Gifts!

Now that I've given them, I can write about them.

For Beadmom, a dishtowel with an embroidered woman who has her priorities straight:
The design was originally a cross stitch pattern from the Dolly Mamas line:
It was a largish design, however, and I find cross stitch to be a little tedious, plus I had previously cross-stitched another design from the series for my mom, so I did it in embroidery instead. Conversion was easy -- I just traced the outlines of the cross stitch pattern onto white cotton and started sewing, using whatever stitch struck my fancy. Her hair is made from layers of detached chain stitch; I had a close-up of it, but did not realize until now it was too blurry. And, of course, the towel is no longer in my possession.

Once the embroidery was done, I cleaned and pressed it and sewed it to a dish towel. I added a border of grosgrain ribbon and purple lace to gussy it up, with the intention that the towel be more for display than for cleaning. (I'm not crazy about the ribbon, but I did not have time to go to the fabulous trim stores in the city, and so I had to make do with what I could get from Jo-Ann's.) (The lace I already had.) (Ignore the fact that I forgot to miter the last corner.)

For Fr. Beadbrother, who likes all things space- and alien-related, an Arecibo bookmark:
I got the pattern here. Once cross-stitched, I sewed it onto blue felt (literally as Beadmom and Fr. Beadbrother were pulling into my driveway). I also gave my brother one of Olisa's awesome green alien ornaments.

Finally, (this is not really a gift) I sewed a little baby Jesus for the 24th pocket of the Advent Calendar, to be hung on a button at the center of the Calendar:
Sometime in the coming months I will back the Calendar to make it sturdier. Plus I have to repair a few pockets, courtesy of an over-zealous search for candy inside by Beadboy1.