Christmas in July: Gifts for Him

I'm calling this my "Gifts for Him" post, but just like my "Gifts for Her" and "Knit Gifts" posts, these can be adapted to just about any recipient.  I hate to generalize, but I frequently find men harder to craft for.  One option that I frequently rely on is taking something utilitarian and customizing it for the recipient.  I love monograms and the bespoke air they lend to just about any object.  There are a few ways that you can add a monogram.  For larger monograms, I like to do applique.  This is chef's apron I made for my dad last year using this pattern - I think the checks do a nice job of hiding stains.  Then I added a fabric "Q" and stitched tightly around the edges to keep it from fraying.  Personal and useful!.  

Embroidery is a classic.  Last Christmas, I sewed my very fashionable brother a handmade tie out of Kona cotton with a monochromatic Q on it.  This can also be done quite easily on a purchased tie, handkerchiefs, or any number of other things.  As favors for a bridal breakfast I threw for my friend Sarah, I stitched these handkerchiefs for each woman in attendance.  It's so much classier than a wad of Kleenex for dabbing your eyes.

A somewhat more unusual method is glass etching.  Etching paste can be found at any craft store and used to customize inexpensive tumblers. I used contact paper to create a stencil of Geoff's monogram and just applied the paste according to the directions on the bottle. The monograms for this or any project are easy to design using any word processing program or by searching for free fonts online.  I hope these ideas inspire you and stay tuned next week for Gifts for Kids.

The World's Coolest iPhone Case

Okay, I might be a bit biased, but I really think this is the greatest iPhone cover ever made.  Our phones had stopped reliable sending and receiving calls, so Geoff and I finally had to replace them.  We bought the last generation of iPhones (the 4, not the 4S) and while Geoff opted for a classic black case to protect his, I finally got to buy the cross stitch case I have been eyeing for more than a year.  I bought my case at Think Geek.  You can get them more cheaply at Amazon, but this case has more stitches per inch (so you can make a more detailed design).  As soon as I ordered it, I began working on a chart based on this picture.  I tried several sites that promise to make cross stitch patterns from photos, but I had the best luck just laying a piece of graph paper over the printed image and making my own chart.  The case arrived on Friday and I began stitching immediately, pulled away only to go to a James McMurtry show. I love the way it came out and I'll never get my phone confused with anyone else's!