5 Things to Remember when Handmade Holidays Make you Crazy
Confession…
I’m in a bit over my head right now! Thanksgiving is almost here, ‘making days’ until Christmas are ticking down, and there are wayyyy more things that I wanted to DIY, sew, and quilt than I will actually be able to do.
When there is too much to think about, I have a tendency to avoid the problem.
30 minutes ago I was so tempted to snuggle back in my un-made bed and close my eyes for a good long while. I knew that wouldn’t help, so I made my bed instead and went upstairs to my sewing room.
The free pattern for this is coming soon!
Then I decided to sandwich and baste my Blueberry Pie quilt so I could gift it to a family member this year, but I couldn’t think of anyone who would appreciate it enough. LOL.
What a Grinch I have become!
And what a week I have chosen to kick my Diet Coke addiction. That was a really bad idea. I thought if I took the rest of the cans out of the fridge they wouldn’t tempt me.
But we have ice! Now instead of going back to bed all I want is to pour 3 cans of soda into a tall glass with ice!
So… I’m taking a deep breath, sipping on my soda, and remembering those things that get me through moments like this. My list is in no particular order, but these are my saving thoughts.
Hope they help you too:
Remember that everyone has different talents.
When I stop comparing my ______ (insert paper plates, messy home, sassy children, or busy husband) to the seemingly perfect holiday tables, homes, children and husbands that others might post to Instagram, I can value my own abilities and talents without that little green monster jealousy getting in the way.
And you can bet that underneath all the paper plates and plastic cups on our holiday table (which you won’t see on Instagram), there’s a cute table runner. We might even be using cloth napkins, because heck – my talent is fabric!
Remember that you love the people you are sewing for.
It’s the truth: the only person who can appreciate how much effort goes into making a quilt is another quilter.
But we give quilts anyway because we love our kids, our grandkids (I have 4 baby quilts stashed away already for future grand babies), and special people in our lives.
Most people will never fully appreciate the gift, but I’m sure that I have received gifts that I don’t fully appreciate yet either.
Remember you can do less and things will be okay.
By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. 🙂
And by giving little gifts you will learn who really appreciates a handmade item – so next year you can give them something even better!
Remember to watch Christmas movies.
They are the perfect background to your holiday making.
Which one’s your favorite? Tell us in the comments.
Remember the Reason we celebrate.
He is our Maker. Nothing can take away the joy of the season faster than forgetting Him who brings the love, joy, and peace we all crave.
Merry Christmas!
xoxo,
P.S. Here are links to help you make the projects you saw in this post:
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
I’m a sucker for those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. The basic plot is always the same, so it’s easy to turn one on in the craft room and let it play while I work. I do admit that I listened to Christmas music the last two times I was working.
Hello Caroline, I enjoyed your post today in all of its honesty. This year has been especially hard for me in numerous ways. Knowing that at least one other quilter has off days and how we all want to make far more than we can and that it can be depressing. It all helps. So thank you for sharing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Dear Caroline, This year I am not doing much by way of handmade gifts. I am trying to let myself be okay with that. My husband was diagnosed with tonsil and mouth cancer in early October. He has never even had a cigarette in his mouth. We got home from the hospital late Friday night after an eleven day stay. He had an extensive ten hour surgery and was in the ICU for seven days. I am now taking care of him and it is exhausting. He is alive though, so I will catch up on my sleep sometime in the future. I always have handmade gifts for the family. It just isn’t going to happen.
My favorite holiday movie is, Meet John Doe, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The one that comes in at a close second is, The Bishops Wife, starring Cary Grant and Loretta Young. Meet John Doe is a great one for getting across the meaning of Christmas. At the end Barbara Stanwyck’s character does a wonderful dialogue on what Christ did. I cry every time I see it.
Oh TerriSue, my heart breaks for you! Praying that you have all the strength and love you need to get your family through this difficult time. Hugs!
Thank you for reminding me why we celebrate Christmas. Always go back to the "reason for the season".
This post is wonderful. Even reading it is March!! Thinking about the Diet Coke thing…. I was so attached to diet soda and gave it up thinking that it might help with the migraines I deal with (I wondered if the artificial sweeteners might be a trigger). Giving it up didn’t change the migraines but now that I don’t drink it I have found I don’t enjoy the taste anymore. Where I LOVED it before, it tastes too ‘chemical-like’ now. Just wanted to let you know. Did you truly stop drinking it yet?