Aren't Rules Made To Be Broken?

Please, please say yes, and that breaking rules is one of your favorite hobbies. I'm breaking a family gift rule this year in a big way. By about a thousand percent, I'd say.

The family gift rule is that presents should fit in the palm of your hand. That was Mom's suggestion when she and Dad were getting ready to move to smaller digs in a warmer climate. It's actually a good rule, one that makes coming up with gift ideas much simpler. For Mom -- jewelry and scarves, naturally. But Dad? That's a little trickier.

So I'm making him a pillow. (My parents are still on dial-up, so no chance they'll see this post). This gift won't fit in the palm of even his big farmer hands.

The quilted cover is made from naturally dyed silks from my Willow For Color collection. My dad helped me plant that willow. I think he'll find it interesting, and I like to give gifts that spark the telling of a story.

A few years ago, I broke the rule and made my dad another silk throw pillow -- one with an embroidered appliqued picture of me and my sister many years ago, standing in front of the milkhouse on the farm. Sorry, no pictures (I barely got it done in time), but I think it's one of my dad's favorite gifts.

I'll really try to get pictures of this pillow cover when it's finished. There's more embroidery to do, buttons, and a bit more stitching on the silk velvet binding. I want this pillow to be soft and cool and soothing to the touch. That's all I can write on the topic of aging parents right now, except to say that the strength and resilience of the willow I used to dye the fabric are a pale reflection of the character of the man.

Mom's gift I'll use to wrap the pillow furoshiki style. She's getting a silk scarf like those in my Willow For Color collection on Etsy. After Dad unwraps his pillow, it will fit in the palm of her hand.

Are you breaking any family rules with your holiday gifts this year? Or are you making family rules that make gift exchanges easier? I'd like to know! Leave a comment below, or post it on my Facebook page.