MIL called today about "going in on a gift with my SIL's " for a baby shower for my husband's cousin( my gosh can you follow that?) I explained that I had already made a baby blanket , booties and I am finishing the hat. Her response - "well you still we need to get her a gift - or that would be considered cheap." Do you think so?

Absolutely not!! I can only speak for myself, but I am always thrilled to receive a beautiful handmade gift, particularly when my kids' were babies. Much better than any old thing from a store.

Wrap it all up, and I guarantee they'll be a huge hit at the shower!

So, a homemade gift is not considered to be a gift??? Huh?

I would bet that all the materials you have into the set (not to mention the time spent making it) would be worth a lot more than a purchased gift.

I agree that the handmade items...especially for a baby...are the most precious. I've save all the ones I got for my boys, so I can pass them on when they have children. Absolutely priceless!

I totally agree with the other posters.....that is a wonderful gift to give and not cheap by any means. I love homemade gifts for babies (for any special occasion actually). I usually give a knitted afghan and a few other little things when I gift a new bundle.

I'm sure the Mom-to-be will love it and poo-poo on MIL for even saying what she did!

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Just tell MIL that you are doing your own seperate gift, that you don't want to go in with the group. I think you have a very NICE gift to give, I don't think it's cheap at all!

I think your gift is perfect and dont worry what your MIL says or thinks.

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I think your gift will be one of the most memorable gifts received. I wouldn't go in on anything else.

I still have each blanket that was handmade by a friend for each of my boys when they were born. Each used the blanket as thier "lovey" when they were babies and I have saved them to give to them when they have their own first child.

Personally, unless this person is actually a friend of yours, I think you are going well above to call of duty to get anything at all, much less take the time to handmake something.

I think baby blankets are the best gift.They will get more use out of a baby blanket than any other gift you could give them.Plus they are beautiful ,warm ,and personal. A handmade baby blanket goes for a lot of money these days.I would consider it a very valuable gift and nothing less.
The time spent making one is priceless.

I think you should tell MIL that you would actually feel too "guilty" to go in on a gift with them, since you've already got a special gift to give on your own - it wouldn't be fair to them that you would be upstaging them.

How can she argue with that?!!

Your gift sounds lovely - it will absolutely be a hit! Those are the gifts I remember for my children, and the only ones that have lasted long after all the purchased baby accessories!

Enjoy the shower! You will be very proud to give your gift.

D

I made afghans for alot of people as gifts and I sure hope they see them as gifts. lol. they take lots of time and they are not cheap to make with all the yarn I have to buy to make them.

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Your handmade gift will be very special. Don't worry about it.
I think that the time you put into this gift is worth far more than a "share" of their gift.
The handmade things were what I saved for our children.

Wow! That was a gutsy thing for your MIL to say! There is no way those handmage gifts would ever be considered cheap! It's easy to go out and buy something from a store, but to spend your time making something with your own hands?? That's wonderful!

peapie

Just b/c I am feeling mean spirited right now, I would tell your MIL that you will contribute a $1 since she thinks you should give money towards another gift also. All handmade blankets and items are always a special thing in our family. I, along with everyone else it seems, think that your gift is more than enough and extremely thoughtful on your part !!!

I'm the proud owner of one of these! And I love it! Thanks, littlejo!

Oh my Gosh.....I'm Cheap!


I make afghans and hats and booties as baby gifts for many many people.....I always appreciated the handmade items more then the store bought items that I could just go out and buy myself....I would just MIL, that she and SIL can get together to get a gift since you already have one.......It's not being cheap, it's being kind, considerate and thoughful

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

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O-H-I-O

Please know how special it is that you took the time to make something for this new baby. Most of us can go out and purchase a gift but to make something like this takes extra thought, time and effort.

I saved my son's special things like this too. He is very sentimental and when he has kids some day, these items will be used again. They are special treasures to our family.

I hope you get a picture of the baby using these things. Can you just see the little one in your hat that you made??? Too cute!!

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Donna

The handmade gifts my kids got were my favorites, their's also. I don't think I could ever have too many handmade baby blankets/afghans, booties, hats, or whatever.
One of my kids was a preemie and a friend made a fabulous fleece bunting, booties, & hat for him. He dresses up one of his stuffed animals in it now and it's very dear to him. If it weren't for that homenade gift the poor kid woulda worn a doll snowsuit, cuz he only fit into doll clothes, all other clothing gifts were waaaaaay too big for him. It was my fav gift that came for his advent.
Each of my kids received handmade afghans and baby quilts from my friends or relatives and the grown up kids still cherish them.
MZ

Well, I don't still have the newest Diaper Genie or the most popular baby toy (at that time) but I do still have every handmade quilt, booties and outfit that was made for each of my DDs. I keep them in hopes of seeing my future grandkids able to use them.

Your gift might not be the flashiest, it will be the most cherished!!

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Your gift sounds wonderful. Your MIL was wrong to think that was cheap. Besides the cost of the yarn, factor in all the time you spent making it. Just think how much they would charge at a boutique for a handmade blanket, booties, and hat.

I would feel honored to have someone make something like that for me. Whatever happened to the "Its that thought that counts????"

I think you are already giving one of the best gifts she'll get!
I cant remember who gave me what outfit or what bottle. But I can tell you who made each homemade blanket. My 7 yr old DD uses them for her babies now and I hope my children will when they have their own. A gift made with love and time and attention is far more valuable to me!

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I agree, your's will be the best. I also have every blanket that was homemade for all my kids. Some are still on their beds or out in their room and they are all teens!

My mother made the Mary Maxxim sweaters (Heave designed with zippers that you can wear as a jacket and regular pullover sweaters) and I STILL have every one of them. Just gave my almost 2 year old neice one last week and it is still beautiful. Must be 20 years old now!

What a wonderful gift, don't listen to you MIL. You are giving her something that she could not buy and that she can keep forever.

I like to do that as well for baby showers, but I usually just do a blanket (don't know how to do the booties and hat) and then I get a pack of diapers... Always can use those!

The handmade things are about the only things I kept from all the baby stuff we had. I think it's the best gift you can give.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Ditto. The handmade blankets, sweaters, hats, Christmas stockings, etc are the only things that I have saved besides their crib. These are priceless items.

Sorry your family doesn't seem to get it....I guess sometimes we have a tendency to get caught up in all the "stuff" and lose sight of what's truly significant.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I really can't understand the thinking of some people. Does your MIL tend to be insensative in general? UGH!!!! That would make me CRAZY!!!!, to have my MIL say something like that!
I know personally, that handmade gifts have always been the most cherished by me. And whenever I am at a shower and the handmade gifts are opened... everyone "ooo's" and "ahh's" over them. Lots of people are amazed that others are able to do such things and wish they themselves had such talent.

Your gift is a wonderful thought and gift. My favorite gift came from my Aunt (a sleeping bag for trhe baby) that I later found out was hand made. IF they want to buy a gift let them.

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Sounds like maybe its your MIL being cheap. If she is anything like mine I bet she was looking to get money from me so she could buy a gift with it and not put any of her own money in. Then she would claim it was mostly from her.

Not cheap at all---in fact I think it would be priceless! I would absolutely love a handmade gift for our baby.

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ----Edmund Burke

From someone currently working on a baby afghan, I find nothing cheap about it. You are being very thoughtful in making it, and the amount of time it takes to make something by hand, IMO, is immeasurable. I got several hand crocheted, and hand sewn items when my kids were born, and they all still have them in their "box".

BTW, I hope you aren't using Baby Clouds yarn......I'm on my third time of ripping it apart....it's VERY difficult to see your stitches.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Thanks for all the input. My MIL - loves to purchase large gifts - and is generous to a fault . She wanted the three SILs to go in on another large gift. I am really trying to curb spending this year - so I used coupons to purchase yarn for the balnket and planned on making a gift. My MIL sees handmade items as cheap - or they are OK to add in with "the real gift" - so I plan to give the blanket, booties and hat to her at the shower as my only gifft. I hope it is well received.

Your gift sounds wonderful. My aunt (my grandma's sister) made me a beautiful blanket with a bear on it, the matching bear and a Christening sweater set when i had my son (he's 15 now) she developed arthritis in her hands and was diagnosed with cancer when I got pregant with my oldest DD but still made me a Christening sweater set for her. They were the best gifts I ever received. My aunt actually made me alot of stuff (blankets, Christmas items, and these two pretty angels) which I could never replace by a gift that someone could buy me in a store

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I'm sure the blanket, booties and hat will be a great gift!!!!!!!!!

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