Tuesday 15 June 2010

Confessions of a gift-making coward

I love to sew, and to play with fabric combinations. No news there! I love to sew gifts for other people. But somehow, when I need to bring these loves together, something goes awry. I lose my confidence in combining fabrics when I try to take someone else's fabric tastes into account. I become paralysed with a silly fear that I might make something that a friend thinks is hideous. If I am going to spend time sewing something, I really want it to be something they will love! Often, this fear defeats me, and I avoid making the gift. Ridiculous, huh?!
Months ago, I had promised to make a frilly dilly bag for my gorgeous friend Wendy (who would never tell me that my gift was hideous, of course - she is my friend after all)! But so indecisive was I about what fabrics she might like, that I had to resort to a desperate solution:
"Wen, can you please go out and buy some fabrics that you really like so that I can make your bag for you?!"
What a coward I am! These are the fabrics she sent:

And without further agonising on my part, here is her bag:

Having Wendy choose the fabrics took none of the pleasure away from the process for me. I loved making this for her, safe in the assurance that she would love the end result.
For the record, the beautiful fabrics Wendy chose are:
1. 'Shangri-La' stripe by 3 Sisters for Moda
2. 'Fresh Air' brown print by Chez Moi for Moda
3. 'Lily Pond' by Wendy Slotboom for In the Beginning fabrics
4. 'Arabella' by Pat Sloan for P&B Textiles
5. 'Midas Touch' #2906 by Ro Gregg for Northcott
Lining - Michael Miller 'Dumb Dot' C2490
Pattern - 'Frilly Dilly Bag' by Janelle Wind
Foundation fabric - Natural linen/cotton blend
I only hope that my round-about way of gift giving didn't diminish my dear friend's pleasure in receiving it!
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