- The holidays are coming.
And what do you give the quilter in your life?
They appear to have everything they could possibly want.
So today I have 10 fun ideas
that you might not have thought about.
So stick with me and I'll show you how to do it.
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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.
And if you like what you see,
please hit that subscribe button.
The year 2020 has certainly thrown us a curve.
As of today, we are unsure
of whether we're going to be able to gather for the holidays
as we have done in past years.
And since we've been in social isolation for 6 months
you might not even know what the quilter
in your life wants or needs.
I highly recommend that you watch my last year's video
as my 10 suggestions were gifts
that quilters actually need
and you can't go wrong with this.
This year's list is a little bit more fun.
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So many quilters are also fond of games.
The Patchwork game combines both of them together.
I recently received it as a gift
and really enjoy playing it.
My opinion might be a bit biassed,
but it is rated as one of the top 100 games
by Board Game Geek.
It's a two-player game, which is perfect
for the socially isolating times.
It's easy to learn, quick to play and perfect for visitors
that don't necessarily have a lot of time.
You advance your tokens, you purchase patches
and you received buttons all while trying
to make a perfect 7x7 grid.
When both players arrive at the end of the track,
the one with the most buttons wins.
Each game lasts about 30 minutes.
So if you have a little bit more time
you might play best out of 3 or best out of 5.
Oh, and I'll have links
to all these items in the notes below.
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Quilters are often fond of puzzles as well.
Here is one of my favourite Common Block Patterns
by Cobble Hill Puzzles or this crazy quilt puzzle
by Springbok Puzzles or the Quilting Craft Room
by Euro Graphics.
But perhaps the best puzzle of all will be a photo
of one of their own quilts
with somebody snuggling underneath.
It's pretty fast and easy
and there are several sites to choose from.
I like the quality of Ravensburger puzzles.
So let me show you how to use their site.
First step is to get the photo.
You might have to take it or just pull it from your archive
the better quality of the photo,
the better quality of the puzzle.
Step 2, you upload that photo to the website.
You will see the quality of your photo here.
Mine has a high resolution, so it gets 5 stars.
The third step is about your design.
You can choose the orientation, you can crop it.
Some websites will let you add a filter.
Some websites will let you add words
some you will have to make all these adjustments
before you upload your photo.
And the fourth step is choose
the design of your box and then you're all set.
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Making a quilt takes time.
And there are multiple steps to making one.
So most quilters need some kind of planner
where they can keep track of their projects
their to do lists and their inventory and dream a bit.
The Quilters Planner is great
for the cultures who like all the calendars
and to do lists and project lists pre-made for them.
You do have a choice of several different layouts.
It's a little bit bigger
than your normal planner, and it has a spiral binding
so it can lie flat while you're using it.
It includes a year long quilt project
and it has a great vibrant online community around it.
Another system is Plan to Quilt
for the quilter that doesn't need a calendar
because it's either on their phone or on the wall.
This planner focuses on the projects at hand.
It has templates and grid paper
to keep track of your projects from beginning to end,
it also has a spiral binding
so it can lie flat and without a calendar, it never expires.
So if your life goes off track
you're not dealing with blank pages.
I did reach out to the designer of the planner
and she has offered all my viewers a 10% discount
by using the coupon code maker at checkout.
And then there is the bullet journal system
for quilters who want everything their way.
This system is totally customizable.
As you plan and make all the pages yourself.
I have done several videos,
for bullet journals for crafters,
and I will link them in the notes below.
And there are a lot
of good bullet journals out there beside the Leuchttrum 1917
so they can have the colour and size they want.
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So often the parts of our brain that we need to quilt
are tired, or we are simply fed up
with the same old, same old.
So we need resources to trigger that right side
of our brain to trigger our sew-jo.
Since right now we are limited on our outside resources,
books like the encyclopaedia of inspiration
books on colour books on pattern
are great to bring into our home,
to have on a bookshelf or a coffee table
to pick up when we need them.
There are also magazines like "Uppercase"
and "Curated Quilts" and "Quilt Folk".
You can read the stories of creativity,
discovery and legacy, or you can simply look at the photos
let your brain relax and let the ideas flow in.
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We often have our eye on a big project
but the extra expenses attached to it
prevent us from jumping in.
Some projects not only need a pattern
but they need specialty rulers or templates,
paper pieces or a specific type of fabric.
It might be all available as a kit
or you might have to purchase all the items separately.
Quilters, this is the time to ask for it.
And you can have several friends
and family members collaborate to make it happen.
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Labels on the quilt
not only identify the creator
but also add a level of personalization and legacy
but some of us find it a fussy step and we avoid doing it.
So make it easier by gifting a set of personalised labels.
It could be simply a woven one.
Like you find inside clothing.
From Wunderlabel you can design a simple text label
or one with a logo on it that can be quickly sewn
in with the binding or purchase fabric from Spoonflower
with larger labels, digitally printed on it.
These provide ample space to say who the quilt is for,
who it's made by and the date.
There are also specialty labels
for those that make Quilts of Valour,
you could even design your own label
and have Spoonflower print it for you.
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Give the gift of learning.
Skillshare is an online learning community with meaning
with so much to explore and real projects to create
with the support of fellow creatives.
Skillshare empowers you to learn
that skill that you've always wanted to try.
Skillshare is also very affordable, especially when compared
with in-person classes and workshops.
An annual subscription is less than $10 a month.
You can learn and grow with classes
that fit into the short blocks of time in your busy day,
whether you watch
on your morning commute or during lunchtime
or in a quiet time after the kids have gone to bed,
you can continue to move forward
in your creative journey without putting your life on hold.
Skillshare offers thousands
of inspiring classes for creative and curious people
on topics including illustration, design
photography, video, freelancing, and more.
Skill share classes include a combination of video lessons
and a class project that will fit your skill level.
Whether you're a beginner, a pro, a dabbler or a master.
The first 1000 of my subscribers
to click the link in the description will get a free trial
of premium membership.
So you can explore your creativity.
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Last week, I talked about the stages of making a quilt
and that we don't necessarily do everything in one space.
So a kit that can be packed up for travel or easily moved
to another space in the house is very helpful.
There are several components
and any single one of them would make a great gift,
a portable iron with a wool travel mat.
My last video
on how to organise your sewing space had a full review
on this iron, a portable cutting station
with cutting mat, rulers and a rotary cutter.
And of course, a travel case for the sewing machine.
And I have my portable cutting station
and ironing station size so that it can fit
inside my travel case.
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It's been a long year and we are all struggling
with social isolation and our sewing rooms
are often in the farthest corner of the house.
I have found having this iPod stand
by my sewing machine where I can use it hands-free
helps me stay connected to others.
I can accept FaceTime
and Facebook calls or attend a Zoom meeting
all while working at my sewing machine.
And once the call is over, I can switch over to Netflix
to binge watch a series or listen to an audio book.
And I have a good set of wireless earbuds
so that I can listen while sewing.
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We sit long periods at our sewing machine.
So good posture is important
which means our seating is important.
We need seating that is adjustable
to our height and fits our space.
I have chosen to use a stool
as my space is small and I needed seating that can shift
from one place to the next, without the armrests
and the back colliding with corners and walls.
But your culture may have different needs.
Lumbar support may be most important.
So check before you buy.
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With any craft from quilting
to woodworking the tools that we need are specific
to our needs and our skill level.
And it's really hard
for someone outside the craft to understand the nuances
of why one tool is better than another.
So it's important for you to communicate
with family and friends, what you actually want and need
as I'm sure that they will want
to give you something that will make you happy.
Make a list with a variety of price points
and include the information of where to purchase,
whether it be a local business or online,
the sooner, the better,
the more that they can take advantage of pre-holiday sales.
I'll have a link to all the items that I mentioned
down below in the notes, and you'll get a blog post up
on my website with them.
So I hope this helps you with your holiday shopping.
And if you are a quilter yourself,
maybe you'll share this video
with the family and friends in your life.
And of course, share it with your fellow quilters
on Facebook and Instagram.
The best gift you can give me is subscribing.
My Christmas came early this year
as this past week, I just passed 200,000 subscribers.
I'm so grateful to you all
that kindness and generosity that is shared
in my community makes all the hard work worth it.
If you are thinking of making some last minute gifts
please check out my Stash Buster series
or my quick and easy gift series.
Next week on "Karen's Quilt Circle"
I'll have Chris English of A full English
and we are talking about upcycling fabric.
So if you like this video, please give it a thumbs up.
Don't forget to subscribe and hit that bell
beside the subscribe button so that YouTube will notify you
when I make new videos,
you can also find me on Facebook
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You can sign up for my newsletter,
at just getitdonequilts.com.
So take care and I'll see you next time.
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