Making Quick Gifts With A Personal Touch And Minimal Money (NAPSA)—Contrary to what some people might think, you don’t have to start thinking about the holidays in July to create personalized gifts. “If you yearn to add a loving touch to gifts, use today’s sewing technology to satisfy that creative bent,” said Nancy Jewell, publicity director for Husqvarna Viking linen paper. Or simply embroider herb orfloral designs on beautiful textured paper, tear the edges for effect, mat and put into a frame— a wonderful, yet inexpensive piece of art to complement a kitchen or bath. Fleece Favorites—Keep loved ones toasty warm throughout the winter with fleece hats, scarves and mittens. Little ones love theirs adorned with character sewing machines. Computer chips have turned the sewing machine into a computerized sewing designer complete with a built-in disc drive and PC software that can transform family photos into stitches. The best part? You can bake holiday goodies while your sewing machine is embroidering largerthan-life designs on just about anything, including ready made shirts and linens. You can give Santa a run for his money. Here are some quick ideas from Husqvarna Viking to help stitch up the holidays with a little homemade sentiment: Ornamental Offerings—Predictable but always a festive favorite, holiday ornaments are fun to give and even more fun to make. Use holiday cookie cutters as a pattern. Trace the shape onto embellished pieces of fabric. Cut out two of the shapes. Make a loop out of decorative cord. Position at the top of the ornament. Place embellished front and ornamental back with wrong sides together. Sew together with a decorative stitch along the edge. Useas ornaments or package decorations. embroideries such as Peanuts, Curious George and Raggedy Ann and Andy. For the tween or teen in your life, use a funky fleece with colorful daisies. Cut out a daisy or two and tack in the middle of the motif for three-dimensional fun. One of a kind resents can be easy to make with the right sewing machine. Easier still, stitch out holiday embroideries onto felt. Trim using decorative scissors and glue together with a gold cord inserted between for a hanger. Instant ornaments! For additional ideas, visit www.husqvarnaviking.com. Accessory Essentials—Most of today’s embroidery machines come with monogrammingfonts such as Palace Script or Clarendon that can add a nice personal touch to practical and pretty boudoir accessories like Simplicity pattern #5822, cosmetics, lingerie, jewelry and shoe bags. Drop a Note—Create personal stationery by applying decorative stitches, trims or monograms across the top of card stock or nice Seasonal Simplicity—Sewers new to the art or those in need of a refresher course may appreciate Sewing Patterns for Dummies. These patterns, developed by Simplicity Pattern Co., walk you through working with fur fabric, inserting zippers and applying trim by machine. Projects include a glasses case, cell phone case and jewelry roll—great last minute gifts. Out of Holiday Paper? Whip up a fabric bag and tie the top closed with a braided cord or ribbon. Embroider a solid with a Christmas motif or use a festive print. For more creative ideas, visit Husqvarna Viking at www. husqvarnaviking.com, Better Homes and Gardens Craft groups at www.bhg.com or JoAnn Fabrics at www.joann.com.
