Sophia Grace and Rosie are helping me wrap presents today. They are very pleased that I finished the Cascadia Doll Quilt that was a quiltalong from Humble Quilts blog recently. The Show and Tell of all the Cascadia doll quilts is on Lori's blog. (Here)
My finished Cascadia doll quilt, which is 16.5 inches square:
We are all excited about Christmas coming, and wanted to share one tradition I've had for over fifty years. When I was a young single girl, I lived in Lansing, Michigan and had a roommate who worked at the largest department store in town - J. W. Knapp's.
At Christmas time, she wrapped packages for them all day, and she showed me the proper way to put the paper on the boxes, with neatly tucked in end flaps. At the time, Knapp's wrapped all their packages in red paper, with plaid ribbons. I thought they looked lovely, and started doing the same. Over the years, I've collected some very nice satin ribbons and people usually give the ribbons back to me after all the gifts are opened - because they know I use them over and over again! "Save the pretty ribbons for Grandma Judy!"
There are several nice things about this tradition:
(1) Since I always using solid red paper and plaid bows, everyone knows who the gifts are from by looking at them - "Oh, That's from Aunt Judy!"
(2) The satin bows tie so nicely, and travel so well - even if they get pressed together with other packages when in the car, they fluff up nicely when I put them under the tree.
(3) Red paper is always available, every year, and one year I bought a very large bolt of it from an art supply store that I used for several years.
(4) The satin ribbons are very economical in the long run, even though they are more expensive to purchase initially. After all, I've been using some of them for fifty years! They are so easy to iron flat and look brand new after running the ribbon under the iron.
(5) Presents are easy to open: The ribbons are tied with no hard knots - I just wrap the present with the ribbon and tie a big bow - when it's time to unwrap the gift, the child pulls the end of a ribbon and the bow unties and it all slips off.
(6) Easy to store too - I just jam them into a tin and store them until the next year, and they come out ready to press all fresh and plaid looking for the next year's presents.
These are a few of my favorite things.....brown paper packages tied up with string....red paper packages tied up with red plaid ribbons:
Merry Christmas!
My finished Cascadia doll quilt, which is 16.5 inches square:
At Christmas time, she wrapped packages for them all day, and she showed me the proper way to put the paper on the boxes, with neatly tucked in end flaps. At the time, Knapp's wrapped all their packages in red paper, with plaid ribbons. I thought they looked lovely, and started doing the same. Over the years, I've collected some very nice satin ribbons and people usually give the ribbons back to me after all the gifts are opened - because they know I use them over and over again! "Save the pretty ribbons for Grandma Judy!"
There are several nice things about this tradition:
(1) Since I always using solid red paper and plaid bows, everyone knows who the gifts are from by looking at them - "Oh, That's from Aunt Judy!"
(2) The satin bows tie so nicely, and travel so well - even if they get pressed together with other packages when in the car, they fluff up nicely when I put them under the tree.
(3) Red paper is always available, every year, and one year I bought a very large bolt of it from an art supply store that I used for several years.
(4) The satin ribbons are very economical in the long run, even though they are more expensive to purchase initially. After all, I've been using some of them for fifty years! They are so easy to iron flat and look brand new after running the ribbon under the iron.
(5) Presents are easy to open: The ribbons are tied with no hard knots - I just wrap the present with the ribbon and tie a big bow - when it's time to unwrap the gift, the child pulls the end of a ribbon and the bow unties and it all slips off.
(6) Easy to store too - I just jam them into a tin and store them until the next year, and they come out ready to press all fresh and plaid looking for the next year's presents.
Merry Christmas!
Neat tradition you started!! i may have to steal it!! Love your dolly quilt--some lovely prints in there...hugs and Merriest of Christmases to you and yours....Julierose
ReplyDeleteWell done using all those wonderful 30's prints.
ReplyDeleteI love that wrapping idea, Judy.
ReplyDeleteps. Yours is my favorite Cascadia quilt!
That sounds like a great idea! The drawback would be if you mail the packages out of town and don't get the ribbon back. I might get some anyway!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I LOVE cascadia too. The 30's and 40's fabric is perfect!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw the postcard I knew what building it was. It was recently redone, but they kept the exterior looking the same. It's a wonderful piece of downtown Lansing
ReplyDeleteI love traditions and yours is grand! Hmmm, is 58 too late to start a Christmas wrapping tradition? I guess my grands would love it. The Cascadia Quilt with the darling 30's looks so sweet. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the red paper and plaid ribbon story. How fun to be known by the fact that those gifts are from you by the way they are wrapped. Your
ReplyDeleteCascascadia is lovely. Merry Christmas!
I love your quilt. Your wrapping idea is so clever! I may have to start looking for ribbon!
ReplyDeleteI love your scrappy little quilt! Such a wondeful tradition wrapping your gifts this way! A Very Merry Christmas to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteYour little quilt turned out so cute! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete