Hard-Sided Fabric Boxes: A Gift For My Midwives

What to get your two lovely midwives who have delivered two out of your three children and seen you through the thick and thin of pregnancy for the better part of three years? Nothing I could buy with money seemed good enough. I knew I had to invest some of myself into the gifts to make them somewhat comparable to the knowledge and expertise they've blessed us with.

Recently, my midwives redecorated their offices and got some nice new beds. I noticed that the headboards had open shelving and thought to myself that I could make some storage boxes/buckets to help corral in the stethoscopes, alcohol wipes and other medical odds and ends that inhabited that area.

I used this Fabric Storage Box tutorial from make it and love it as the model and just changed the dimensions to what I thought would fit into the shallow headboard shelves. I liked the fact that these fabric boxes had stiff sides (rug-hooking plastic sheets from Michaels - brilliant!) without the use of lots of fleece/batting and stabilizer.

I got this really nice Michael Miller fabric from Fabricland on sale for about $5/yard. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it at the time, but when I checked through my stash for something to make these boxes with, I knew immediately that this gorgeous, earthy, floral fabric was going to be just perfect.

I especially liked the little windows that Ashley at make it and love it added to these boxes. They allowed for some personalization of the boxes. I also thought about using some windows to showcase an appliquéd message, similar to my monogrammed fabric bucket project - but these seemed much more practical since my midwives could use the pockets to hold a storage label later.

For my plastic windows, I cut up some vinyl packaging that I had lying around the house. You know, the kind that comes with bedding, kids toys, etc. I knew I was saving all that stuff for something! It always seemed like such a waste to throw away all those nice plastic pockets... and the associated snaps and zippers that they come with!

To finish off the gift, I filled the basket with some home-baked goodies, a picture of them holding my newborn kiddies and a personal "thank you" note. I also wanted to knit some fingerless mittens (since they are always using their Blackberries) but I didn't have time to get out and buy the necessary knitting needles. I do have the needles now... so it'll be a project to finish and give to them when I see them again for child #4! (No, I'm not pregnant again and negotiations for child #4 are still ongoing with hubby, but a girl can hope can't she? :)