Sunday, January 2, 2011

Neens Week PART 1 Handmade Gifts

Part 1
Hello everyone, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011! Before I get into telling and showing you all about My past week, let me say that this will be a long post so I will put it up in two parts! This part will be aimed at the homemade gifts I made which I couldn't show you sooner as the recipients would have seen
It was very important to me to make as many gifts as I could- not to save money- because lets face it, all crafters know that half the time you spend more money on the material then on a usual shop bought gift, and then add the time and work you spend putting into it.....

I will start with my husbands sister, Genny's gift - after making a homemade Christmas wreath from a tutorial from MichelleMadeThis, I decided to also make them with the residents from the nursing home where I work (BELOW)
made by 20 residents 

When Genny saw them, she commented how great they would look as a ear ring holder to hang in her bedroom,that weekend I got to work on buying all the materials I would need, including ALOT of ear rings! I worked really hard on this 

Genny's 2010 Christmas Gift

 It also came with some bracelets


and  Broaches 




My next project was for my husbands grandmother Terri or Nanna as we call her, I cant describe how fond I am of her and what a lovely, honest person she is, from day one she has made me feel so welcome and so apart of the family - this Christmas we were kindly invited to spend the day and have dinner with Nanna and my husbands aunt Mary- it was my first time ever not being with my family on Christmas Day but I consider both Nanna and Marys house as a home away from home so I was very comfortable and happy.

 feeling at home at Nanna's
and below, enjoying a lovely dinner made by Mary!

This year I wanted to make Nanna something warm and cosy and when I saw the material up at the stitching show a few months back, I knew it would be perfect!
Nanna's 2010 Christmas Gift
 A hand sewn lap blanket


 on the back I lined with fleece for extra heat


she really seemed to like it, so I am delighted.

Before Christmas I asked my best-friend Melanie to do a Christmas Hat a-long with me - so we both got to crocheting, when my husbands Godmother asked if she could commission four seasonal hats also, I thought "two birds, one stone" and got to making these four adorable hats for four adorable girls, and instead of Dolores paying for them I gave them to her as an early gift what do you think?

Dolores's 2010 Christmas Gift

and below are the girls wearing them!


So that was the handmade gifts for this year - I hope to make many more for next year - remember to check back here for the next part of this post -
 unfortunately I have been on bed rest as it turned out I got a bad infection in my cells and unless I wanted to be in hospital for the new year I had to get alot of rest while on 6 antibiotics a day! I am still not doing the best but I'm so happy to know why I was feeling so poorly- also when your lay up in bed you really do see who your friends are- I was surprised that people I have been there for and helped out in so many ways couldn't be bothered to even send a text and see how I was, and as awful as this sounds and so not in with the spirit of Christmas I will be taking a step back from them, Well its good to get that off my chest!Rant Finished.

Before I go make sure to have a look over on my husbands blog HERE as he has shared lots of photos of our Christmas too!!

11 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Neen!!! You created awesome things!!!

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  2. Hi Neen,
    I'm sending some positive thoughts for you to get well soon!

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  3. Hi B thanks very much, glad you like them

    Hi Katie thank you for the positive thoughts - I can feel them working already x

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  4. The gifts all look fab. Hope you feel better soon

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  5. Hiya Neen :)
    you have made some wonderful gifts, I love nannas blanket! Your sooo talented!!
    I really hope your feeling better soon, get plenty of rest, and take care :) xxxx

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  6. Oh Neen, I really hope you will be feeling better soon! All of the gifts you made were just gorgeous and certainly from the heart and much appreciated.
    Wishing you a wonderful year ahead! Take care.

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  7. I too made as many christmas gifts as I could.They are appreciated more than shop bought ones.I love the little girls in their hats-gorgeous.I spent christmas at my sisters this year and brought my crochet with me.I managed to make six hats while I was there.Hope you are on he mend.I hear you when you say you know who your friends are when yu need them.I have been through some personal problems in the past few months and it so showed me who my true friends are.Sometimes the more you do for some people the less you are thought of.Take care x xAndrea

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  8. Oh Neen, you have created such lovely items. I especially love those darling red hats! They look so cute on the girls.

    You've been having a run of illness lately, but I'm glad you found out what was wrong and that you just need pills and rest. :-) Hopefully crafting while in bed is considered still resting!

    I'm glad to have met you via your blog and Ravelry. And I loved hearing you speak on your video clips. I always wonder what my blog friends sound like.

    Happy New Year!!!

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  9. Lovely gifts, Neen! I especially love the crocheted wreath jewelry display idea. Feel better soon!

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  10. Hello HP - Thank you for the lovely comment :)just visited your blog and must say I love the yellow socks x

    Hi Melanie- Im glad you liked the blanket- I must say I was very proud when watching nanna unwrap it!

    Hi Clara - Thank you for the comment:) I hope you and yours had a lovely Christmas and still no sign of the parcel but with all the bad weather thats to be expected!

    Hi Andrea - wow you have been very busy I just left a comment! I am always in awe of what you make! you talented woman! please take me up on my offer for tea in Galway x

    Hi Libby - yes the girls looked adorable- two of them have mental and learning hardships but they are the most loving and giving girls and see the world so deeply! yes im delighted to know the reason why I have been so weak and flu like for months - it was starting to get me down! when I got to the doctors he was shocked that I was still working- the time in bed was such an eye opener as I am usually up and out by 7am - but I agree it was needed and feel great now- might I add I loved your new hair do -

    Hi WMS- Thank you for the lovely comments :) Im very interested to know how the knooking is going?? ;)

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  11. What fantastic gifts. I love the little red hats and wonderful jewellery.
    Hugs Sue x

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Thank you for the comment - I will always try to answer them here, Have a lovely day xxx