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giveaway: Crafting A Meaningful Home

cover of Crafting A Meaningful Home

I’m so pleased to be holding a book giveaway for Crafting A Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco as part of the virtual book tour today. The book is full of projects for your home (created by people whose names I am familiar with!) and each craft has a story about family behind it.

I’m squeezed for time and didn’t get a chance to do my usual photos of a few pages, but there are plenty of page previews over at Amazon. I’m glad they included pictures of the oversized crocheted area rug, the Doily Rug, as I think it’s amazing. You can also read more about the book and view the video made to celebrate the launch of the book right over here at Design*Sponge.

If you’d like to enter to win a copy please leave a comment with this post, the fine print applies, I’ll have the Random Number Generator choose a winner on Friday at 4pm PST. Updated: Yikes, I didn’t realize that would leave less than two days to enter, so I’m moving the deadline to Tuesday Dec. 14th at noon PST. Time is up! Thank you so very much to everybody who left comments, the stories have been heaps of fun to read!

To give you something to actually say in your comment I’ll ask you this: Do you have an item, handmade or not, in your home that has a family story behind it? I’ll go first, though I don’t have one here in my house (but intend to get one when I next visit my parents) my favorite thing growing up were the pot holders I or my cousins made on that little square loom while on the long road trip to Oklahoma. I remember giving one to an aunt when we arrived and having her pull out older and well used ones to show me. She said they were always better than any other pot holders and she was happy to have more to add to her collection. I think those pot holders were one of the first times I was aware of being able to design something to my liking within the constraints of what I had available, that being my choice of six colored loops. I remember figuring out how to make a gingham-like pattern and being so excited at discovering how it was done.

Your turn, good luck!

· comments [480] · 12-9-2010 · categories:books · craft ·

480 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Becca // Dec 13, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    I have two things I immediately think of – the Christmas stocking my Great Aunt knitted for me (still using it!) and the crocheted blanket my mom made for me in high school. I’ve dragged it all over with me :)

  • 2 Heather B // Dec 13, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    My Grandma collects Santas (she honestly have 1000’s) and she let all the grandkids take one to keep in their home last year. Mine appears to be a vintage santa figurine from around the 50’s. She said she probably bought it at a garage sale years and years ago.

  • 3 JG // Dec 13, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    In the 70s, my aunt made the warmest quilts out of polyester doubleknit fabric. They were indestructible, too! Just after my aunt passed away, I was in a consignment shop 1700 miles away. A woman came in to place a quilt she had made from doubleknit fabric. It was like Auntie was sending me a farewell message.

  • 4 Claudia // Dec 13, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    I have a curtain for the living room, made with linen actually woven by my gran-grandma, sewn by my grandma, and a crochet border done by my mum in law!

  • 5 Midnight Cowgirl // Dec 13, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    My family has a couple of quilts made by my great-grandmother. I would love to learn to quilt, so I could make some for my home…

  • 6 Leslie // Dec 13, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    Three favorite keepsakes come to mind immediately. One was a baby blanket my mother had crocheted for my daughter shortly after she was born. The second was a gorgeous embroidered sampler my daughter’s godmother painstakingly made for her. The third is a stuffed Christmas tree my mom made for me for the first Christmas after I was married. All priceless.

  • 7 Melissa // Dec 13, 2010 at 4:33 pm

    I have a knitting satchel that belonged to my mother. She kept her knitting projects in it, and now I keep mine in it. I don’t know who made it, probably someone who belonged to our church, but it is handwoven, and over 50 years old by now.

  • 8 KEL // Dec 13, 2010 at 4:34 pm

    Every Christmas I look forward to getting Santa out. He is older than I am but still shakes his bell and sings a little song–although he is terribly out of tune. That old Santa IS Christmas to me!!
    Love that doily rug!

  • 9 Tracy // Dec 13, 2010 at 5:11 pm

    I have so many Christmas stories from the family past, but since have just put up our tree, I smile over all the ornaments. Both the glass and handmade decorations evoke strong memories of their previous owners: my grandparents. The felt ones my grandmother made for me make me smile whenever they catch my eye. Though these loved ones have been gone for many years they seem almost here this time of year.

  • 10 Shannon // Dec 13, 2010 at 6:01 pm

    I have several quilts, one of which is all satin in multiple colors. My Granny Doom (her real last name ) made the quilt out of scraps from a place that made basketball shorts.

  • 11 the holly // Dec 13, 2010 at 6:30 pm

    i have a great cross stitched christmas stocking from my youth. :)

  • 12 Lisa F // Dec 13, 2010 at 6:46 pm

    I don’t have a lot of hand me downs as I think my parents are waiting until I’m married (I’m 35 and have been with my partner for 10+ years!). Also half of my extended family live in Japan and I’ve only visited twice. Once item I do cherish is a beautiful beaded purse from my Japanese grandmother. She gave it to me the last time I visited about 5 years ago. It’s lovely to have something from her personally as she is not around anymore.

  • 13 sweetandcoolval // Dec 13, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    When my mom passed away, my step Dad asked what of her belongings I wanted. All I really wanted was the Belgian waffle maker and some of her cook books.

  • 14 anna // Dec 13, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    There’s an afghan that my Mom knitted a bazillion years ago that I just found in the back of a closet. Then there’s the embroidered owl that my Aunt made for a pillow. Small, but lovely things.

  • 15 Jacqueline // Dec 13, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    My Mom makes an afghan for all of her grandchildren when they turn 16. My son just got his and if you think a 16-year-old uber cool snowboarder wouldn’t be super excited about a knitted blanket, you’d be so wrong!

  • 16 Debbie // Dec 13, 2010 at 8:05 pm

    I have a copper bread box that my grandfather used to hold his important papers, instead of bread. I use it to store mementos and journals now.

  • 17 Tina // Dec 13, 2010 at 8:18 pm

    A quilt that my grandma made – each square represents some part of my life (she embroidered pictures, words, and dates that held special significance).

  • 18 Haylee // Dec 13, 2010 at 8:33 pm

    In my family, we have a porcelein cow that is a spout type thing to pour milk or some other type of liquid. It has special meaning to us because it’s past down for generations and was originally my great, great, great grandmothers.

    happy_haylee_3(at)hotmail(dot)com

  • 19 Tamiko // Dec 13, 2010 at 10:12 pm

    My sister’s a visual artist, so I’ve got so many things that she’s made here. But one of my very favorite things is a felt button book with seasonal scenes; she made it for my daughters. The story behind it: she saw a button book in MSL, but decided to make it more interesting by creating 1 spread/season. It’s gorgeous and funny and wonderful.

  • 20 Stacey // Dec 13, 2010 at 10:14 pm

    I have an entire hand written collection of old cookie recipes handed down to me from my mother, that are very dear to me… every year I make a collection of these different recipes and people go crazy over these cookies… they are a gift that keeps on giving!

  • 21 Britt // Dec 13, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    My poor daughter probably thinks everything in our house has a story to it, though there’s not nearly as much that fits into that category as I’d like. The first thing people see when they walk in is a painting my husband did on the back of a grocery bag when he was 6. He hates it now and his parents don’t even like it, but I have it framed on the wall.

  • 22 Ali // Dec 13, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    My father-in-law made a bench with under-the-seat storage after his wedding. It was the first piece of furniture in my in-laws’ first home. He built it from wood salvaged from a friend’s backyard because he couldn’t afford to buy new. Now my husband and I have it in our living room. Its humble beginnings don’t keep it from being an amazing piece!

  • 23 Amy T // Dec 13, 2010 at 11:16 pm

    I make cinnamon rolls with the bowl my mother used, and the rolling pin that her father hand carved. These items mean so much to me. Not only this time of year, but through out the year. And knowing that they will be passed down to the next generation is a wonderful feeling.

  • 24 Alana D // Dec 14, 2010 at 8:08 am

    I have a “Betty Crocker” Cookbook that was my great grandmother’s and now holds a very special place on my cookbook rack. The best thing about it is all the notes she made in the margin of the book after trying recipes! Even though she’s gone, every time I open that cookbook and see her notes, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be part of such a loving family!

  • 25 sarah // Dec 14, 2010 at 9:29 am

    I have a coffee table that my roommate decoupaged with pictures that reminded her of the four of us that lived together. As I had another year of school to finish when they all graduated, I got to keep the table. I still have it and get wonderful complements on it.

  • 26 Stephanie // Dec 14, 2010 at 10:26 am

    I am in the process of creating a family bridal quilt. I decided I would make a quilt from my wedding dress since I will not wear it again. My sister gave me her Bridesmaid’s dress that she wore in my wedding and them my mom said I could use her dress too. Then my sister decided she didn’t know what to do with her dress, so she is adding hers to the mix. So that we don’t fight over the heirloom, we are making 3 quilts so each of us can have one.

  • 27 Shelby // Dec 14, 2010 at 10:27 am

    I love, love, love the glitter wood santas my daughters made when they were six and two. They are prominately displayed every holiday season. Perhaps I should leave them out year round since I love them so much.

  • 28 Liz S. // Dec 14, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    My grandmother is known for her scherenschnitte, designs so I have framed cuttings around the house!

  • 29 Sara // Dec 14, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    My lovely mother in law started quilting a few years back and each year I look forward to a new Christmas decorative quilt for the house. The only problem is that I have so many that I can’t decide which ones to put out and which ones to leave in the big Christmas box each year. What a dilemna! :)

  • 30 Mandy // Dec 14, 2010 at 12:24 pm

    My family has a secret roll recipe that has been in my family for at least 6 generations. It is currently my job to make the rolls at family dinners. I know my grandmother would love that I am now making the rolls!