- Do you have a quilter or sewer in your life?
Well, one thing we all have in common
is that we collect stuff to do with our craft.
Some of it that we use a lot, some of it clutters our space.
So what do you get them as a gift?
Here's a list of 10 items
that anyone that owns a sewing machine can use.
So stick with me and I'll show you how to do it.
(upbeat music)
Hi there, I'm Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts,
I give you tips, tricks and strategies
to help you make the quilt that you want to make.
The holiday season is not what it used to be.
When I was a child, Christmas was one of the few times
of the year when I receive new things.
These days, we have almost everything we need
and when we want it.
So when you ask someone, what do they want for Christmas?
It's almost always a shrug.
Here are 10 gifts that you can't go wrong with
for the quilter or sewer in your life.
(upbeat music)
If that special person in your life
is a new sewer or quilter, you cannot go wrong
with a good pair of scissors.
If you invest in quality, they are going to last for years.
There is nothing more thrilling than cutting through fabric
and be able to cut right to the very tip.
And like screwdrivers,
you're going to need more than one pair.
There is the large shear,
then there's the serrated version
for cutting through fabric like wool, silk or double gauze.
The embroidery, the narrow points
will get into the smallest cracks.
And the snips, for trimming the millions of threads
that every project has.
And if your special person is left-handed,
there's also good left-handed scissors out there.
If your special person is an experienced quilter chances are
they already have several pairs.
So in that case, give them a certificate
to a local sharpener.
Better yet, you take them and get them sharpened
and save them the hassle.
By the way, I'm going to put the links to everything that I can
down in the notes.
The links are not sponsored,
they're just there to make your life easy.
(upbeat music)
You should change your sewing machine needle
after every 8 hours of sewing.
But often we don't.
Sharp needles are an important part of sewing
but there's no bling factor associated with needles.
So we'd rather spend our money on fabric.
And we really hesitate about changing our needle
when we only have 1 needle left,
so the gift of a stack of needles would be very nice.
That way we can change them frequently without worry.
You can't go wrong with an 80 universal or an 80 quilting,
but you can also throw in a couple of 70s or 90s.
(upbeat music)
If we are miserly with our needles,
we are even worse with our rotary blades.
There's that special moment when the rotary blade is fresh
and it cuts through fabric like butter
but it's downhill from there,
and we try to make them last as long as possible,
long after they should be changed.
So do that someone special a favour
and buy them a stack of rotary blades.
They come in several sizes
so be sure to get the correct size.
They will thank you every single time they change the blade.
(upbeat music)
We consume so much thread when we sew,
we sew seams, we top stitch, we quilt, we bind
and our results are so much better
if we have a good quality thread.
My favourite is Aurifil, but that's not the only brand I use.
Look for a 50 weight thread.
They come in sets or individually
and you can't go wrong with white, beige, grey or black.
But since it's the festive season,
you might want to go for something more colourful.
(upbeat music)
When we are making quilts, we need batting.
There are so many quilt tops
just waiting for us to afford the batting
to make them into quilts.
So you can't really get this one wrong.
No matter what size you buy or what type of batting you buy,
eventually it will all get used as a whole piece
or we'll cut it down to the sizes that we do need.
(upbeat music)
We spend a lot of time sitting on our bottom,
so it makes a big difference, if it's well supported
with a good seat cushion.
I use one from Vigurus.
He makes them for racing car drivers and pilots.
A bonus of having it as a separate piece like this
is that I can use it as a kneeling pad
when I have to get down on the floor.
(upbeat music)
I know that sounds very geriatric, but stick with me.
While long arming or a day at the quilt show
or doing a shop hop,
or even days when I'm just standing
and doing a lot of cutting, I will wear this sock
and it makes a difference at the end of the day,
in my knees, in my ankles and therefore in my attitude.
And nowadays they come in so many fun colours and styles.
I also use them when I run or when I travel on aeroplanes .
I know that if you use them once you're going to be writing me
saying how did I wait so long?
(upbeat music)
As a subscriber reminded me after my video
on Sewing Straight, it's a lot easier to do it right
if you can see your work.
And most sewing machine room light just isn't good enough,
we're often in basements or in corners of rooms
with no natural light, some people sew in cupboards,
so a really good sewing light is appreciated.
Mine is flexible and rotate.
It also has several settings on it.
But honestly, my room is so dark, I only use it on high.
You can also buy little stick-on LED lights
so to put underneath your herp
or get a standing light for people that do a lot
of hand sewing or travel one for the on the road kit.
(upbeat music)
Chances are the local sewing centre gives classes,
so purchase a gift certificate that they can use
towards one.
Or maybe they'll just choose to buy fabric,
or perhaps purchase the membership for them at a local guild
so that they can make new friends.
They might be nervous about joining,
but a paid membership
will give them the push that they need.
I also know several people that every year
they purchase a membership, their friend or their sister,
that way they have a regular outing every single month.
You could also give a gift card to one of the big box stores
so that special someone can take advantage
of the big coupon days to buy those big ticket purchases.
(upbeat music)
Quilting and sewing books are great to have around.
They're part instruction, part inspiration,
part coffee table book.
And next year as part of my channel,
I'm starting a book club, a quilting book club.
So I will be reviewing quilting books
and talking about their projects.
And the first one will be "Gemology"
by Andrea Tsang Jackson.
It's all about colour, shape, and paper piecing.
So I hope you'll join me.
There are many other things that sewers need, quilting mats,
irons, rulers, and especially fabric
which depend on their time, their space,
and their personal tastes.
So their needs are going to be quite specific in this area.
So it's best to ask first.
Personally, there's no way that my husband or my family
knows what I want or need in regards to quilting,
so I make a list in a variety of price points.
I provide them with the links to where they can buy it,
and I send it out in an email to them all.
And I'll be honest, there have been times when hey,
I've just bought it myself, like I've specific template set
from paper pieces and I passed it to my husband
for him to wrap and put under the tree.
The look on his face was as if I had handed him
a fluffy pink grenade.
So I knew he would have never have been able
to navigate the purchase on his own,
even if I had dropped a heavy hint.
As I said, gift giving is different these days,
it was still a win win.
(upbeat music)
So I hope this helps you with your holiday shopping.
And if you are a quilter or sewer yourself,
maybe you share this video with the friends
and family in your life.
The best gift you can give me is subscribing.
I'm so close to 100,000 subscribers
and then YouTube will give me a special plaque.
I would really appreciate your support.
So if you haven't subscribed yet,
please click that subscribe button down below.
If you are thinking of making some last minute gift,
check out my video on 7 fast and easy gifts
with clothesline rope.
I have links to all the gifts I've mentioned down below
in the notes and I'll get a blog post up on my website,
you can check out too at JustGetItDoneQuilts.com
You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
at Just Get It Done Quilt.
So Take care and I'll see you next time.