Sewists: We’ve got to talk about gifts for sewing lovers.
(1) When I saw the cover of
Amy Butler’s Piece Keeping, I became utterly enamoured of those triangle pillows. What is a triangle pillow good for? I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.
(2) The Fashion Designer’s Textile Directory exhaustively describes just about every fashion fabric you can think of and best applications. I own this book, and I especially liked learning about the fabric manufacturing process. #nerdalert
(3) I checked out
No Patterns Needed from my library after hearing a fascinating interview with the author, Rosie Martin, on the
Thread Cult podcast. It’s a cool book, with edgy-yet-simple garment patterns that could be taken in different ways based on fabric choice.
(4) I received Vanessa Christenson’s
Simply Color: Yellow in my
Sew Pro convention swag bag. It features quilting projects around the hue and a neat section on color theory. And if you’re not into yellow, there are Simply Color books for
every shade in the rainbow.
(5) Crafter’s Market is a collection of articles on running a creative business. Santa, I’ve been very good this year… please bring me this book to help me be the best #girlboss I can be!
(6) Skirts are fab sewing projects for the fledgling home sewist.
Skirt-a-Day Sewing offers 28 skirt designs that a sewist can stitch for her unique measurements.
(7) I’d like to branch out from garment sewing and quilting and try upholstery.
Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design has 900 photographs to instruct those interested in the craft.
(8) I’m curious about
The BurdaStyle Handbook. It features five master sewing patterns on which to iterate, plus it’s spiral bound, which is great for when you’re neck deep in a project and don’t need pages flipping around.
Make: Sewing patterns and classes
Build a sewing practice with… practice!
(1) Newbie sewists, rejoice! Sewlebrity Mimi G.’s got ya covered with her
Sew-It Academy. For about $12 a month, you can access video sewing lessons, a private Facebook Group, and live chats with Mimi.
(2) Craftsy offers more than 150
online, on-demand sewing classes. I’d love to take a class on patternmaking or do a session with Kenneth D. King, because he seems so wise and encouraging. (FYI, at this time, Craftsy doesn't offer gift cards, so if you'd like a Craftsy class, you'll have to give your gift givers the skinny.)
(3) This
PDF pattern for spa socks — to be made with a faux fur lining and knit exterior — screams selfish sewing to me (and I like it). Plus, after you make a pair (or two) for yourself, they’d probably be a sweet gift to stitch up for some other lucky soul.
(4) Is there a better sewing bargain than
a subscription to Seamwork magazine? For $6 a month, you get two sewing patterns and a magazine that glows with love for the craft.
(5) Sewing kits are highly giftable — everything a sewist needs to stitch a project in one present. I’m eyeballing a
bra kit from Bra Makers Supply and
Watson bra and panty pattern set from Cloth Habit.
(6) I would be tickled to receive
a gift card for Indiesew. I could spend it on patterns OR fabric! Does it get any better?
(7) I would really like a
sewing pattern from Sprout Patterns, a daughter company of custom fabric printer Spoonflower. With Sprout Patterns, sewists choose a sewing pattern and a fabric from about a gazillion different designs, and Sprout prints the pattern pieces directly to the fabric. Mind = blown. I think this hyper customization is the future of sewing.
(8) Woven labels, like these from Dutch Label Shop, for your sewing projects add a professional touch. I think there are Sie macht labels in my future!
(9) Every time I see
Elizabeth Hartman’s Fancy Forest Animal sampler quilt I let out a “Squeee!” #quiltgoals
Smile: Just-for-fun gifts for sewing lovers
Giggle, ooh, and aww over sweet gifts for sewing lovers to warm the heart.
(1) This
intermediate sewing kit from Mood Fabrics includes essential sewing tools and a copy of
The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion. This would be a fab gift for a sewist who’s ready to take her practice to the next level.
(2) If you’re looking for that perfect detail for your next sewing project, browse the bias tape at
So Biased. Build your sewing stash with bias tape in unusual patterns, colors, and textures.
(3) One of my favorite sewing tools isn’t a sewing tool. An
X-acto craft knife gives you amazing control as you cut out pattern pieces. An awesome sewing gift would be a knife and
box of blades so you can slice without making a run to the office supply store.
(4) On a similar note, a
rotary cutter and
extra blades are thoughtful and practical gifts for sewing lovers. Bundle them in one present for twice the sewing love!
(5) One of my favorite sewing tools that IS a sewing tool is
my giant Olfa self-healing cutting mat. And for when you need to take your sewing show on the road, Olfa makes a
smaller folding mat. I played with the folding mat at Sew Pro convention, and it’s really, really cool, guys.
(6) I don’t think you can have too many rulers as a sewist. My current favorite ruler is a
6-by-24-inch beast. It’s extremely helpful for aligning fabric and pattern pieces (hello, grainline!) on a gridded cutting mat.
Bobbins and thread — are they the bane of your sewing organizational system, too? Fortunately, there are many products to help sewists wrangle these cylinders. I’d love a
wall-mounted thread rack (7). This
bobbin tower from Nancy Zieman (8) is cute. Then there are products like:
(14) I have a lot of sewing gear, but I don’t have a magnetic pincushion. This
wooden magnetic pincushion, made of poplar, would be a beautiful addition to any/my sewing room.
Wear: Clothes and jewelry gifts for sewists
Show off love for sewing beyond the sewing room.
(1) The graphic design of this
heartbeat sewing machine T-shirt captures what a lot of us feel on the inside.
(2) These enameled charms —
bear paw,
rhombus, and
North star — would be charming (pun intended!) on a necklace or charm bracelet. They’re delicate, but the graphic quilt blocks pack a visual punch.
(3) Button, button, who’s got the button? Buttons are an icon of sewing, and a
silver button necklace would be a subtle nod to your favorite craft.
(4) This
ampersand sewing T-shirt from Patchwork Threads says it all. Could this become my stitching mantra? Yes.
Over to you: What gifts for sewers and quilters do YOU long for in your heart of hearts? What are the best gifts for sewists you’ve ever received? Sound off in comments!
P.S. If you would be so kind,
please share this guide of gifts for sewing lovers via email and social media — especially Pinterest (because I know how much time sewists spend over there!). The more eyeballs we get on this gift guide for sewers and quilters, the better gifts we all will receive! The sharing buttons on are your left (if you’re on a desktop) and on the top (if you’re on a mobile device).
P.P.S. Because I’m all about help, here are some other useful blog posts about sewing from my corner of the internet:
Quilting tips for beginners: Do’s and don’ts discovered by a newbie
Anorak sewing pattern guide: 3 popular jackets, side by side
Sewing tips: 12 sewing truths for rookie sewists
