Presenting sock monkey presents

This year my presents to my grand children were sock monkeys with add-ons.

Last year I came across sock monkey ornaments at an after Christmas clearance sale.  I quickly bought a bag full.

A few months later I ran across the sock monkeys on display at Quilt Etc. in Sandy.  They had classes but I kept leaving town when they were offered so I finally bought an instruction book, shoes, sweaters, and Fox River socks and struck out on my own.  I also found sock monkey fabric so soon the add-ons included pillowcases, a book, and a flashlight.  This is Oscar's sock monkey before I added red yarn hair.

Then it was time to make some girl monkeys.

I dressed them in dresses made from a Simplicity pattern for 15" baby dolls.

The dresses were made from Bonnie and Camille fabrics leftover from the birthday quilts  I made for sisters Ruby, Sadie, and Mabel.

I purchased the handbags from the BYU Bookstore for 99 cents each.

I decided that they needed a bit of sparkle.

I found the flower clips and headbands at a local craft booth store.

I made an assortment of pillowcases.

One for each sock monkey recipient.

Into each pillowcase went an age appropriate book, a flashlight and Sees suckers from grandpa, and a sock monkey.

Then I tied them shut with a ribbon and a sock monkey ornament.

The sisters monkeys went under the Utah tree along with their finally finished quilts as they were coming to spend time with the other side of their family.

I wanted them to have them early to enjoy the weekend before Christmas.

When back in Arizona, I put together four more monkeys for my oldest son's family.

They were all dressed in sweaters.  I hand embroidered some blue and red trim to help differentiate the boy monkeys.

I embroidered each face a bit differently as well.

The girls had skirts to go with their sweaters.

And they all had sneakers.

Once again they were packed into pillowcases along with books, flashlights, suckers, and tied with ribbon and ornaments.

One for each grand child.

Toby

Heather

TJ

and Julianna.

I was worried about TJ's reaction but someone told me, "You are never too old for a sock monkey!"