That Personalized Touch

I love the fact that I can sew, that I've developed the kind of skills where I can put a personalized touch on a gift relatively quickly if needed.

A good friend of mine is leaving the territory on Monday, and I put together a little gift basket for her.  But it was feeling pretty impersonal, despite finding a few of her favourite treats and adding a thermos that I knew she'd probably use (and probably lose, but that's alright).

So last night I whipped up a little knitting project bag out of a fabric I know she'll love...in about 20 minutes.  And it only took that long because I had to thread the drawstring and couldn't find the one safety pin I've managed to keep from the pack of 50 I bought a while back (like hair clips, apparently I only get to keep one of those no matter how many I buy, and that one becomes Precious and desperately coveted).

Now the little gift is absolutely perfect, and I'm happy to send her off with a little something made from my own hands, even if I'm not happy to see her go.

I'm so thankful for the skills I've learned over the years, precisely for moments like this.  Do you ever add a little personalized touch to your gifts?