Things I’ve made for Women I Love

  

   Last week, I shared some of the female fiber artists who’ve influenced my creative journey. This week, staying on theme of honoring women, I wanted to highlight the things I’ve made for the women I love. It’s always so much more fun to craft for the girlies. Female relationships are so important, and crafting has been one of the ways I’ve shown love and appreciation. 

    Making things for others has been a huge part of my crafting journey, and I’ve always enjoyed putting time and energy into gifts that feel special. This post is sort of a gift guide, but instead of offering advice on what to make, it’s more of a look at the gifts I’ve given to the women closest to me—mostly crochet, with some other fiber arts thrown in there too. 

1. Tress

    This is in no particular order, but obviously starting with arguably the most important woman in my life, my mother. Her love for both the beach and the Buffalo Bills has inspired a lot of the things I’ve made for her.

•Beachy Gnome Amigurumi— She loves the beach and gnomes, so when I saw this pattern, it felt like a perfect fit. Pattern here. 

•Beach Net Bag— An open, netted design so the sand falls right through. Practical and perfect for her beach days. Pattern here. 

•Bills Golf Club Cover— A mix of two of her favorite things: the Buffalo Bills and golfing. I followed this video tutorial.

2. Megan

    Megan is one of my best friends and even though she might not always pick up her phone, she is the first person I call when I’m having a crisis. She is always beyond appreciative for the things I make for her, which makes crafting for her so much more rewarding.

•Dartboard Blanket— A request from Megan since darts is our thing. This project ended up turning into a pattern, which you can find here.

•Bills Granny Square Sweater— The request for this Christmas present was, “something Buffalo Bills,” and I think I delivered. It was inspired by this pattern, but I freehanded it and made the sleeves using my Sentro knitting machine.

•Checkered Bag with Appliqués— No pattern, just vibes. Personalized it with some crochet appliqués, including an ‘M’ for Megan. Finished with a makeshift sewn in lining (not shown) and some metal hardware. 

•Wavy scarf— This had just been sitting in my drawer for a while, and I knew she’d get more use out of it. She loved it.

3. Emily

    To get the Bills fans out of the way, here are some things I’ve made for my sister in law. She lives in Buffalo and is a teacher, for context.

•Bills Mittens— Buffalo winters are brutal, so a warm pair of Bills-colored mittens felt like a necessary gift. Pattern here. 

•Bills Scrunchie— Perfect for repping her team while keeping her hair out of her face.

•Quilted Pouch— Made as a pencil pouch, gifted with my favorite pens— because every teacher needs a good set of pens. Followed this video but figured out the quilting part myself.

4. Ashley

    Ashley and I have been friends for over 12 years, and she’s always a joy to make things for. She’s great at sending me inspiration, which makes it so easy to craft something I know she’ll love.

•Quilted bag— She sent me inspiration for this so early in the year that by the time Christmas came around, she had forgotten that she sent it to me. She loved it, I loved making it. I couldn’t even wait until I finished it to take a picture of it. I followed this video for the bag structure but figured out the quilting part myself.

•Lemon Granny Square bag— Inspired by something she sent me, which always makes my job easier. I followed this pattern for the granny squares but made them into lemons instead of watermelons.

•Snoopy and Woodstock Amigurumi— We both love the Peanuts, so this was a fun one. Patterns here.

5. Jane

    I met Jane in college and now she’s one of my best long distance friends. So because she’s long distance, I love sending her little surprises in the mail every now and then. Also, she loves all things spooky.

•Spider Web Top— She sent me the inspiration, and i just made it and sent it. I followed this video tutorial, it worked up super quick. She wore it out for Halloween and did a sickening makeup look to match.

•Lucky Bamboo Amigurumi— I can’t remember when or why i made this, but it felt right. Pattern here.

•Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette Cross Stitch— A mini version of  Van Gogh painting we both love. Pattern here.

•Orange bag— An orange drawstring bag for when she visited Syracuse for the first time, because Go Orange. Pattern here. 

6. Audra

    For my stepmom, I went with things that felt both practical and personal. 

•Patchwork Doily— She requested a doily to cover the whole dining room table. I wasn’t sure I’d have enough time before Christmas to do that, so I made her a patchwork doily with a bunch of little doilies sewn together. I love seeing how she has it set up in the living room. (Patterns here and here)

•Double Oven Mitt— She is constantly cooking way too much for just a few people, so I thought this double oven mitt idea would be useful for handling big pots and pans. Pattern here.

7. Bri

    I had to add this one because it’s just too cute. For Bri, I made this amigurumi to match her cat.

•Orange Cat Amigurumi— I love seeing it be loved by its doppelgänger. Pattern here.

   

    That about does it. I’m thankful for all the inspiration and support these amazing women have given me, and I love seeing these creations continued to be cherished. 💕