Handmade with Love: A Family Tradition

Handmade items were always thought to be a special sign of love in our family.

My grandmother was a seamstress and every year all of her grandchildren (23?) received wonderful items to be placed in our "hope chest". I often though of her as "Angie Angel" was place on top of our family Christmas Tree each year or when I used the special "naughty" pot holders she created.

My mother followed in her footsteps. I had stylish, handmade outfits for school, formal gowns for proms and a "hand beaded" wedding dress. After leaving home the items became household items, handmade afghans and hand webbed lawn chairs.

For my children and grandchildren she made tiny hand beaded sets of Nativity ornaments for the tree. Sadly, she passed away due to lung cancer in August of 2007.

Unfortunately, I was not as talented with a needle. My handmade items through the years tended to involve paint. In October of last year, I wanted to continue with the tradition of giving my grandchildren something handmade for Christmas. Something quick and easy that could be done while traveling (or sitting in a hunting blind, but that's another story).

That's when I discovered Punch Needle Art. Each grandchild received a signed, punched Christmas ornament from Grandma. Each was made with love, each stitch containing special thoughts about that child; prayers filled with hope for a wonderful future. Maybe they will be treasured items like the ones I received as a child.

Punch Needle Art or Punch needle embroidery is an old needle art (Russian) that is worked through a fabric pattern stretched in an embroidery hoop, forming loops of threads on the side opposite the working surface to create a design. The finished work looks like a miniature hooked rug.

My current punch needle project has been residing in a drawer since we arrived at the vacation rental in Florida. It is a canvas bag that will be used to hold my punch needle supplies. So far I have transferred the words "Punch Art" and "Travel Bag" and finished the letters "PUN". Once we begin traveling again I am looking forward to completing the project.

Then just like past years I have promised myself I will begin working on this year's Christmas projects... instead of waiting until November. Not!

PS...Angie Angel now adorns the top of our son's tree (the first born). We took all the treasured items, divided them up and passed them on to our children, to be passed on to their children when we began to travel full-time in 1996.