Personalized Tree of Life Lap Quilt

Do you see the special personalization in this gift handmade quilt? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Tree of Life Lap Quilt

This reminds me of some of those online quizzes asking do you see what is different in this photo? Like if you do but don’t give it away.

Over the years, many customers have had us add custom embroidery to our ready to ship quilts such as Spring Tree of Life quilt and this Winter Tree of Life version. From names, special dates, locations and dedications including favorite Bible verses, custom embroidery easily personalizes a handmade quilt.

In most cases, the custom embroidery is of names and a special date, usually in Zapf Chancery font, in a complimentary thread color. I usually recommend picking a thread color that stands out so the custom embroidery becomes the quilt feature.

Custom embroidery adds a dedication towards the quilt bottom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Have you found it yet?

This particular handmade quilt had an added feature. Here’s a hint, it’s in the tree leaves.

Two embroidered cardinals were added to tree limbs. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The customer had us add two red birds to the tree limbs. Being from Missouri, we added Missouri native red cardinals.

Another way to personalize this handmade quilt would have bene to add individual family names in each one of the leaves.

Such a simple way to make this handmade quilt unique and special!

Charlotte

Personalized Noah's Ark Baby Quilt

Baby quilts can be personalized at the bottom as well as the top. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Noah’s Ark Baby Quilt

One of our customer’s favorite baby gifts are personalized handmade baby quilts. Depending on the baby quilt pattern, the handmade baby quilt can be personalized in several spots.

Usually the custom embroidery is added to the bottom or middle of the handmade baby quilt. In this case, there was room at the top in this Noah’s Ark Baby Quilt gift set. Actually in the clouds, with the wide blue fabric expanse in the background of the scene in “Gotta Have” font.

Name, birth date and size are typical personalized quilt information. ({Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Sometimes the custom embroidery is a simple first name and date.

This personalized baby quilt included the whole name and birth date. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In the personalized Noah’s Ark Baby Quilt example, the gift included name, birth date, height and weight.

There is one piece of information missing from the traditional baby quilt information and that was the birth time.

This custom personalized baby quilt has the basic birth information. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There is no “standard” for what to add, you can include as little or as much information as you want and as the space allows.

One more consideration is the font you want to use. We offer a nice selection. Zapf Chancery is the top used font for personalized quilts followed by Diane Script and Custom Script.

Personalized quilts can be customized with the font choice. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Sometimes the font choice will depend on how much space is available for the custom embroidery.

Charlotte

Lunch Box Furniture Refinishing Kit

This custom furniture refinishing kit is in an authentic metal lunch box. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Lunch Box Furniture Refinishing Kit

We just shipped this vintage lunch box furniture refinishing kit to New York for yet another retiree who must have expressed an interest in refurbishing furniture in their “free time.” Over the years, furniture refinishing kits have been a favorite retirement gift especially those that can be customized with the color of Howard RestorAFinish.

You can make one as a gift as well buying these products from your local hardware stores. Each of the Howard Furniture Refinishing products retail for at least $10 each.

I have used Howard furniture refinishing products for 40 years and continue to do so. My favorite product is the Howard Feed n Wax, a combination of bees wax and carnauba oil that rehydrates wood cells. When I find a piece of furniture at an auction or thrift store, I dust it off, then apply Howard Feed n Wax.

After polishing the wood piece, I then decide if I need to do anything more to the piece. Very often that’s all it needs. How easy is that!

You can make these by using a cardboard box or something more fancy. We use both vintage metal lunch boxes to quilted fabric bags so all of the items are offered in a nice reusable container.

For example, our Vintage Lunch Box furniture refinishing kit has all of the basics to refinish a medium sized piece of furniture. The Howard Feed N Wax is in two 8 oz bottles to keep it from drying out once one of the bottles is opened. It won’t; I had a broken bottle that lasted a couple of years before I used all of the contents without drying but if you’ve never used this product you would not know. Several customers have expressed concern so we decided to ship the two smaller sizes.

All the basics someone needs to refinish a medium sized piece of furniture. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

We include plastic gloves, Qtips to get into those little nooks and crannies, a steel pad for those hard to reach spots and a cotton polishing cloth to finish it off.

To start with, there is Howard Wood Soap and Polishing Compound for any residue you need to remove. Sometimes old pieces have a spray of paint that will easily come off with a little polishing compound application.

For those pieces with more bumps, Howard RestorAFinish helps to seal the wood to protect it. We include the neutral if a color isn’t specified. The RestorAFinish can also be used as a heavy duty cleaner.

And because this is a retirement gift, I tucked in a tea bag with a 2 oz. jar of fresh Missouri honey and a honey dipper.

And a little extra surprise, a 2 oz jar of raw strained honey with a honey dipper. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The honey can be used in a variety of teas, this just happened to be one I have and enjoy.

And since this is a retirement gift, a tea bag to use with that fresh honey. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In terms of shipping, shipping costs to continental US have increased in the last year and depend on where you are and where you are shipping. On average this costs between $25-$35 to ship ground.

The fun part is finding the container. We found these genuine metal lunch boxes from the 1950s at a local auction.

And to the person embarking on their new life chapter, enjoy!

Charlotte

Custom Personalized Wedding Quilt

Love this dedication one of our customers asked us to add to a gift quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Custom Personalized Wedding Quilt

Over the years, our customers have asked us to custom embroider a number of favorite sayings, poems and Bible verses on double wedding ring quilts and lap quilts. Sometimes they would have us add the couple’s names and wedding date. Once we even added “and they lived happily ever after,” a reference to the traditional end of some fairy tales.

One year we were even asked to embroider several Princess Lap Quilts with the names of the bride’s entourage.

But we all know marriage is hard, possibly the hardest thing we will pursue in our lives. I sometimes run across custom embroidered quilts at estate auctions and sales, the handmade quilt discarded along with the marriage.

When I am asked for recommendations to place on a quilt, I now have a new favorite provided by one of our customers this year. No couple’s names and wedding dates, just this dedication i the center of the quilt:

“And together they built a life together they loved.”

Now wouldn’t that make a better fairy tale ending, too?

Charlotte

Flower Pens

Silk flowers dressing up pens that can be borrowed at our local post office. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Flower Pens

If you’ve ever “borrowed” a pen at a business, you know a percentage of them walk off, either by mistake or deliberately. To try to discourage that disappearing act, some of our local businesses have come up with creative ways to keep the writing pens close. One business taped plastic spoons to their pens; another one had cardboard pieces attached. I prefer what our local post office is doing, taping silk flowers to pens.

The process is relatively simple. You can use any hardy tape you have; in this case they used black electrical tape.

This pen has a silk daffodil taped to it. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These fun pens do work, they prevent the pens from walking off at least by mistake.

I also heard one customer was so enamored of the pens, she grabbed a whole bouquet of them and tried to walk out with a handful.

They were successfully recovered.

These flower pens would make great Easter and Mother’s Day gifts, especially when using flowers appropriate for the received. Easter lilies, tulips and daffodils would work well for Easter. For Mother’s Day, pick out Mom’s favorite flowers.

You can find silk flowers and pens at craft stores and big box stores. Usually in the flower department they also have green floral tape, which I am told is not as hardy as electrical tape.

Pick pens that don’t need lids to keep the ink from drying out and you should be all set.

Each post office window offers a nice selection of flower. I mean pens! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I have been lucky enough to be gifted a flower pen or two over the years. I can tell you they definitely made me feel special!

Charlotte

Gift of Wild Flower Book

This book was set aside for me by a local thrift store manager. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Gift of Wild Flower Book

There really is something special about giving a book. My grandmother used to give us pre-loved books at Christmas. Over the years, I have passed on that tradition by finding books through the years for family members and special friends.

I also shop for used gardening books for our local bee club. Growing healthy plants is an excellent way to ensure that bees are getting nutritious foods. I am picky about those books, I only pick up ones I know well and that will help beekeepers with feeding their bees naturally.

So I was delightfully surprised when one of my favorite thrift shop managers said she had set aside a book for me.

“It had your name on it,” she said as she handed me the “Handbook of Wild Flower Cultivation.”

What a wonderful unexpected surprise!

I like books that have illustrations and this one did not disappoint. Every listing includes a black and white drawing of the respective wildflowers.

Love the black and white illustrations and descriptions. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not all of the flowers grow in Missouri. That’s because every part of the world has unique plants native to their individual growing conditions.

The book now joins the rest of my wonderful wildflower book collection, good friends to visit during cold winter nights.

Charlotte

Microchip Pets

My Shirley Honey checking out her microchip card. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Microchip Pets

One of the best gifts we can give our pets is to microchip them. Even the ones that live all of the time inside.

Over the years, I have lived with several cats that were decidedly not outside prone. When they heard a dog barking, or met a stranger, they have been known to bolt, sometimes through the closest open door. At times the door led outside.

When an animal is fleeing, they will seek safety first, then take their bearings. Having lost a cat to a new neighborhood, I know how heart breaking it is to not be able to find it.

Microchipping is an excellent way to identify our pets in the event they are lost. It is a quick process and one that will ensure the pet’s return should they get lost. Or disoriented. Doesn’t that give you peace of mind? It does to me.

Your local vet should be able to provide that service.

Charlotte

What Did That Bouquet Say?

This is the last gardenia plant someone gave me. According to Language of Flowers, gardenias stand for “You’re lovely; secret love.” (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

What Did That Bouquet Say?

You may not know this but flowers talk. We have the Victorians to thank for the “Language of Flowers,” an intricate dialogue lovers exchanged through gift flowers. According to the languageofflowers.com, flowers are a perfect replica of human life: planting, growing, blooming and withering so they can also easily reflect emotions.

The following is a shortened version of favorite flowers and what they represent.

• AMARYLLIS - Pride; Pastoral Poetry

• ANEMONE - Forsaken

• ASTER - Symbol of Love: Daintiness

• AZALEA - Take Care of Yourself for Me; Temperance; Fragile Passion; Chinese Symbol of Womanhood

• BACHELOR BUTTON - Single Blessedness

• BEGONIA - Beware

• BITTERSWEET - Truth

• BLUEBELL - Humility

• BOUQUET OF WITHERED FLOWERS Rejected Love (ouch!)

• CACTUS - Endurance

• CANDY TUFT - Indifference

• CARNATION  General - Fascination; Divine Love

• CARNATION  Pink - I'll Never Forget You CARNATION, Purple - Capriciousness

• CARNATION  Red - My Heart Aches for You; Admiration

• CARNATION  Solid Colour - Yes

• CARNATION  Striped - No; Refusal; Sorry I Can't Be with You: Wish l Could Be with You

• CARNATION  White - Sweet and Lovely; Innocence; Pure Love; Woman's Good Luck Gift

• CARNATION  Yellow - You Have Disappointed Me; Rejection

• CATTAIL - Peace; Prosperity

• CHRYSANTHEMUM  General - You're A Wonderful Friend; Cheerfulness and Rest

• CHRYSANTHEMUM  Red - I Love

• CHRYSANTHEMUM  White - Truth

• CHRYSANTHEMUM  Yellow - Slighted Love

• COREOPSIS - Always Cheerful

• CROCUS - Cheerfulness

• CYCLAMEN - Resignation and Good-bye

• DAFFODIL - Regard; Unrequited Love; You're the Only One; The Sun is Always Shining When I'm with You

• DAISY - Innocence; Loyal Love; I'll Never Tell; Purity

• DANDELION - Faithfulness; Happiness

• DEAD LEAVES - Sadness

• FERN - Magic; Fascination; Confidence and Shelter

• FERN Maidenhair - Secret Bond of Love

• FORGET-ME-NOT- True Love; Memories

• FORSYTHIA - Anticipation

• GARDENIA - You're Lovely: Secret Love

• GARLIC - Courage; Strength (I don’t recommend adding this to a bouquet!)

• GERANIUM -"Stupidity; Folly

• GLADIOLUS - Give Me a Break . . . I'm Really Sincere; Flower of the Gladiators

• GLOXINIA - Love at First Sight

• HEATHER   Lavender - Admiration; Solitude

• HEATHER   White - Protection; Wishes will Come True

• HOLLY - Defense; Domestic Happiness

• HYACINTH  General - Games and Sports; Rashness: Flower Dedicated to Apollo

• HYACINTH  Blue - Constancy

• HYACINTH  Purple - I Am Sorry; Please Forgive Me: Sorrow

• HYACINTH  Red or Pink - Play

• HYACINTH  White- Loveliness; I'll Pray for You

• HYACINTH  Yellow - Jealousy

• HYDRANGEA - Thank You for Understanding; Frigidity; Heartlessness

• IRIS - Fleur-de-Lis, Emblem of France: Your Friendship Means So Much to Me; Faith; Hope; Wisdom and Valour; My Compliments

• IVY - Wedded Love; Fidelity; Friendship; Affection

• IVY SPRIG OF WHITE TENDRILS -Anxious to Please; Affection

• JONQUIL - Love Me; Affection Returned; Desire; Sympathy; Desire for Affection Returned

• LARKSPUR  Pink - Fickleness

• LILY  Calla - Beauty

• LILY  Day - Coquetry; Chinese Emblem for Mothers

• LILY  Eucharis - Maiden Charms

• LILY  Orange - Hatred

• LILY  Tiger - Wealth; Pride

• LILY  White - Virginity; Purity; Majesty; It's Heavenly to Be with You

• LILY  Yellow - I'm Walking on Air; False and Gay

• LILY-0F-THE-VALLEY - Sweetness; Tears of the Virgin Mary; Return to Happiness; Humility; You've Made My Life Complete

• MAGNOLIA - Nobility

• MARIGOLD - Cruelty: Grief Jealousy

• MISTLETOE - Kiss me; Affection; To Surmount Difficulties; Sacred Plant of India; Magic Plant of the Druids

• MOSS - Maternal Love; Charity

• NARCISSUS - Egotism; Formality; Stay as Sweet as You Are

• NASTURTIUM - Conquest; Victory in Battle

• NUTS - Stupidity

• ORCHID - Love; Beauty; Refinement; Beautiful Lady; Chinese Symbol for Many Children

• ORCHID  Cattleya - Mature Charm

• PEONY - Shame; Gay Life; Happy Marriage

• PETUNIA - Resentment; Anger; Your Presence Soothes me

• POPPY  General - Eternal Sleep; Oblivion; Imagination

• POPPY  Red - Pleasure

• POPPY  White - Consolation

• POPPY  Yellow - Wealth; Success

• PRIMROSE - I Can't Live Without You

• PRIMROSE - Evening - Inconstancy

• ROSE Bridal - Happy Love

• ROSE  Christmas - Tranquilize My Anxiety; Anxiety

• ROSE  Coral - Desire

• ROSE Damask - Persian Ambassador of Love

• ROSE  Dark Crimson - Mourning

• ROSE  Dark Pink - Thankfulness

• ROSE  Lavender - Enchantment

• ROSE  Orange - Fascination

• ROSE  Pale Peach - Modesty

• ROSE  Pale Pink - Grace, Joy

• ROSE  Red - Love, Respect

• ROSE Single Full Bloom - I Love You; I Still Love You

• ROSE  White - Innocence and Secrecy

• ROSE  Yellow - Joy, Friendship

• ROSES  Bouquet of Full Bloom - Gratitude

• SNAPDRAGON - Deception; Gracious Lady

• SPIDER FLOWER - Elope with Me

• STOCK - Bonds of Affection; Promptness; You'll Always Be Beautiful to Me

• SWEET PEA - Good-bye; Departure; Blissful Pleasure; Thank You for a Lovely Time

• TULIP  General - Perfect Lover; Fame; Flower Emblem of Holland

• TULIP Red - Believe Me; Declaration of Love

• TULIP Variegated - Beautiful Eyes

• TULIP Yellow - There's Sunshine in Your Smile

• VIOLET- Modesty

• ZINNIA  Magenta - Lasting Affection

• ZINNIA  Mixed - Thinking (or in Memory) of an Absent Friend

• ZINNIA  Scarlet - Constancy

• ZINNIA  White - Goodness

• ZINNIA  Yellow - Daily Remembrance

  Humm, I need to take a closer look at this Embroidered Flowers Handmade Quilt and see what messages those flowers are streaming together. Okay, now what do you want to say with flowers?

  Charlotte 

Valentine's Day Gift Idea

Do you recognize this iconic US comedian? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea

Recent surveys show people want experiences to mark special occasions so here is one for Valentine’s Day that provides an excellent experience for a good cause. Saturday, February 15, 2020 will be the 35th annual Rolla Cancer Gala, a yearly charity event to raise funds to help local cancer patients with costs associated with their care.

I can remember when this was a dinner and dance around Valentine’s Day for a hundred people or so at a local restaurant. If you remember Zeno’s Restaurant, they would cover the inside swimming pool to make the dance floor and spread paper hearts around the room for decor.

The annual charity event now calls for almost year of advance planning by a group of dedicated volunteers; seats 600 and is held at Missouri S&T’s Havener Center, the largest event venue in our town. They have a yearly fund-raising goal which now is more than $220,000.

The theme changes every year. I look forward to the mailed invitations that mark the event theme and Cancer Gala details since they are so creative. This year’s theme is based on an iconic US comedian still found in reruns on cable. Have you seen any of her shows?

Now do you recognize the theme of this charity dinner and dance? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In addition to being a charity benefit, the Cancer Gala offers an amazing gourmet dinner. This is the menu for this year’s Cancer Gala thanks to donations from US Foods and Price Chopper. The Havener Center staff go out of their way to make it memorable.

Here’s the menu, courtesy of US Foods and Price Chopper donations. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can reserve a table for up to 8 people, which can be fun if you’re a business and want to treat your employees to a special evening. This year they also have a new special event, limited edition Rumba Room passes for VIP access to a cash bar, which will be located in the Mark Twain room of Havener Center.

For the more adventurous attendees, tickets are currently being sold for a drawing for a trip for two to Aruba, underwritten by Andrew and Angela Miller. Tickets are $50 each. Winners will be announced the night of the Cancer Gala.

Make sure to pick up a couple of chances on trip tickets! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For those who want to pick up a memento or two, local businesses donate gift baskets, services and sometimes baseball tickets to the charity auction associated with the Cancer Gala. They make it easy to bid by having Give Smart, an online auction service running the tally and making winning items available for you to take home after you pay and before you leave.

And after all of that fun, there is dancing to live music from “Push the Limit” so you can treat your sweetheart to a lovely dinner and dance while supporting a good cause that keeps the donated funds local.

No special sweetheart this year? Not a problem, I have attended these dinners for years by myself and enjoyed seeing old friends. Dress is formal; black tie optional. I would not recommend this for children.

Tickets are $200/couple or $100 per person. Tickets sell fast, first come first served so if you’re interested, send your reservations as soon as you can to P. O. Box 1382 Rolla, Mo. 65402. You can also contact a Cancer Gala & Co. team through their Facebook page.

For you gentlemen who usually struggle with Valentine’s Day gift ideas - you’re welcome!

Charlotte

Suet Holder Gift

The gift of a homemade suet holder with an ingenious top. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Suet Holder Gift

There are several things I like about this personalized handmade gift:

First, it started as a handmade gift the current maker loved, so she decided to make some for her beekeeping friends. It’s truly a gift that keeps on giving!

Secondly. As beekeepers we often have leftover wire that can easily be incorporated into this bird feeder, and

Thirdly, it’s a nice way to provide my birds with winter food.

Did I mention I’m partial to blue in my garden?

In addition, this handmade wooden suet feeder has an interesting top that should baffle my squirrels, at least for awhile.

Here’s a better view of that handy, easy to use top. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The number of songbirds in North America are plummeting due to the decline in their food source, insects. Pesticides and loss of habitat are impacting the pollinators that also provide our food supply. In addition to providing us variety in our diet as pollinators, many Insects are also food for at least 60% of all songbird populations so as the insects disappear, so will the birds.

I have provided a feeding station for native birds for a number of decades in my limestone hillside garden. I added this latest suet feeder to a cedar tree woodpecker seem to like based on the strips they have pulled off the cedar bark.

See how they have worked this poor cedar tree in the center?

Downy woodpecker is the first suet holder visitor. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Since installing the handmade suet feeder, it’s been a popular stop for birds and squirrels.

Oh. I didn’t nail it to the tree, I have a wire holding it around the cedar trunk so not to cause any further damage.

Charlotte

Favorite Retirement Gift

Can you guess what is in this quilted bag for a retirement gift? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Favorite Retirement Gift

Over the years, it’s been interesting to track what our customers choose for retirement gifts:

A favorite theme lap quilt to curl up with a book?

Maybe a custom gift box with gardening tools, or kitchen gadgets.

Or my favorite guess, a baby quilt for that incoming grandchild.

I was wrong on all counts. Although those have been favorite retirement gifts, this year our customers selected our custom Howard Furniture Refinishing Kits as their top retirement gift.

inside everything one needs to refinish one average piece of furniture. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Howard Furniture Refinishing Gift Kit is available with a neutral finish or one with a tint. Most selected the neutral color, which is an excellent choice if one doesn’t know what piece of furniture the recipient is refinishing.

One thing is clear from these gifts, these new life chapters do not involve sitting back and eating bon bons!

Charlotte

Mother In Law Personalized Gift

Sweet personalized message for this special new relative. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Mother In Law Personalized Gift

In the midst of wedding planning, a groom called to see if I could help him make a very special personalized gift.

For his bride, i asked.

No, he said. For the bride’s mother.

The handmade lap quilt he chose was a personal favorite, one with a bluebird theme. We have several bluebird-themed custom handmade quilts - bluebirds stand for happiness, I told him. He liked that. His mother-in-law brought him much happiness in the form of the bride.

This marriage, i thought, has a good chance of success.

I was trying to imagine what this family looked like as I sewed our label onto the back of the custom lap quilt. it is the last step before gift-wrapping to ship our custom quilts, a wonderful step for me. I know the custom quilt is headed to a new life giving warmth and generating smiles.

The last step before shipping, adding a label to the custom handmade quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once the custom lap quilt was wrapped, I added a quilt care guide and gift tag. It was scheduled to arrive close to the wedding date so I wanted them to have everything in hand to present this.

Each handmade quilt is shipped with a free gift card and care guide. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Over the years, my goal is to hear that the recipient “loved it to tears.” It’s a high mark and one we don’t always reach but I like to think it’s still an admirable goal.

I suspect there was at least a tear when this custom quilt was opened, and a new family started.

Charlotte

Quick Door Wreaths

This year’s door wreath with repurposed items I already had. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Quick Door Wreaths

I used to have boxes full of artificial wreaths, including a 7-foot one that took up most of my attic. Those are gone now, and now I have a small collection of manageable wreaths I can quickly and easily make charming into holiday wreaths with items I already have.

Several visitors have commented on this year’s Bluebird Gardens front door wreath so here it is, a combination of an old holiday ornament wreath with a favorite hand painted plaque. And a handmade sign instead of a bow.

To make, I attached the charming animal plaque to the back of the wreath, then hung the wreath on one of those large, suction-cup hangers. The wreath itself is made out of nonbreakable balls so the weight to this wreath is in the wooden plaque.

The plaque was a gift when I worked in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has been a part of my holiday decorations for oh, my several decades now. It has spent time on office doors, hanging in my kitchen and other parts of the house needing a little holiday touch, and now, on my house front door.

Every year when I pull it out of the storage trunk, I look closely at the little painted characters, remembering all of the charming little details. The reindeer antlers on them all still gives me a chuckle. The sock on the cat tail is a favorite, reminding me of all of the cat mischief my cats get into, including my sock basket. Did you see the little bluebird nesting in the cat’s reindeer antlers? Such sweet details.

I don’t know who painted this but it has been among my most cherished holiday decor items for a very long time. Come to think about it, it may also have inspired me to get those socks that look like cat paws as gifts (but don’t tell anyone.)

Hand painted holiday plaque repurposed as part of door wreath. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Don’t mind the “home sweet bees” sign, that’s a wooden paint stirring stick I painted as a test model. I will make a final one next year that i can easily move from one door wreath to the next. Well, that’s what I tell myself. The problem is that this one is easy to move around so I am less inclined to make another one.

Humm, you know, you could do the same painting your family name on a paint stick with holes on each side.. Or add “Merry Christmas” or ‘Ho Ho Ho". Wouldn’t the kids have fun doing the painting and giving it to Mom and Dad as a personalized gift?

The bottom line is no need to spend a lot of money on holiday decor you will use for a short time. Repurpose what you already have; set an example for kids that the holidays are about giving, especially something they can easily make - and keep enjoying the memories attached to them!

Charlotte

Glass Glass Charms

Glass cat charms keep some of my cups easy to find again. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Glass Glass Charms

You probably have seen them at local craft shows and hobby stores; that’s where I found some of mine over the years. Charms, and in particular glass animal charms, make charming coffee cup and wine glass jewelry to help identify which one is yours. Those are also called glass charms, as in charms for a glass.

Attached to expandable rings, glass glass charms can easily be attached so that the person who first picked up the glass can get back to it later.

When several people get together to share - whether it’s coffee or a meal, it’s easy to misplace a cup or wine glass. Or better yet, confuse one’s cup for someone else’s drinking vessel.

These glass glass charms solve that by temporarily identifying the cup or glass and cutting down on reaching for a second or third.

One of my favorite little collections is this one of glass cats. The little blue cat is clearly ready to get on the job.

A blue glass cat charm is among a set of charms I use on coffee cups. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

To make your own, you can find the expandable rings at your local hobby shop in the jewelry section.. If you want to embellish them, you can add beads threaded through the rings. Nice project for little hands to work those beads through the hoops.

Some of my glass charms with beads on the expandable rings. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This ladybug glass charm was picked up to join my glass charm collection. I am short of the rings so she’s spending her time now hanging from a flower vase keeping flowers company. As soon as I pick up more rings, she will begin her job of keeping my cup identified.

Or maybe not, I like seeing her on the bottom of the flower bouquet from flowers blooming mid-winter inside my house.

This ladybug glass charm is waiting for me to pick up more rings. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I also have a set of plastic frog glass charms someone gave me many years ago. They are handy for those visits out to the deck where a wind, or errant elbow, might knock over a glass. The plastic charms have less of a chance of breaking and still do the job of identifying who has what cup.

The collection doesn’t have to start big. Pick two favorite charms of any kind and get them on the flexible rings. As you find more charms you like, you can reuse the same flexible rings and add more charms that can be interchanged.

To make these into personalized gifts, choose charms with initials or a favorite theme. You can also personalize a gift by adding them to a set of coffee cups for a newlywed couple, or special charms on wine glasses for a personalized anniversary gift.

This is a small sized gift that will keep on giving for as long as they are not lost or forgotten.

Some of my glass charms ready for a party. Or two. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

As we move away from throw away items and get back to using our real glasses and cups, this would be a charming way to make them easy to find in a crowd. It would also cut down on the number of extra glasses used. A fun win all around!

Charlotte

Angel Trees

Angel Tree Personalized Gifts

Some communities where I have worked have had these for a variety of situations, not just Christmas. The idea is to provide personalized information to help people who could use a little help. Maybe they lost all of their belongings in a fire, or were caught up in some of life’s more challenging developments.

Local welfare agencies usually step in to help. But this time of year, Angel Trees offer information about individuals - without divulging their name - so that people can pitch in and help them.

Over the years that I have participated in an Angel Tree out of our local chamber of commerce office, I can’t remember the last time I read a request for something outrageous. The listed items tend to be clothing, shoes and socks, maybe a coat. The younger-aged postings have been for the typical toy requests - dolls, bears, book, maybe a piece of sports equipment.

When I think of Angel trees, I often think of the Precious Moment Angels with their large eyes, such as the Angel in this baby quilt. Over the years, several of our custom baby quilts have made their way under the Christmas tree for a newborn child or two.

Here is the kind of personalized information that you will normally find on an Angel Tree:

Personalized gift information so that “angels” can lend a hand. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can usually find Angel Trees at your local banks, hospitals, chambers of commerce and welfare organization main offices. The one thing they all seem to ask is if you pick up items for someone, return them with the recipient’s information. I usually attach the paper angel to the gift-wrapped box tucked under the ribbon with a little piece of tape securing it to the box.

One year, I was involved in a project where I inadvertently ran into someone I had helped. I know because it was something I made for them and they happened to be wearing it the day we met.

I struggled with telling them and decided not to. Part of the spirit of this season is to help others without strings attached, even if in this case they were sewing machine strings.

Charlotte

Personalized Tree of Life Quilt

Personalized winter tree of life quilt makes a great gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Tree of Life Quilt

Another cold front is moving into Missouri but I am nice and warm curled up in one of my lap quilts. It’s why I love giving, and recommending, lap quilts throws as gifts, they are not only practical but they can also take a turn as a quilted wall hanging.

To make these even more special, lap quilts throws are easy to personalize with custom embroidery. We personalized winter tree of life quilt for a customer with machine embroidery but you can also personalize these on your own:

• Print off and add photos on each of the leaves to reflect a family genealogy tree.

• If you don’t have photos, you can add family names, one in each of the leaves.

• You can also add photos on either side of the tree to mark the joining of two families into one.

If you want to leave the leaves as they are, they are boxes around the border where family names can easily be added.

The only side where I would not add photos or embroidery on the second row is on top where loops on the back side easily turn Winter Tree of Life Quilt into a quilted wall hanging.

I could also see using this as a wedding gift so guests can sign it with an indelible pen instead of a guest book.

See what I mean? Very versatile as a gift and quite warm as well!

Charlotte

Little Boy Adoption Gift

I added a personalized dinosaur to the personalized lap quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Little Boy Adoption Gift

The order was simple enough. The customer wanted one of our double wedding ring lap quilts with custom embroidery, a typical order for our custom quilt company and wedding quilts. In this case, however, the recipient was a 6-year old little boy who now has a family through adoption.

Customers buy our custom personalized lap quilts and handmade quilts for a variety of reasons but an adoption is an extra special event. Being a big sister still at heart. I asked what did this little boy like, as if I didn’t know. I have two younger brothers and a nephew or two who went through this love affair with dinosaurs.

As the wedding lap quilt was getting custom embroidered, I shopped for a dinosaur. Not just any dinosaur, I wanted one that was smiling without first chewing on something, or someone.

In the meantime, our embroiderer asked about the size of the monogram letters. I imagined a little boy touching the letters now that he had a new name. Make them big, I said.

This little boy now has a new last name, made larger in this custom embroidery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In one of the lap quilt corners, the customer wanted this lovely simple saying:

Perfect quote to add in custom embroidery to a lap quilt corner. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

By the time the custom personalized lap quilt was done, I had found myself one pleasantly-smiling dinosaur toy. I added hand-embroidered initials to the dinosaur so it was clear this was one very special toy.

After tying a ribbon around the dinosaur toy neck, the dinosaur snuck into the middle of the custom personalized lap quilt for his trip to his new home, and a very special little boy.

Dino is safely tucked in and ready for his trip to his new home. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The customer thanked us for “going the extra mile” but this is why we are here, I want to help you make custom personalized gifts for the special people in your lives.

On the gift card we added a sweet note from the customer: “the adoption took time, the love arrived instantly.”

We wish this new family, and their happy dinosaur, everything wonderful life has to offer!

Charlotte

Personalized Wedding Gift

The customer was very happy to get this gift-wrapped personalized wedding gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“Dear Charlotte,Greetings on this Memorial day week end.  I spoke to you on the phone, you kindly revised my order and via. Yesterday I received the throw. It is ideal as is the packaging.  As you can imagine, I do thank you so very much. I will indeed recommend you broadly. Further i intend to go to your website and “browse!” smile. Warmly, Mary Jo”

Personalized Wedding Gift

We love hearing back from our customers and this personalized wedding gift is a wonderful example.

The customer had never ordered online so she was a little nervous about placing an online order. We not only took down all of her information but made sure her gift was carefully wrapped with her personalized gift card.

Inside, one of our best selling wedding and anniversary gifts, a personalized Country Double Wedding Ring quilt in a lap quilt throw size.

What makes Country Double Wedding Ring Quilt popular is that it includes a nice range of colors in the patchwork rings, easily making this handmade quilt flexible in any room decor. In addition, the double wedding rings can easily be personalized with custom embroidery:

Love the caption on this wedding quilt, don’t you? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This versatile handmade quilt also has loops on the back so Country Double Wedding Ring quilt can easily be used as a quilted wall hanging. When not threaded through curtain rods, the loops sit against the back of the quilt.

So glad this made Mary Jo happy and we look forward to hearing from her again soon!

Charlotte

Personalized Wedding Quilt Gift

Quotes are favorite ways to personalize a wedding quilt gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Wedding Quilt Gift

There are a number of ways our customers personalize their quilt gifts. From adding custom names and special dates to choosing the custom embroidery font, personalized wedding quilt gifts have been a popular way to celebrate the special day.

However, our customers have found a couple more ways to personalize their wedding quilt gift.

First, they add a special saying or quote that either represents or is a favorite by the new couple. The quotes have varied from favorite Bible passages to sayings from the couple themselves, which adds a nice personalized touch to the wedding quilt.

There is a second way we have found our customers personalize their wedding quilt gift and that’s with the thread color they select. Although it’s more common to choose a color out of the wedding quilt, we have customers who also choose a couple and wedding’s color.

In this example, the customer chose a light blue for a forest green double wedding ring quilt, making the custom personalized embroidery stand out in contrast.

Free gift card included in our personalized wedding quilt gifts. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For examples of other personalized double wedding ring quilts, check the photos posted with our Country Double Wedding Ring lap quilts, throws and quilted wall hangings.

Charlotte

Personalized Gift Wrapped Quilt Card

I added this honey bee to the gift card for a beekeeper. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Gift Wrapped Quilt Card

There are so many ways to personalize a handmade quilt, from adding custom embroidery to personalizing the gift card with a photo or something unique.

All of our handmade quilts and gift kits are shipped with a free gift card. We also add a special gift card when we gift wrap and ship to a different destination.

In this particular case, the handmade quilt was a gift for a beekeeper so a little bee made its way to the gift card.

It would be something we would also add to a card on our custom beekeeper’s gift kit.

How does it look all together?

Handmade quilt gift-wrapped with the personalized card. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I have to confess, this is my favorite part of shipping, the gift-wrapping and adding the personalized gift card with your unique message.

Charlotte