What Do You Get A Quilter For Christmas or Chanukah?
Choosing quilt-related gifts for the quilter in your life can seem daunting. Perhaps the sewing room is already chock full o' stuff (what else could she possibly need or want?!?), or the quilter is new to the art and it's not clear what might be most useful.
This lens provides some gift suggestions and source information along with a range of prices to suit every budget.
Color, Give Her Color
Playing with crayons
Every quilter needs more fabric. We tend to collect fabric in sizes called "Fat Quarters." These are pre-cut and folded pieces of fabric found in every quilt shop and many regular fabric shops. Quilters lover Fat Quarters (often called "FQ's) -- and quilt shop owners will gladly assist you in choosing a nice selection.To decide what kind of Fat Quarters to get, go take a look at your quilter's stash. Think of it as a big box of crayons -- you're looking at color, not pattern. What colors are missing from the palette, or low on stock? Unless it's a color she hates, these colors are a good bet.
Next look at patterns - pick a fabric that is representative of what she collects and bring it to the store with you. This will give the quilt shop staff an idea of what style of print to recommend -- and you won't have to figure out the difference between a Bali fabric and a feedsack reproduction.
Prices for Fat Quarters average around $2.50 each, and often sell in coordinated groups of 6-8 for about $15. Whether you buy one or a basket-full, she'll appreciate the personal effort.
If you can't get to a local quilt shop, try the online quilt shops listed below. For example, Hancock Fabrics offers a 41-shade fat quarter bundle with great colors and filler patterns, packaged in a tote bag (also linked below).
For The Quilter Who Has Everything
Quilt and Textile Art Items Off The Beaten Path
- 72 Ways Not To Stipple Or Meander
- Created by Australian textile artist Dijanne Cevaal, this book offers 72 patterns for machine quilting that go well beyond traditional stippling and meandering. The book is $23 USD and the CD (same content as the book) is $15 USD. The prices INCLUDE postage!
This book/CD would be a terrific surprise and an inspiring introduction to a great textile artist. - Seastrands Studio
- This site is the gallery of Newfoundland textile artist Vicky Taylor-Hood. Her work is luminous and inspiring to an aspiring landscape quilter. Prices vary.
- Aurifil Thread at Red Rock Thread
- Aurifil 50wt is a very fine Italian thread that creates less bulk in a quilt seam, which contributes to the level of accuracy in piecing. It also means that more thread can go onto a bobbin, which means fewer bobbin changes. Black, grey, and white are good all-purpose choices, but thread is much like fabric -- one can never have enough! Spools are $8.95 USD.
- In A Minute Ago
- Notecards, mugs, and journals with a crazy quilt theme.
Gifts under $20
Easy on the budget, big on a quilter's wish list.
Flower Head Pins -Fine-20/Pkg
excellent for applique and working with silk. The small diameter of the pin means that it makes smaller holes in the fabric. The longer length combined with the flat flower shaped head makes them easy to control and position.
Amazon Price: $10.50 (as of 01/08/2010) 
Fiskars 95217097 45 mm Rotary Cutter
My personal preference in rotary cutters is the Fiskars brand. If your quilter has an old rotary cutter, it might be good to purchase one of the newer models with safety features. It's also always good to have more than one -- I'm always misplacing mine. Replacement blades are always welcome stocking stuffers, too.
Amazon Price: $17.00 (as of 01/08/2010)
Quilt Books
Going Rogue: An American Life
Amazon Price: $14.50 (as of 01/08/2010)
Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 01/08/2010)
Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Amazon Price: $13.00 (as of 01/08/2010)
Wolf Hall: A Novel
Amazon Price: $11.00 (as of 01/08/2010)
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy
Amazon Price: $17.55 (as of 01/08/2010)
Quilt Shop Links
- Keepsake Quilting
- Offers a variety of popular fabrics and patterns. Select "fabric collections" from the left column to view available fabrics.
- Hickory Hill Quilts (aka The Quilt Bus)
- Click on "fat quarters" on the menu at the top of the page to view a nice selection of collections.
- Quilt Web
- A great selection of quilt calendars
- Hancock Fabrics Fat Quarter Bundle
- Hancock Fabrics offers a stunning (even overwhelming) array of fabrics. This link takes you directly to a collection of fabrics that most any quilter will love.
Got Your Own Gift Ideas?
Submit your gift ideas here!
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- Kalvin Kalvin Dec 8, 2009 @ 11:01 am
- Nice information, keep it coming some good things learned here, thanks twin over full bunk bed
http://www.twinoverfullbunkbed.info
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- Karen Clubbs Karen Clubbs Dec 16, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
- I have a wooden wall hanging with the pieces made into a quilt block, I would like to find more, I have several friends who want one, I also I think stained glass and ceramic tile wall hangings made to look like quilt blocks would be beautiful! I can't seem to find anything like that.
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- Zen Jan Zen Jan Dec 7, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
- As a fiber artist, I always love to get a piece of someone else's work. You can see mine at www.zenjan.etsy.com!
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- Quilteralice Quilteralice Jul 1, 2007 @ 10:57 am
- Hi - Nice Lens! We have gift ideas too at Alice in Stitches Quilting, Knitting and Needlework Store.
Thanks, Alice
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