Christmas gifts update

First, I need to tell you that I just fetched my letters from the mailbox and found amazing gifts from my friend Shashi the doll artist!

Isn't all this adorable? Shashi made the scissors fob herself and it's so pretty!

I'm over the moon, thank you so much my friend for making me feel special. (((hugs!)))

Yesterday and today, my friends Laurence, Olivia, Séverine and Sylvie received their packages. In fact I decided in November to send a little giftie to each seamstress who had participated in the Katrina Kits project (hence the delay in starting my family's gifts!).

Olivia received a pillow embroidered with fairies busy around a dressform.

Olivia is a wonderful seamstress and she keeps sharing tips and projects on her blog. I thought those sewing fairies were apt for her!

Sylvie authorized me to post this picture from her blog: I made her a scissors case and a lace star ornament.

You can see Séverine's gifties here, and Laurence's gifties here. In my frenzy I forgot to take pictures!

I can now tell you that I started experimenting with embroidery on cardstock last week. I had already written and sent out a few cards before I tried, so I'm sorry that not all my cards will be embroidered...
I really enjoyed making those cards!... Karen got a design with a little reindeer jumping over fir-trees... Maybe Karen, if you've got time, you could take a picture? It is not very important though... I just feel a bit silly that I didn't take a pic!


And here is an update on the gifts for my family:
- my little sister's quilt is finished (but I have to tell you Barbara, this is not a patchwork quilt - the top is only made of one fabric! So, although it is huge and was thus difficult to handle in our small flat, I didn't have to piece the top first... I'm not wonder woman! )
- my big sister's wallhanging is all done, and I must confess this is one of the favorite things I've ever sewn!
- For my brother, I finally embroidered boxer shorts + made and embroidered a fleece hat and scarf set; following your advice (thank you friends!), I also sewed him another little bear, and still need to stuff it.
- My BIL's sweater is embroidered
- Seb's gifts are done (can't tell you what, because contrary to my family, he may come and read on my English blog). I still plan to add a cute little gift, but I have to hurry, as he'll be back at 10 pm tonight!
- I finished an extra present for my Mum, even if we're buying the expresso machine. You see, when I made a wallhanging for my father last September, she said that there were things with the siggie "for Dad from Isabelle" all around the house, but very few with "for Mom from Isabelle"... The main reason is that my Dad's Birthday falls right after the summer holidays, so that I have time to make him gifts! Whereas my Mom's Bday falls mid-February, which is always a busy time of the year... But her remark made me feel so bad!

Once I followed you friends' advice not to freak out, I've been truly enjoying making those gifts!

I can't show you pictures, as my family may sneak in here - certainly not to read the English, but to take a look at the pictures!! Ha ha. I would love to show them to you though... But to make amends, here is finally a picture of the "cat doll" I made for Seb for our anniversary in November - I never got around to taking a picture... Seb is as fond of cats as I am, and with this kitty I tried to represent how I figured Seb would be as cat. But I'll spare you the details of why I chose this and that...

You can see the kitty where it always sits: on the bedframe, right above Seb's place. OK, I know this is a very unconventional gift! But who cares? Seb likes his kitty!