her.
I would say creating pretend food out of fimo clay and stitching up little outfits for my 7 year old daughter’s doll for Christmas one year. We couldn’t afford the American Girl Dolls her little friends were getting so I decided to make my own little world for her doll. She still has them 20+ years later 🙂
Thank you for your inspiration, Salley – love watching you create!
My favorite gift is embroidery. I just love to embroider. My Grandmother taught me at age 8. 45 years later, I still love to give and receive it!
I made a rather lovely felt angel for a Christmas gift for a friend and it turned out very well indeed, if I say so myself. I love working with felt, it is so forgiving. Good to hear you have the faux flowers for sale in your shop – I don’t seem to be able to find any here in the land of down-under.
I made fairy dolls for my niece representing each of her aunties.
I make and give handmade gifts all the time and it’s really hard for me to single out one of them. Perhaps one of my most cherished creations was a ‘fairy house’ felt brooch with an embroidered apple tree that I gave a very good friend of mine as a birthday present.
My favourite item was the amazing passionflower designed by Jenny Adin- Christie for my seriously ill Mum. It was my first attempt at stumpwork, and the joy it gave both to me when making and for her on completion was indescribable and to be treasured as a moment of happiness in our lives.
I love giving small handmade items like brooches, or notebook covers or bookmarks. To be honest I don’t mind what I give but I do have favourite people to give to because they are so appreciative of the effort involved.
ukcitycrafter@live.co.uk
I have been making cloth dolls for about 15 years. I made one for each of my granddaughters . I’m interested in making some wee folk. I love hand made things and I want to try your technique.
I can’t say I have a favorite single item. I’ve given so many pieces of art, some needlework, much baked goods, etc. Just the joy of giving is such a reward. But perhaps I’ll soon have a very memorable gift to give, and the surprise is (coincidence?) that it happens to be making your fairy people!!! Not making them to give, but the making of them. 🙂 I have a friend who has had a terribly difficult life, her entire life. Abused as a child, then later on, her youngest child is very mentally challenged and her husband had several health issues, ending finally with needing total care as he succumbed to ALS. She needs a break, she needs to play, even if it is only for a few days. So, I purchased your latest book (already had the first one) and have been trying to buy a few items each couple of weeks so it’s not such a big expense all at once as I have very little income. We plan to get together for several days (She lives in another state) and I intend to pamper her and we are going to “play”, making fairies. 🙂 I think that will be my favorite gift of all.
My favorite crafty gifts were based on Mimi Kirchner’s Tiny Worlds. Each one is made with specifically with the recipient in mind – art with intention. I think my best one was made in a beautiful blue & white china cup with (my rendition of) a pagoda and little buttons and pins to complement the theme.
When I was still in the “wooing” stages with my husband I spend about a month making a Shepherd’s Bust needle roll for my future mother-in-law. I love that needle roll. it is the ONLY thing I look forward to when I have to visit my mother-in-law now!
The best gift I ever made was a pink hedge hog I knit and felted for my youngest daughter when she went off to college. She was obsessed with the critters and the color pink. She still cherishes it today. It always lives where she lives and my heart goes as well.
Great to share everyone’s handiwork…so thank you! I embellished some warm and snuggly sheets that had an overall print that said HoHoHo over the entire surface of the two sheets and two pillowcases. Since our name is so close to that traditional Christmas refrain, I decided to embroider a few letter Y’s after some of the “Ho” letters. I used floss to stitch the letter Y throughout the design, so our grandchildren could have fun hunting for their last name. I was fortunate to find the flannel sheets with the design printed boldly and clearly…and it was fun to share the gift with our grandees. It was a very simple thing to do but hopefully, they will enjoy the touch and feel of their personalized sheets for many years.
My favourite giveaway was a knitted evening dress I made for my sister’s 21st birthday. That is a very long time ago – it was lacy with full petticoat to make it stand out.
One of my most favorite things I made was a cross stitch piece I gave to my best friend when she moved away. It was a piece celebrating friendship no matter how far apart. 30 years later and it still hangs on her wall. And still best friends no matter how far apart we are, literally and figuratively.
I made my daughter a cloth Lalaloopsy doll and my son a Humpty Dumpty doll. They both loved them. I’m going to make another Humpty Dumpty doll for my daughter’s kindergarten teacher as a thank-you at the end of the school year. I’ve found toy making to be very relaxing and really enjoy it. 🙂
When I didn’t have room to keep inherited gloves from grandmother, converted them with stitches as rabbits and geese for younger relatives. For my out of state in-laws during a holiday visit, I had all those relatives sign fabric on which I later embroidered each signature and fashioned individual leaves off the family tree that could be strung together around candle centerpieces or used as place cards at the tables set up for future holiday dinners. All the more special now with those departed or conveying the youth of those autographs.
Whoops! I tried to leave a comment yesterday but didn’t see the request about my favorite gift I’ve made. I was especially proud of two pincushions I made for my grandmothers this past Christmas inspired by the tiny world pincushions Mimi Kirchner makes.
The best gift ever received or given have been handmades, dolls, animals, scarves, so many things made over time. The memories are stirring!
One of my favorites was making a wooden castle for my son when he was little complete with a family of little dolls.. Wizards, princesses and a knight in shining armor painted with silver paint!
Loved this little film!
One of my favorite things I gave to my grandfather was a 3-page handwritten letter telling him all of the things I loved about him. I was later asked to read it at his memorial.
My favorite gift I’ve made was a turtle with a quilted shell, I designed and made for one of my young granddaughters. I made him so that his shell could be opened, with a little vest pocket inside, holding a tiny stuffed carrot. I love your children’s book illustrations, as do my youngest granddaughters, who just received two of them for Easter gifts. They loved them so much, my daughter just informed me that the four year old insisted on taking ‘Pocketful of Posies’ to bed with her, tonight! Looking forward to getting your Wee Folks books next, so we can work together on fairies, next time we visit.
What a fun contest! I adapted your instructions and made a wee felt mermaid for my niece – she loves her!
A gift that has come full circle. At about 10 years of age I designed, embroidered and made up a pincushion for Mum. In all it’s glorious wobbliness it still survives after 50 years. I found it amongst Mum’s things after she passed away 4 years ago. It has become my own. In a way, I suppose it never left me.
When my niece was around 4 years old she developed a great fascination with all things related to doctoring and surgery. After watching treat her favorite stuffed bear to multiple shots and bandages I decided to make her a bear that could be opened up, explored and healed. With a supporting back bone and rib cage (gallon milk bottle covered in paper mache) the body cavity was filled with ALL the major organs (made of stuffed felt) as life-like as I could make it. My favorites were the anatomically correct heart, the intricate twisted surface of her needle felted brain, and the inclusion of a fetus inside an amniotic sac with a umbilical chord attached to a soft, fuzzy placenta. This project took me months to finish. She liked it!
I am 11, and I made a “Bigfoot/ Sasquach/ very hairy man” for my mother, with pipe cleaners and needle felting.
I made a mermaid pincushion for my aunt’s 40th birthday. I made it out of shells, pipe cleaners, embroidery thread and felt. She has green skin and a green face. There are 2 little plastic hermit crabs with her. I haven’t given it to her yet. I am 9. I make a lot of things and I give them all away!
My favorite gift project that I completed was the Christmas stocking I made for my daughter when she was eight years old. It was my first major attempt at needlework. It has a number of different stitches in it and it is a portrait of a little girls bedroom with a poster bed, toys and even a window with lace curtains and snow collecting in the corners of the window panes. It comes out every Christmas and it always brings back memories of previous Christmases.
Hi Sally,
I love making wee mice, and way back when some of us were flower children I made a wee Gypsy mouse for a dear friend’s Birthday. She has brightly coloured clothes, a wrap around skirt, wee blouse, bow and beads on her tail, and hoop earrings made from sequins, she had a flower behind her ear and a wee bunch of flowers. She was much loved, but I am not sure if she is still about, but at least she did give pleasure and lived on the windowsill of a mud brick house.
While traveling in Europe several years ago, I gave hand made crocheted doilies as house gifts. I was touched at how the pleased the recipients were, and very glad that I had taken the time in advance to have the doilies ready to gift.
I made a small porcelain baby doll for my first granddaughter. Her layette had bouillion roses on it…my first ever.
The favorite gift I made for someone else is the winter coat and matching hat that I made for my granddaughter’s 18″ American Girl Doll. Eva was so happy with the set and her doll looked beautiful in the coat and hat.
One christmas I made appliqued blankets for all my friends, with custom designs suiting each of their interests. As this was quite a while back, I wish I’d thought to take photographs. Thanks!
I’m a great believer of handmade gifts- the love and intention worked into a hand made gift gives the gift a value that cannot be purchased with money. so it is hard to choose which has been the favorite gift- probably the first waldorf inspired dolls I made for my three children- the givers and holders of my love!
My favourite gifts to make are small crochet bears and lavender hearts. I have both of your books and think that this year they will be my gift of choice.
I love making handmade gifts and have used a variety of mediums. I’d have to say that my favorite gift was a crocheted afghan for my sister, who loves all things elephant. What made this afghan extra special was that it looked like a painting when done, because individual stitches made up the elephant, and as it was completed, more of the “painting” could be seen. It was an interesting project due to the number of colors that had to be carried across parts of the each row. My sister was delighted to receive it. It was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.
When I was twelve I made my mother a pair of slippers with butterflies sewn on the uppers from a Scholastic book called “101 Glamorous Gifts to Make” by Miriam Morrison Peake. My mother still has them 41 years later. She could never wear them because I attached them to soles from some old sandals which were too heavy for the hand sewn uppers I had made, but she appreciated the creative work and love that went into them.
Many years ago as a teenager, I made an entire wardrobe for my youngest sister’s doll. I had forgotten about it, however she had not. She recently reminisced about how wonderful that gift was. It must have left a lasting impression on her.
More recently (as in last month) I made a bride doll for a friend who had given her wedding dress to my daughter to refashion and wear. The doll is wearing a replica of the dress made with scraps from the part my daughter refashioned. I’ve posted a picture on my blog: https://playfulstitching.wordpress.com/2015/03/14/diane-the-bride/
I love this doll; yet, as sad as I was to see her go, I was thrilled to see the look on Diane’s face when she saw her!
I had bought a bag of quilting scraps to use for doll clothes, and had a variety of notions from my grandmother. I was able to combine some pretty and unusual fabrics with a vintage metal zipper to make a pleated pouch for my mother. She liked it, and she continues to use it regularly.
I can’t remember when I first saw your book, but knew right-away, I had to buy it. I was so
impressed with the little dolls. I collected so many acorns, various sizes and colors. Most of them were rather large, but I found a tree with tiny acorns, I couldn’t believe my find. My daughter got
involved with making them as well. We have a whole collection of them, and I actually made
stands for them so they could be displayed. We collect miniatures and they have a place along-side our favorite dolls.
Thank you for sharing and for your dedication to creating such wonderful projects for us to enjoy.
Teri
Many years ago, I made a teddy bear out of a 1960’s fake fur coat that had been passed around, between friends, as a joke. The bear was a little scruffy, a little crooked, and had a great deal of personality! I was so surprised when, a few weeks ago, a picture of the bear appeared on Facebook- he’s been lovingly tended, for the past- oh, 30 years?- by the recipient. I was so touched that she’d kept it all this time, and showed me when she felt she I needed a lift. It was such fun to see him again!
I needlefelted a couple of birds for my Mom..she really likes birdies…
I would love to win the fairy makings…
My favorite gift that I made was an embroidery piece to commemorate my parent’s 50th anniversary. Every time I worked on it, I thought about the love they have for one another. It was a joy to make.
When my children were small, we spent the summers at our cottage by a small lake. It was nestled among the cedars and I used the twigs to make furniture for a little cloth doll family I had also made for them. When we went home in August, the ‘family’ stayed behind, but were always a favourite when summer rolled around again. Each year, furniture and dolls were spruced up or repaired, depending on how busy the mice were during the winter. Unfortunately, one spring, the cottage was struck by lightning and all was lost. Now, though, with our first grandchild on the way, I’ll use your book to recreate that family and the tradition will carry on…
I make a lot of gifts so it it hard to just choose one. I think it would have to be a blanket I made for my dad. He still loves it.
I think my favourite gift I made was a red tiny teddy bear for my mum and dads ruby wedding anniversary .I put it in a little perspex box and trimmed with lace , beads and crystals .It still sits in their cabinet , sadly my dad is no longer with us .
Love your new book Salley ,cant wait to make some fairies !
I make a lot if gifts, for appreciative family and GOOD friends. My latest favorites are two queen bed-sized quilts, made as wedding gifts for two couples. Each couple has been together more than 20 years, and have only recently been able to marry legally. In each case, I took careful note of the colors each couple uses in decorating their homes, and made quilts accordingly. Both quilts have been very much appreciated.
I think the best gift I ever made was the handknit Jack Russell pup I made for my elderly mother. “Jacqueline” arrived in her own tote box, birth certificate included, which featured a vintage children’s book illustration. She used to take Jackie with her to the senior center for lunch, but complained that the tote box was not elegant enough for such a dog.
This question generated a lot of fun memories ❤ I am going to say that my favorite is a cute little peach floral print outfit trimmed in eyelet.That I made for my only daughter shortly after adopting her!! Her 2 older brothers were 17 and 20 when she was born. 🙂 Se has been a real gift!
When I was eleven, my father and I made a doll house for my little sister. It was my idea and I am still amazed my father took the time to help me. She was thrilled.
I have bought 2 of your books. I made some fairies love your work, such an inspiration. The gift I made was an easter fairy
We lived in Honolulu in the 1980’s when our kids were small. I found a beat up old dollhouse with lots of potential in a thrift shop and spent a few months refurbishing it and creating a family of dolls to live in it. I was inspired by the John Noble Stettheimer dolls I had seen in a Vanity Fair article. I worked on the project in the garage in secret and it was finished in time for Christmas. My girls were so excited when they saw it and it provided many hours of happy creative play for them And me!.
A few years ago I made a handmade Nativity for a great friend (there are photos here – http://snowflakes4sam.blogspot.com.au/2009/08/handmade-nativity.html ) I try to hand make most of the gifts that I give to special people and your book has been a wonderful source of inspiration over the years. Congratulations and Thanks.
I made some flower fairies for a fundraiser for a family that needed some help. They were a big hit!
I’ve made things all my life, starting with construction paper. I made a pair of fingertip-less gloves which my daughter loved and eventually requested a remake. I have the original Wee Folk and have made some appliqué pieces. I’d love this kit. I want to make the dolls and pre-painted faces would get me over a hurdle. ; )
I’ve been making things all my life… But I think my favorite was making my first ever “real” doll for my little sister. I was 12, almost 13, she was 8. I embroidered the face, and used old clothes for her undergarments and dress. She didn’t have shoes… But she had a pearl necklace courtesy of moms jewelry box. My little sister was so delighted with her doll. She’s been well loved, first by my kids, and then hers. That doll has now been through 10 children, including my sister! I did a full overhaul when I gave her back to my sister after the birth of her first child, but was not allowed to re-do her hair or the original blue velvet full length dress. She is on a shelf in my sisters living room, and greets me every time I visit my little sis. Seeing her there on the shelf always makes me smile! I have since made many, many dolls, some extremely complex and not intended to be played with, but she’s still my favorite, as plain and simple as she was.
The gift I most remember making was a crochet afghan for my mother, 3-D flowers in pink and fushia on cream background; it was a magazine pattern, and I changed the colors. Sadly it was too small to effectively cuddle in, so she draped over a chair back. It disappeared after her death, even though I had stitched into it that it was made for “her name” by “my name”. Thank you for your inspirations, and your reality.
I’m not certain if the giveaway is over, but I must say I have had your books for some time. I’m going to turn 60 in July and there is still a little girl in me that looks for fairies in the woods. My dad was in the Air Force and we lived in France when I needed some medical tests done. My mom and I flew to Germany. At the hotel in Weisbaden she bought me a little dollrabbit about 3-4 inches tall. He was made of green felt but had a baby type face. I often think of that little guy. When my daughter was young I made from a pattern, four little animals that had their own roll up sleeping bag. Thanks for the memories and inspiration Sally.
I know it is too late to enter the contest..Jury Duty..But My favorite thing I have made for anyone is Everything. I thought really hard about this and Everything I have made for Family, Friends, or Neighbor, a piece of my heart went into it. So my I have to say. Everything from food to crafts.. a piece of my heart was placed into that gift and each gift was special like that person.