Santa Baby

Santa baby, just slip some fabric under the tree for me
Been an awful good girl, you see
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, a Janome M17, light blue
I’ll wait up for you dear
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Think of all the fun I’ve missed
Think of all the quilts that I didn’t quilt
Next year I could be just as good
If you check off my Christmas list

Santa baby, I want a quilting cruise and really that’s not a lot
Been an angel all year
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa honey, one little thing I really need
The deed to a quilt store
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with thread and scissors
A new cutting mat would be just fine
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some buttons and quilt finery
I really do believe in you
Let’s see if you believe in me

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing
Some quilting bling – like some earrings,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry, tonight

(Apologies to Philip Springer and Joan Javits)

This blog is not for quilters.  Nope.  Not at all.  So right now, if you’re a quilter, what you need to do is print this blog out, highlight the gifts you want, and send copies of this blog to your significant other, friends, children, and other family members.  As a fellow quilter, I’m doing you a solid.  I want you to have all the quilty goodness under the Christmas tree you could ever want.

With that said, if you’re not a quilter but are related to one or love one, do yourself a solid and read this blog.  Take it with you when you shop.  If you have questions, leave them in the comments.  I’ll do my best to help.

Quilters are wonderful people, but buying for them can throw a non-quilter into a mental and emotional tailspin. Sure, we like fabric, but we can be pretty darn specific about manufacturers and colors.  We like quilt patterns, but don’t purchase an applique pattern for a quilter who is only a piecer.  So what’s a non-quilter to do?  With this blog I want to offer a few suggestions which will make the quilter in your life super happy and earn you major points for taking the time to find them such wonderful gifts. 

•  Quilting Related “Stuff”

There are t-shirts and sweatshirts, coffee mugs and wine glasses, notebooks, stickers, and pens which are quilt related.  Missouri Star has quite a few options.  Etsy is full of them.  Maker Valley is a new shop (at least new to me) which has quite a few great selections. 

•  Specialty Pins and Needle Minders

First, let me say these type of pins:

Are great.  They can be used for more than just pinning seams together.  The flat heads are large enough to write on.  I number mine and use them to keep blocks and rows in order. 

However, no one has ever said pins should be dull (dull as in unattractive, not dull as in a blunt point).  Dritz has some really nice, numbered pins and Etsy has several shops which offer cute pins such as these:

Just because you’re doing something as mundane as pinning, doesn’t mean it should be dull and boring.

Needle minders are cute magnets, generally enameled, which are used to help you keep up with hand sewing needles (which have a way of disappearing).  The minder comes in two pieces – the pretty top and a strong magnet on the back.  You place the top part on your block or quilt or your shirt and use the magnet on the back of the fabric to hold it in place.  These magnets are strong – so no worries about the needle minder falling off.  You simply place your hand sewing needle on the top when you’re not using it and it will stay firmly in place.  This is super-handy – no worrying about where your needle is.  And for those of you who have canine or feline friends, no worries about them finding the needle for you by stepping on it or swallowing it. 

•  Good Lighting

There are two ways to look at this option.  If the quilter in your life enjoys traveling with her projects or attends quilt retreats, you may want to splurge for a portable light.  Ott lights are my favorite, as their light bulbs are pretty close to natural sunlight.  They come in all sizes and can easily be packed up to take with you wherever you and your quilt projects go.

If the quilter in your life is the stay-at-home type, you may want to look at lighting for her sewing machine or hand sewing area.  There are a couple of things you want to look for with good lights.  First, the closest they can get to replicating daylight, the better.  Second, sewing lamps can do so much more these days than just make it easier to see.  Lights for quilters can come with USB charging ports for your phone or iPad, storage, magnifiers, and trays. 

•  Quilting Notions

Rotary cutting mats, Hera markers, glass head pins, thread conditioner or beeswax, rotatory cutter replacement blades, Wonder Clips, Clover seam rippers, Kai scissors, or sewing machine cleaning brushes are great gifts – and many are available on Amazon!

•  Block of the Month Kits (BOM)

This is the gift that keeps giving for months.  And this is a very personal choice.  I can go years without participating in a block of the month and then suddenly in one year, there will be a several I absolutely love.  This is definitely something you should consult about with the quilter in your life before submitting your credit or debit card for payment.  Currently there are wonderful quilted bench pillow BOMs, door quilt BOMS, and small quilt BOMs, not to mention a wide variety of bed quilt and applique BOMs. 

•  EQ 8 or Other Quilt Designing Software

If the quilter in your life enjoys designing their own quilts, or tweaks published patterns to suit their fancy, you may want to gift them software like Electric Quilt 8.  There are other quilt designing software packages, but the reason I mention EQ8 is that it’s pretty user friendly and intuitive.  Plus there are lots of YouTube videos and imbedded tutorials in the software.  If the quilter in your life really enjoys the program, there are even on-line classes available (which may help you with your Christmas list next year.)

•  On-line classes

And speaking of on-line classes, thanks to Covid and Zoom, all kinds of on-line quilting classes are now available to quilters of all levels in all kinds of techniques.  You will need to definitely ask about this one – don’t just find some random on-line quilting class and sign the quilter in your life up for it.  Ask if there’s a particular instructor or a particular technique he or she would like to learn more about and if they would be interested in on-line learning.  I personally love on-line classes, but I do know quilters who would prefer to be in a normal classroom setting. 

•  Fabric

This one seems obvious.  You have a quilter in your life, you purchase that person fabric and everyone is happy – you’ve found a gift, there’s fabric to sew – a complete win-win, right?

Nope.  Unless it’s the right kind of fabric, you could really mess this purchase up.  Even my dear husband, who has lived with me quilting for nearly 40 years, would not dream of buying me fabric unless I was along with him.  He knows enough to make sure it’s 100 percent cotton, but any other characteristics?  Nope.  Not a clue.

If the quilter in your life has given you specific requirements – such a fabric house, fabric line, colors, etc. – and you’re comfortable purchasing these on-line or at your local quilt shop, go for it.  Otherwise, I’d advise you to forgo actual, physical fabric for a much safer option:  gift cards.  Chances are  the quilter in your life has mentioned where he or she likes to buy fabric on-line or at a local shop.  And quite often you can purchase a gift card from the comfort of your home via your cell phone or lap top and it will be emailed to you immediately (for those of you who wait until the last minute to Christmas shop, I’ve just reduced your stress level – you’re welcome). 

Added bonus, the quilter can also use the gift card to purchase non-fabric items they may need, such as thread, stabilizer, or rulers.  

There is also one more additional fabric-purchasing option.  If your quilter has mentioned he or she adores one particular fabric manufacturer, check their website.  Sometimes the manufacturer may have a monthly subscription available.  For a monthly fee, they will send fat quarters, layer cakes, or even yardage to your quilter.  And often they may have more than one type of selection.  They may offer Christmas fabric or stash builders.  There are even a couple designed specifically for beginner quilters.  Ask a few discrete questions and this may be a great option for your quilter.

•  Sewing Machine

Okay, this is definitely a purchase you need to make with your quilter.  Sewing machine manufacturers upgrade their machines yearly.  And if the quilter in your life is like me, they may go years before an upgrade truly catches their eye and is worth the expense.  So don’t go out and make this purchase willy-nilly without mentioning it to your quilter (although chances are if he or she wants to upgrade, they’re already making all kinds of comments about it).  However, rule of thumb is, if you can’t remember the last time their sewing machine was upgraded, then it may very well be time for a new machine. 

Send Them Away to Quilt with Other Quilters

Our quilting world is full of quilting cruises, quilting retreats, and quilting trips to places such as the Houston Quilt Show, APQS Paducah, Lancaster, Missouri Star, Ireland, England, France, and lots of other places.  Ask the quilter in your life if they would like to go.  Quilting magazines are a great reference for these trips – there are so many ads in them for quilt-related travel.  Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame hosts several trips each year.  From my own personal experience, I can tell you it is wonderful to get away from your everyday life and spend time with other people who have the same passion as you do. 

I hope I have done both the quilters and non-quilters a solid with this blog.  To the non-quilters who have quilters in their life, I really want this blog to serve as a sort of shopping guide for you.  For you quilters, I hope you find those deeply desired quilty related items under your tree – you’ve been good all year and certainly deserve them!

Until Next Week, Remember the Details Make the Difference!

Love and Stitches,

Sherri