It coming. Yes, it’s that time again. The time we all love to dread (or dread loving?) The holiday season; whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or something else, this season finds most of us buying , making and giving gifts. As many other folks, I have a large list to consider when preparing for gift-giving. And I enjoy it; I love selecting the perfect gift for others. But I need to be frugal and wise also. So I have begun to do what I call ‘themed giving’. Each year, I choose a theme and create gifts for each person on my list from that theme. Last year, I wrote about my basket theme. My husband and I have done that one several times over our 20 year marriage.
This year we are redoing a theme we did about seven years ago: the blanket and pillow theme. As I have written before, we are major polar fleece aficionados. There is nothing like a soft warm cozy polar fleece blanket to cuddle up in on a chilly Michigan winter evening. Even on a cool fall or spring night, a nice snuggly blanket comes is welcome. So we have decided that especially since many folks on our Christmas list are either older or live in the same frigid climate or both, that a warm blanket and pillow combination will be a treat; and probably more welcome than a Chia pet or an inflatable reindeer.
So here’s where we start. We find a source of good priced polar fleece. Our local fabric store, Field’s Fabrics has a sale running on polar fleece for $3.97 a yard. We considered the tastes, color schemes and preferences of those on our gift list. For each recipient, we bought 2 1/2 yards of fleece (60″ wide) in a pattern they would like. We chose a deep purple floral for my mother in low, a snowy northern winter scene for our relatives in Michigan’s arctic upper peninsula (they call it God’s country; I call it ‘purgatory’). For our children, nieces and nephews and godchildren, we chose brightly colored patterns to match their rooms. there was enough variety that I could have purchased school colors for sports fans, animal prints for young children and much more.
We gave a blanket that had a United States map printed on to one family member last year. She and her family discuss it and use it to practice geography and settle disputes with (“Yes, Alabama is adjacent to Mississippi! See?). Our blankets from seven years ago had prints of many historic lighthouses on them; this was perfect for us Great Lakers. When I came home with my pile of fleece pieces this year, I had to promise out teen boys that they’d get one; the soft fleece is to tempting. I receive a new one each year from a friend and I am looking forward to this years’.
With two yards, make the blanket. You can finish the edges with a blanket stitch, curved stitch or zigzag. You can also cut a fringe of strips about one half inch wide; cut them as long or short as you wish. Choose the hemmed option for a baby, young child or elderly person’s blanket as they can easily catch small or arthritic fingers in fringe. As I have said before, polar fleece is the quintessential fabric for seniors, babies and children. It washes up beautifully, does not ravel and retains its shape and size perfectly. With the remaining half yard, make one or two throw pillows or one bed pillow. Choose a pillow form or foam piece from a fabric store when they are on sale. Make the case by folding the fleece in half wrong sides out. Sew up both edges. Leave an opening to slide the pillow into. Cut the open edges of the pillow case in a fringe or hem them with a decorative hem. Leave the pillow open if you wish, or sew a large decorative button on one end and a loop of fleece on the other to close. Either way, your loved one will have one or two matching pillows, depending upon the size pillow you choose. And the case can be removed for cleaning. This will keep the pillow is good shape.
If you have any fleece left over or you choose to make the blanket smaller, make a nice scarf from a strip of fleece and fringe the ends. If you make only one pillow, you can make a set of mug rugs. These are small square of fabric like coasters to set coffee cups or mugs on end tables with.
Happy shopping, buying making and giving this holiday season!
