16 Christmas gifts to sew

10 / 14 / 2110 / 14 / 21

Today I have ideas for 16 Christmas gifts to sew that are quick and easy! This year is whizzing by and the countdown to the holidays is right around the corner. Now is the perfect time to make a list of Christmas gifts to sew that are fast and easy.

First on my list to make is an easy flannel scarf using Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. They have a free blanket scarf pattern that looks unbelievably easy. Last year I bought six different colors of that flannel and never got around to making the scarves. I’m hoping to make that a weekend project.

Something that I’ve wanted to make for myself and that I know my kids would love is a microwaveable bowl cozy. Here is a free soup bowl cozy pattern from All People Quilt that looks great and this Microwaveable Bowl Potholder tutorial from The Spruce Crafts includes several size options. Most of these start with a 10″ square, a perfect project for a layer cake bundle. I just purchased some Pellon Wrap n Zap which is perfect for the middle layer of these cozies.

If you have kids or grandkids, a travel-size pillowcase is a great gift! This tutorial gives you directions for two different size travel pillowcases and it includes instructions to make a coordinating book bag, too.

Travel-size Pillow Case & Book Bag Tutorial

With all of the fabric we quilters accumulate, it makes sense to make some gift bags out of fabric. This Super Easy DIY Gift Bag Tutorial at Apple Green Cottage is quick to make and is a good “green” alternative to paper packaging.

One of my most popular tutorials is the Cookie Plate Crumb Catcher. This tiny quilt is fun to make and is a great addition to a hostess gift (along with a plate of cookies of course)!

If you have any children on your gift list, this Easy Reading Pillow Tutorial from Village Bound Quilts is a must make. This pillow has a large pocket sewn into it that is just right for a toddler’s favorite picture book. It’s great for snuggling too!

This Double Pot Holder with Hand Pockets tutorial at Make It & Love It is perfect for the chef on your gift list. It’s kind of like having two pot holders in one – no more searching for that second potholder!

I love working with cork fabric and these Cork Accented Coasters & Mug Rug are great for holiday gift making (and giving). I love a gift that you can make into an ensemble of similar items such as this one. You can add a cute mug, favorite tea or coffee house gift card to make a complete package.

Christmas ornaments are always popular gifts to make and these Fabric Christmas Trees from Hook Stitch Sew are ideal for using up bits of fabric scraps. If you’ve been saving those buttons, then you’re all set!

Some gifts you make, you might just want to keep! That’s very true of this Merry and Bright Cushion Cover by Amy Sinibaldi. It’s so very sweet and it’s been on my list for years.

If your sewing skills are geared more towards garments, you’ll definitely want to make these Sew Pajama Gifts Sets from Melly Sews. Everyone loves new Christmas pajamas and I love how cute these are! I know some grandkids out there who would love these.

Let’s not forget about our pet lovers/owners. This Dog Bone Christmas Stocking from Sew Very Crafty is just perfect for your favorite dog!

If you have fat quarters (and who doesn’t?) you’ll love this Self Binding Cloth Napkin Tutorial from Crafty For Home. These make great gifts and are very customizable with the right fabric choices.

Gnomes are still very popular, so add this Christmas Gnome Free Sewing Pattern to your Christmas sewing list. Caroline at Sew Can She has all of the instructions to make this cute little guy.

Are you looking for something fast and easy to make? Then check out these Fabric Books Marks at Quilters Candy. Guest designer, Mara, from Quilt in Progress, shares her tutorial to make these cute and fun book marks.

A great way to package a small gift or just as a gift in itself, is the Fabric Origami Pouch Tutorial that I shared last year. There is a video tutorial that is included with this blog post for the visual learners out there. I can never keep these “in stock”, because I’m always gifting them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this inspiration for 16 Christmas gifts to sew! Make sure to start a list and then schedule some sewing time on your calendar. I’m really good at making lists, but finding the time is the hard part. I’m getting my calendar out now! Enjoy!

Lots of WIP’s, a pattern discount and getting ready for the holidays

10 / 10 / 2110 / 10 / 21

Happy Sunday! Today I have lots of WIP’s to show you plus a pattern launch discount. I’ll also give you a heads up on my next blog post (think holidays).

Current WIP’s

My works in progress are the current projects that are front and center in my sewing room. I’m teaching a skill building class via Zoom using my Possibilities Quilt Pattern. It’s been four weeks with a lovely group of ladies. The four blocks that I’m making for the class are traditional favorites. I’m using a fat quarter bundle of Notting Hill by Amy Smart for Riley Blake Fabrics. It’s a beautiful collection of English inspired prints that remind me of the romantic countryside gardens.

Next up is two blocks that I finished for the Strawberry Garden Mystery Sampler BOM that I’m way behind on. It’s going to take me a while to catch up, but it’s on my list for now. I can tell that I’m going to love this quilt which is made with Strawberries & Rhubarb fabric by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda Fabrics. Plus it’s a sampler quilt which has become one of my favorite types. You never get bored piecing these!

Speaking of sampler quilts, we have chosen our pattern for next year’s block of the month at The Granary Quilt Shop. I’ll be co-teaching again next year with Dianne Sheppard and we’re going to make the Halloween Figs Sampler Quilt. Even though it’s made with Halloween colors, you could make it with any of your favorite color combinations. If you’re local to the Bay Area of California, we would love to have you join us. All of the details can be found here. We might start off in Zoom format, but usually this is an in person class and lots of fun!

Our current BOM class at The Granary is getting close to a finished quilt top. Below is block 12 of the Red at Night 2 quilt. I’m using Kismet Fabric by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics. I’m really loving this quilt! Once the blocks are sewn together (on point) and the setting triangles and borders are added, it’s going to be spectacular.

Since I’m ending my WIP’s on a Fall’ish note, I’ll show you my Candy Corn table runner that is currently on my buffet table. I made this in 2017 and it adds a nice touch of Fall color to my dining room. There is no pattern for it, but I do have a little tutorial of how to make the candy corn flower applique.

Siracusa Modern Gingham Pattern & discount

I’m not sure if I told you, but I’m currently enrolled in a pattern writing class with Elizabeth Chappell of Quilters Candy. I am really enjoying this class and I’m learning some new skills to produce more professional looking patterns. Plus I’m working on a new pattern in the process! One of the members in our group just launched her first pattern, Siracusa Modern Gingham PDF Pattern, and she’s offering a 20% discount code: LAUNCHPARTY. This code is good until October 15, 2021. I love the look of gingham merged with modern quilting!

Coming up this week is a new blog post on easy Christmas gifts to sew. I am making my own list of things to make and I thought it would be great to do a little round up of some ideas to share with you. It’s that time of the year friends!

I hope you have a great week ahead and thanks for visiting today!

Sew Thankful Sunday, October 2021

10 / 3 / 2110 / 3 / 21

{I love the idea of “paying it forward”. I think the world would be a better place if we could spread some joy and acknowledgement of good deeds done by others. I try to do that once a month for my Sew Thankful Sunday posts. I highlight some great content that I’ve found on other people’s blogs that I hope will inspire you and reward the originator by bringing traffic to their site. If your blog has been mentioned without your consent, please let me know and I will take you off the current list of featured bloggers.}

Sew Thankful Sunday October 2021 is full of fall projects, decorating ideas and a little Christmas too!

Sew Thankful Sunday for October is full of fall projects and decorating ideas with a little Christmas thrown in the mix, too! I love this month because it’s before the stress of the holidays and I can plan and create without too much pressure. Plus it’s pumpkin, apple and cinnamon time!

Note: If you use Pinterest, please pin from the original source and not this blog post. Remember, you can click on any of the images in this post and it will open up a new tab to the associated link.

Boo! It’s time for trick or treating. The Aurifil Blog has you covered with their Five for Friday Trick or Treat Bag round up. Bring on the candy!

I’m a person that needs help decorating my home. Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin has Over 20 Ideas for Fall Decorating to help inspire you (and me). I found some beautiful and easy ideas there!

You don’t usually associate summer with snowflakes, but Caroline at Sew Can She has done so beautifully with her Half Square Triangle Summer Snowflake pattern. Your color palette can really make this perfect for any season.

Lots of Boo-tiful Halloween Sewing Projects can be found at We All Sew. They’ve got you covered with projects small and large to get you in the frightful spirit!

Ready for the cooler temperatures? This Free Snowmen & Silent Night Quilt Sew Along hosted by Jacquelynne Steves will get you in the mood! The result will be an adorable 35″ square mini quilt to decorate your home or gift to someone you love.

I love making pillows for the seasons. Beverly at Flamingo Toes has a lovely Fall Pumpkin Pillow Sew Along that is perfect for this time of year. It’s a great project for using up those scraps!

If you like to spend a little time in your kitchen, you’ll appreciate the 10 Best Things to Bake in October from Joy the Baker. From desserts to main dishes, you’ll find some favorite fall dishes to cook up this month!

Are you feeling inspired yet? I don’t know where to start but I am Sew Thankful for all of these amazing designers and bloggers! I hope your October is full of treats and lots of time to indulge in your favorite fall activities.

Fall around my house

9 / 27 / 219 / 27 / 21

Fall is just starting to make its presence known around my house. The temperatures in the Bay Area of California are cooling to the 70’s and low 80’s during the day and hovering around 58 degrees C at night. We just pulled the last of our tomato plants, and we’re still waiting for our peppers to finish maturing. The hydrangeas have turned into a beautiful palette of mauve, wine and pale blush.

We have three Monarch chrysalides that will become beautiful butterflies any day now. Mr. Crafty Quilter is still finding Monarch caterpillars in our backyard milkweed plants. We have become their guardians as we check on them daily to watch their progress. Nature isn’t always kind to them, but that’s part of the journey. We help when we can and hope they make it to their final winter destination along the California coast.

I finally brought out the fall decorations on Saturday. I love decorating with all things Autumn! My favorite addition this year is my Moda Stitch Pink quilt that I made in October of 2020. It’s folded and draped along the back of our couch. The free pattern is still available at Moda Fabrics.

Moda Stitch Pink Quilt made by Julie Cefalu. Free Pattern by Moda Fabrics.

Moda Stitch Pink Quilt made by Julie Cefalu at The Crafty Quilter. Free pattern by Moda Fabrics.

I’m starting to crave the flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon. I love a good cinnamon spice tea and some homemade pumpkin bread. I just purchased a vanilla & cinnamon scented candle – so good! And then there’s that gorgeous fabric in the background!

Vanilla & cinnamon candle. Fabric bundle from Lo & Behold Stitchery.

Let’s talk about that fabric, shall we? It came in today’s mail from Lo & Behold Stitchery. Eeek! I splurged and purchased a 30 piece bundle of 1/4 yard cuts. Aren’t they so delicious looking? I’m just going to admire them for now and ponder the possibilities. (I’m thinking a scrappy log cabin).

Fall Fabric bundle from Lo & Behold Stitchery - photographed by @ The Crafty Quilter.

I found a #Fallquiltparade hashtag on Instagram and loved seeing all of the gorgeous fabric and quilts. I joined in for a few days. One prompt was favorite Fall fabric and I posted a picture of Kismet fabric by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics. I’ve been using this fabric collection to make the Red at Night 2 BOM that I’m co-teaching at The Granary Quilt Shop. It’s going to be beautiful when it’s finished!

Favorite fall fabric collection! Kismet by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics. Quilt block made by Julie Cefalu. Pattern from Red at Night 2 BOM by Bound to be Quilting.

That’s how Fall looks in and around my house. It’s really my favorite time of year! I hope you’re enjoying the changing of the season in your neighborhood. Have a wonderful week!

All the Trimmings Sew Along & a great tip

9 / 20 / 219 / 20 / 21

I couldn’t help myself. I joined in with Fat Quarter Shop’s All The Trimmings Mystery Sew Along. It looks like it’s going to be so cute! Plus I have a fat 1/8 bundle of Christmas Morning by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics just calling my name. This is a free sew along that is being released on Tuesdays. It started on September 7 and ends on October 8. You can find the pdf patterns (two so far) here.

I have some catching up to do, but row 1 is finished. These Christmas berries are adorable and easy to make. The background fabric I’m using is 1473/59 (charcoal) Linen Texture by The Henley Studio for Makoweruk. It makes a beautiful contrast to the Christmas Morning fabrics.

All The Trimmings Sew Along Row 1 from Fat Quarter Shop and made by Julie Cefalu. You'll also find some great tips for stitch and flip corners @ The Crafty Quilter

Stich & flip corner tips

All of the units for these blocks have stitch and flip corners. That means you place a small square in the corner of a larger unit and stitch from corner to corner of the smaller square. Then you press (flip) it to create a diagonal seam. I love this technique and I have a few tips to share with you that makes it really effective.

First, use a water soluble glue pen to hold the small squares in place instead of pins. This holds them in place securely without any distortion and you don’t have to remove any pins (often too soon) while stitching. Make sure you place the glue in the corner only that will be cut away. I often use a Sewline Glue Pen which is slim and easy to apply.

Stitch and flip tip number 1 - use a glue stick instead of pins to hold squares in place.

When you have a lot of stitch and flip corners to make, it’s very time consuming to draw all of those diagonal stitching lines. I have two ways of avoiding that. The first is to use Diagonal Seam Tape which guides you as you stitch from corner to corner without the need of a drawn line. I have a great blog post on tips for using Diagonal Seam Tape that shows exactly how it works. It also explains why, in the photo below, you see Diagonal Seam Tape on each side of the center one.

Tips for using Diagonal Seam Tape at The Crafty Quilter

I also own a Baby Lock Crescendo sewing machine that has a laser guide beam built into it. This guide beam creates a stitching line for me to follow as I sew my seam. It’s very handy! You can find laser guide beams that attach to most sewing machines, but I find that they’re not very stable. I’ve tried this one and the slightest movement or bump would throw it off and I would have to adjust it back to position. I personally don’t think it’s worth the money, but some people have had success with it.

Another helpful tip is to use an open toe applique (or embroidery) foot. This foot gives you complete visibility in front of the needle so you can see exactly where to start your line of stitching. It has been a game changer for me.

With all of these “systems” in place, I was able to make these cute Christmas berry blocks quickly and accurately. I think you can create something similar to Diagonal Seam Tape by drawing a straight line down the middle of a piece of painter’s tape or Washi tape. Then position that in front of your presser foot so it’s tracking the center needle position of your sewing machine. I don’t have photos to show you, but in my mind it seems like to would work just fine!

Below are the finished Christmas berry blocks before sewing them into a row. I just needed to do a tiny bit of trimming around each block to get them perfect. I always trim units as I go along, even if it’s just a few threads. It’s good to catch inaccuracies sooner rather than later.

It’s time to get to work on the next row of All The Trimmings Mystery Quilt before the next one releases tomorrow. This row is made up of Christmas stockings and they are so cute! Thanks for visiting today and I hope you found these tips helpful.

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