All I Want for Christmas….

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  There are Gift Guides and Wish Lists everywhere.  Your Social Media Committee thought it would be fun to create a list just for MPS. So we put our heads together and came up with a few things we’d thought you’d enjoy.  Use this as your own personal wish list or gift guide.  Remember, you can always click on an image to get a larger view.

First of all, what quilter doesn’t need (or just want) more equipment or gadgets? We like the Creative Grids Rulers because of their slip-resistant backs and their fine lines that increase accuracy.  Remember when Judy showed us a great Stripology Ruler at one of our Guild meetings?  Here’s a mini version of that ruler for less money.  You can see all of their products on their website.

Or how about some handy Wonder Clips by Clover?  Not only do they hold your binding securely as you sew it down, they also work great for “pinning” bags, vinyl, or thicker fabrics.  You can find them at almost any quilt shop or fabric store.  Amazon also carries many package options.

And speaking of pinless pinning, have you seen these? They are called SewTites and are magnetic pins to be used when regular pins won’t do the job quite right.  You can use them for your English Paper Piecing, or when you’re using that special fabric you don’t want to poke with holes.  They are also great for securing things, like pockets, in place before you stitch then down. Visit their website for purchase options.

Do you have a pair of “get-by” scissors?  Or do you know someone who needs them? I love the ones I bought in a moment of desperation when I was out of town.  These are small and work great for travelling sewing projects.  Mine even went with me on the plane to and from New York.  The length of the blades from the pin to the tips meets the TSA requirements.  They are inexpensive ($5 or under) and you can usually find them at the counter of quilt shops or fabric stores.  Now that I own a pair, I see them everywhere.

Wool Pressing Mats are all the rage.  They are great for achieving flatness in blocks with lots of seams and points!  They come in many sizes and many of the quilt shops are carrying them now.  You can also buy them online from many places; but I’ll link you to Amazon so you can see what we’re talking about.

You can never have too much lighting.  How about an LED strip that attaches right to your machine? You’ll really appreciate these lights in the evening.  You can learn more about these strips here, and I’ve seen them for sale on Amazon.

For luxury lighting, you can check out the Stella Lights.  I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about these lights since they were introduced to the Guild at the last meeting.

Handmade gifts are always wonderful to give or to receive. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.

These two pretty covers take note-taking or journal-writing to another level of enjoyment. Add a good quality pen and your gift is complete! You can find tutorials for a couple of covers at the Bloom website and Larkscraft site.

For those times when you need to be “hands-free” this drawstring backpack is perfect, especially when showing off your prettiest fabrics. A great gift for a student, traveler, young mom, or anybody who has a load to carry! Sotak Handmade has a free tutorial for this.  Or how about a cute reusable lined drawstring bag? You’ll find a tutorial on the In Color Order blog.

A soup cozy will save your fingers from burning when taking your bowl out of the microwave or to the table. This quick project and a package of dry soup mix makes a gift that’s useful and yummy!  Craft Warehouse has a free pattern for this fun-to-make gift.

Sometimes we just like to give or get a gift that celebrates our passion for quilting or sewing.

How about a coffee table book that just features blue and white quilts and how to decorate with them?  You can find this book at several online shops, as well as Amazon.  Having taken a sneak peak of the book, I can say that the images are splendid and awe-inspiring.

At our November Guild meeting, Mike McCormick spoke to us about the Quiltfolk Magazine.  This beautiful publication has local ties, comes out four times a year, and each magazine features quilters from a particular state in our country.  The first issue was about quilters from Oregon.  They have reprinted a limited run of this issue and are selling it on their website.  I got my mom a subscription to the magazine and am hoping she will share the issues with me when she’s done with them.   Maybe this would be something a small group would like to purchase and share among it’s members.

For the quilter who has everything (but wants more!) how about this adorable sewing machine cookie cutter? Include a packaged sugar cookie dough for a sweet gift.  Check it out at this Etsy shop.

And finally, enamel pins are hot right now.  They look great on lapels or as embellishment on bags, name tags, etc.  Just Google “enamel quilting [or sewing] pins” and go crazy.  There are so many great pins out there.

We hope you have fun with this list.  Of course, you can always add your ideas in the comments below.  We’d love to hear from you!