Handmade is Best!

Handmade gifts are the best!

And I love making gifts

Of course, there are the "cookie" gifts for friends and neighbors

Sometimes just a plate of one kind of cookie

Sometimes I make several and it's a mixed plate

Little loaves, too, of bread are given as well.

Cranberry bread is one of my favorites this time of year

Wrapped first in Saran

And then wrapped in parchment paper

And tied with pretty ribbons

A tradition with the Grands are the ornaments

A tradition that I started with Daughter Sarah

Only most of Sarah's were dated Hallmark ornaments

While the Grands are handmade needlepoint ones

The ornament on the left is Sarah's (For the past 40 Christmases we've always given a "boughten" ornament -- this year I decided to make her a needlepoint one!

The Santa in the middle is Piper's

The Santa on the right is Lucy's

And the sleigh full of gifts at the top was given to Andy's parents

In November, I learned a new needlecraft

knitting!

My first two projects -- scarves for the Grands

the one on the right is Piper's -- complete with fringe

the one on the left is Lucy's

I'm going to learn to knit headbands

And I can't wait to learn to make socks!!!!

The needlepoint ornaments are a tradition with the Grands

And these are the ones from 2015

A rocking horse and a sock

And Lucy's first!

Each ornament for the Grands has their name and the year.

The Santa's are "labeled" on the back

Lucy has one more but 2014 was a year that I was stitching at Midnight on Christmas Eve,

finishing up the ornament . . . it didn't get "put together" until later (and then mailed to Lucy)

I know what I'll do next year for Lucy and Piper

for I'm designing my own!

As someone once said "handmade is best"!