Sewed With Love

 I have been working on a quilt for Isaac for an entire year and it's finally done - I just put the final stitch in this morning.  An entire year!  That's how dedicated I am.  Last year I got a sewing machine for Christmas - which I didn't have the foggiest idea how to use. But throughout the year I have been learning how to sew - mostly by trial and error and a lot of re-doing.  (And some very patient help from Jess)

Isaac helped pick out the fabric last year and since then he has been watching my very slow progress on his quilt.  One day he came in the room while I was working on his quilt and while I sewed, he talked. . .a million miles an hour. After awhile he paused and then asked,

"Do you like sewing?"

"Well, it's all new to me.  But I like learning how to sew."

"It looks boring.  What do you think about when you sew?"

"I think about everything.  But mostly I think about you. All the things you love and all the things I love about you."

"Hmmm. I can't wait 'till my quilt is done.  I'm going to keep it forever because now I know that it was sewed with love."

If the quilt had turned out to be a disaster, those words would have gone down in history as the ultimate idiom for patheticalness.  I envisioned future generations discovering a giant piece of awkwardly stitched fabric in my attic and upon realizing that it was meant to be a quilt saying, "wow. . . this was really. . .uh. . . sewed with love wasn't it."  But Isaac's quilt didn't turn out to be a disaster.  It turned out awesome actually.  Sure, I spent a ton of time picking out (stitch by stitch) all my mistakes - I did enough re-sewing to make two quilts!  But I fixed things and worked with things and in the end it turned out amazing! It fits his bed perfectly! (something I wasn't sure would happen since I didn't use a pattern or follow any directions)  I love it.  It's so so Isaac. And really was sewed with love.  And finished just in time for Christmas too. . .

So I got to thinking, hey wouldn't it be nice to make something special for each of my kids for Christmas this year?  And so. . . over the last month my crazy projects have taken over our bedroom (sorry, honey) and I have spent every spare second it seems with a needle and thread in my hand.  But I did it.  I made something "with love" for each and every one of my five darling children. 

For Isaac:

Here is his quilt.  Like I said, he picked out the fabric.  I wanted to make something that matched Isaac's personality and interests - something unique.  But not babyish - something he wouldn't be embarrassed to take to college, for example.  I love the ships, tanks, and airplanes.  I love the stars and stripes.  It's so Isaac.

For Brigham:

I made a hedgehog pillowcase and bought fabric for my next quilt which will be for Brigham.  It will match Isaac's in design but (besides the border and back fabric) the pictures and patterns will be different.  Can you guess the theme? 

I also heard Brigham wishing out loud for a toy hedgehog that stands on all fours like a real hedgehog (as opposed to all his others that sit on two legs).  Brigham writes books and draws pictures of hedgehogs constantly.  So I used one of his drawings as the design for this stuffed hedgehog.  What do you think?  Brigham should go into the design business right?  This little guy turned out so cute.

 For Eliza and Lydia:

I made these dolls.  These, I didn't make up off the top of my head.  I found directions at http://www.dollsanddaydreams.blogspot.com So many cute things. . . I wish I had time to make them all!  I also made matching blankets.  I'm in love with these cute dolls.  Pink for Eliza.  Purple for Lydia.

And for Clayton:

 I didn't sew this.  I made a "Lego Journal".  It's a book to keep pictures and record all his Lego works of art.  I started it for him with pictures dating back to 2007.  I also included quotes from some of his favorite people - Einstein, Bach, Beethoven, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr.  He'll be able to add to it on his own with pictures and quotes throughout the years.  Here are a few of my favorite pages:

So this is what I've been up to this Christmas.  Sewing with love.  I have enjoyed taking the time to think individually about each of my children. And I love and appreciate them - their different personalities, interests, talents, and place in our family - all the more.  Plus, I have become quite the seamstress!   These gifts are all wrapped and ready for Christmas morning. Merry Christmas everyone!