teacher gifts – Sew Bittersweet Designs

End of Year Sewing

5 Comments / quilt, quilting, teacher gifts / By Melissa Dunworth

What’s that? End of Year?!? How can that be? I mean the end of the school year of course! This year I am making a very special quilt for Anne’s kindergarten teacher. In my life before Anne I was actually a substitute teacher working on my Master’s in Teaching, so teachers hold a special place in my heart. For the quilt for Anne’s teacher I had each of her students draw a quilt block with Crayola Crayons showing something they learned or did in Kindergarten. Each block I heat set with my iron and a Teflon pressing cloth. I even had the teacher make one! I am going to sew the blocks together so that the quilt can hang in the classroom and the teacher can use it as a teaching tool for her future classes. Kindergartners telling kindergartners all the things they will learn. I have the banner made for it and today I am hoping to get the sashing in before I go volunteer at the school.

I hope everyone has a happy Wednesday! Now that my secret sewing has finished for awhile I will be able to post more regularly again!

Disappearing Act – An Explanation

16 Comments / Personal Post, teacher gifts / By Melissa Dunworth

I know, I haven’t been the most consistent blogger this year, between personal family disasters and my home being torn apart for new floors things have been crazy. This time though, I have a very positive reason for disappearing, and if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I bet you already know why…

That’s right! Anne’s daddy came home over the weekend! After 9 very very long months our family is whole again.

Yesterday, was the first day I have sewn since my hubs got home and I finished up all of the teacher gifts. The mug rugs turned out beautiful, now Anne and I need to go pick out coffee mugs to go with them!

Sorry for the blurry picture. I took it with my phone while standing on top of an office chair that spins, holding onto the ceiling to steady myself (yup, good thing I don’t work for anyone else or OSHA would be all over me for that one! LOL).

I hope everyone has a very happy Thursday!

A Little Handwork

4 Comments / teacher gifts / By Melissa Dunworth

I find handwork relaxing and cathartic. How about you?

This past weekend I sewed forty-nine 1″ hexagons into seven flowers. These will be turned into individual mug rugs for seven special women in Anne’s life. I am excited to make these because in some ways they represent a beginning and an end in our lives. Here are some in progress pictures from the weekend. Today I start the machine work – time to Quilt!

I did my best to personalize each flower to the recipient.

They are all basted and ready to quilt!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Sewing Everyone!

Teacher Appreication Gifts

4 Comments / teacher gifts / By Melissa Dunworth

Do you make Teacher Appreciation Gifts? I have a million ideas running through my head and I thought I would share a few with you.

Giving Handmade: Holiday Shopping List Holder « Lark Crafts

Journal Covers from Stitched In Color

I was thinking I could also make some mug rugs, the images above are to simply show what I mean by mug rugs, I wouldn’t make these exact ones – though these are lovely!

Do you make Teacher Appreciation and year end gifts?

I made them last year and I know the teachers loved the. I am thinking if I do mug rugs I might do ticker tape mug rugs and let Anne pick out fabrics that remind her of her teachers and include a small starbucks gift card and a coffee mug with each one. We have like 7 teachers to sew for though, which is CRAZY!

Happy Friday!