Are you looking for the perfect sewing gift to give to a loved one? What about gifts to give to your sewing friends? We’ve got you covered with all our favourites, so your gift can be both as special and unique as your loved one!
The transcript for this episode can be found on this page at the end of the show notes.
- Love to Sew Podcast episodes mentioned:
- Thingiverse.com for 3D printing!
- Our favourite scrap buster gifts (links to Helen Closet Pattern’s Sustainable Scrap-Busters series):
- Friday Pattern and Co. Instagram Highlights DIY Gifts Round-Up (no longer available)
- Fabric bolt ornament sent to us by a lovely Love to Sew listener:
Gifts that Caroline has made for others:
- Tote bags
- Robes / Coverups
- Virginia Leggings by Megan Nielsen
- Watson Bra and Bikini Pattern by Cloth Habit
- Baby/lap blanket by Purl Soho
Gifts that Helen has made for others:
- Robes
- Tote bags
- Blackwood cardigans
- Aprons
Garment gifts for others:
-
- Eastwood Pajama Bottoms by Thread Theory
- Mix n’ Match your favs like Caroline’s suggestion of Virginia Leggings and Linden Sweater mashup!
- Robes
- Loose-fitting garments:
Accessories
- Wallet
Kitchen-Themed Gifts
- Potholder pattern round-up by TheSpruceCrafts.com
- Martha Stewart Fabric Napkin Instructions
- Spoonflower Family Recipe Tea Towel
- Canvas Lunch Bags Tutorial by Paper N Stitch
- Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Tutorial by Closet Core Patterns
- Waxed food wraps
- Produce Bags
Household Gifts / Other
- Helen’s Handmade Tablet Cover
- DIY Scrunchie Kit
- Rope bowls or other fiber art related gift
- Handmade coupon
Gifts for Sewists
- Sewing-themed print for their sewing room!
- Handmade tailor’s clapper or wooden pin holder
- Mini anvil
- DIY or fiber art kit
- Class (online or in-person)
- Garment labels
- Bias Tape
- Buttons
- Sewing Books! We have links to our favourite books on our Amazon Storefronts:
- Love to Sew Amazon Storefront (Canada) – no longer active
- Love to Sew Amazon Storefront (USA) – no longer active
- Love to Sew Amazon Storefront (UK) – no longer active
- Gift cards to their favourite sewing-related shops!
Transcript:
This transcript was made from the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released on December 13, 2021. You can listen to this version of the episode on the player below:
Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off-season, so we’re taking a little break from recording right now.
Helen: This winter we’re so excited to revisit some of our favorite episodes from years past. We hope you will love these reruns as much as we do. Remember, you can still access the show notes by going to LoveToSewPodcast.com and searching for the episode.
If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.
Caroline: Yes, we do. For $5 USD per month, you’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode. Our Patreon episodes really feel like a catch up with friends. This is where we share what we’ve been up to in our personal lives, our businesses, what we’re sewing, and things we’re loving like recipes, podcasts, TV shows, board games, and more. Throughout the month, we also share behind the scenes photos, including sneaky peeks of some upcoming releases from our businesses.
Helen: Yes, it is top secret stuff just for our Patreon supporters. And if you join at the $10 USD per month, you get a 15% discount code for both Blackbird Fabrics and Helen’s Closet. The code can be reused again and again, so it’s a great deal, especially if you shop with us frequently. Plus, you’ll get a bonus mini-sode where we answer a patron question or cover a specific sewing topic. You can learn more about all the things we have to offer and sign up to support us at patreon.com/LoveToSew.
Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in March 2022 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favorite.
Helen: Hello, and welcome. I’m Helen.
Caroline: And I’m Caroline.
Helen: And we love to sew. This is a podcast for makers where we talk about sewing a handmade wardrobe and bring you interviews with inspiring creatives and small business owners in our community.
Caroline: Do you want to make some handmade gifts this holiday season? Last week, we talked all about sewing for others on your own terms, and now is your chance. We share the DIY projects that make gifts as well as what to get that special sewist in your life.
Helen: Yeah. I mean, if you were thinking of getting me something, like, what would you get me?
Caroline: Um, I don’t know. Maybe we’ll talk about it later, but also, maybe it’s a secret.
Helen: Hi, Caroline.
Caroline: Hi, Helen.
Helen: How’s it going?
Caroline: It’s good. How are you?
Helen: I’m good. It’s December now.
Caroline: What? I say that every month.
Helen: Okay. It’s a relatable feeling. Yeah, I’m sure we’re not the only ones feeling like, oh, great. It’s December now.
Caroline: Yeah. November was, kind of, a blur. It really did fly by, like, all months of the year.
Helen: And now it’s that time of year where you have so many things on your calendar and so many plans to go do things, and it can be a bit much, especially when you add on all of the shopping, making…
Caroline: Yeah. All those things you need to do. Why not add on a handmade gift?
Helen: That’s why we’re here. Just pile it on.
Caroline: Pile it on.
Helen: I think today’s episode is going to be fun because we did talk a lot last week in our Can You Sew This For Me Episode about how it can be, kind of, annoying when people ask you to make stuff for them when they learn you’re a sewist and how to graciously say no to your family members, but this episode is all about sewing on your own terms for other people, deciding, you know what? I really would love to make my mom something special this Christmas, and I’m going to do that for her. And I don’t need to involve her in the process. It’s just going to be something that I’m going to make. So you can do that for any loved one in your life, and I think that can be really special. So we’re going to talk about that today.
Caroline: Yeah, but first let’s get to some feedback and a question, and then we can jump into the episode.
Helen: Okay. So Deb wrote in to say, “I love your podcast. And I look forward to it every week. This week, I really perked up when I heard you mentioned 3D printing, as that’s a large part of my day job. I love the idea of using a 3D printer to make your own buttons, but I would caution against putting them in the dryer as most 3D printing materials do not hold up well to heat. I would hate to see all that hard work ruined. You can test, test, test, but if, by chance, you put it in the dryer on low and accidentally it’s on high, it would be a sad day. Probably best just to hang to dry, a quick search on Thingiverse.com…”
We’ll link that in the show notes.
“…showed several results for button designs. It might be a good place to start. Keep up the great work that you’re doing. Your enthusiasm is inspiring, and I found you just when I needed you the most.”
Caroline: Aw, thanks, Deb.
Helen: So sweet.
Caroline: I love these tips because it is true that 3D printed things don’t hold up super well to heat, high heat, so you have to be careful with that. But, yeah, I mean, handwash, I think that’s reasonable.
Helen: Yeah, I think so, too, especially if you’re putting a special 3D button on a coat or something, you know, you’re going to dry clean, you might not have to worry about it too, too much, but it is so fun to experiment with. I know that Shea uses Thingiverse, right?
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: It’s really cool. They have so many different things on there. Pretty much anything you can imagine. Yeah. Cause people are putting stuff up there all the time.
Caroline: Yeah. He always checks there to see if he can find something before he, like, models it himself in his fancy programs.
Helen: With his fancy skills.
Caroline: Yeah, with his fancy schools.
Okay. Let’s get to the show. As you know, we’re talking about homemade gifts today. It’s going to be great.
Helen: You sound thrilled.
Caroline: Yeah, no, I am thrilled. I think it’s really special to, to make something for someone that you love, especially around the holidays or for their birthday, especially when it’s a surprise and they haven’t asked you to do it, and it’s totally your decision to do it, and you can back out at the last minute if it’s not working out. And it doesn’t have to be a huge thing, it can be something really small. It’s really the thought that counts. And I feel like that, that feeling of watching someone you love open something that you made for them.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: It’s really special.
Helen: It is extra, extra special, and it can be the answer to that question of, like, what do I get that person? They have everything. Or, you know, they just buy things when they want them or need them. And they’re not really one to, like, wait on purchases. I have a few people like that in my life where it’s like, well, what am I supposed to get you? You just go get things when you want them. So getting something handmade, it’s, like, something that they could never get, right? They could never buy. It’s extra, extra special.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: And it can be also a great way to save money during the holidays. We all know that sewing is expensive and that it’s not necessarily cheaper to make your own things versus buying them. But when it comes to handmade gifts, if you’re using fabric that’s leftover from other projects and you’re using free patterns or you’re making up your own patterns, you can actually make things very affordably that could be cheaper than if you went out and tried to buy somebody a gift.
Caroline: Absolutely. So we talked a lot in our Scrap Busting Episode about ideas of what to do with your scraps. Some of our favorites are a sleep mask, reusable makeup remover pads, and a soup bowl cozy. Those are all tutorials from your blog, Helen, and they are also great, super detailed, really easy, approachable projects that are pretty quick as well.
Helen: Mhm.
Caroline: Scrunchies, I mean, classic gift.
Helen: Yeah, you can give people three scrunchies, like, a little bundle.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: Great for anyone with long hair because it protects your hair while you’re sleeping or during the day. Super useful.
Caroline: Yeah. I mean, the sky is the limit, right? You can make gifts for kids. You can make gifts for parents, siblings. We are going to focus on our favorite gift ideas today. So what have you made for other people in your life as gifts?
Helen: I have made robes, for sure. Both my mom and my sister. And I made Sam a dressing robe, as well, but I used, I think it was, like, a Butterick vintage pattern or something. I just found it at the thrift store, and that was great. It got some terry at the fabric store and just whipped up a robe for him, and he still wears it every morning. That’s really sweet. I think robes are great. They have sentimental value. There’s something that people are going to be wearing regularly at home. So, you know, they’ll get use out of it. I mean, even people who don’t wear robes on a regular basis, if they actually had a robe, they probably would wear it.
Caroline: Yeah. I have to say that’s one of those things I think that people don’t often buy for themselves. It’s, like, an extra thing. It’s, like. slippers. You just don’t always have that. But then when someone else buys it for you, it feels like such a luxury.
Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it could be really nice. And I’ve also made tote bags for people. Um, little zipper pouches. Blackwood Cardigans make a great gift because the sizing is pretty forgiving, and it’s not meant to close in the front, so you don’t need to worry too much about that. You can, kind of, eyeball the size and, and it will probably work out well. And then of course, aprons. Y’all know I love aprons. All aprons, all the time. I’ve made several aprons for people using various different designs and patterns, and that is just a great, universally-usable present. You know even if the person that you gift it to doesn’t wear it. Maybe somebody else in their household will wear it. You know, an apron is just a great thing to have on hand.
Caroline: Yeah. I love those ideas.
Helen: How about you? What are your go-to Christmas gifts?
Caroline: Well, I have made tote bags. I think those are really fun and easy to make, and you can make any size you want. There are really no limitations there. It’s a great scrap busting project. Color blocking, quilting, you can do so much with tote bags. I have definitely made a bunch of robes slash, kind of, the cover-up style, open robe in the front where you can wear to the beach or wear to the pool or the lake or just around the house, too, in the summertime. I love that cause they’re easy to fit, especially the ones that are open in the front, so you don’t necessarily have to know someone’s exact size.
Leggings and undies. I’ve made so many leggings and undies for my sister. She loves that. It’s, like, my go-to gift for, for her because she loves the leggings that I make her, and she wears them all the time. Um, same thing with undies. I use the Watson Bikini Underwear Pattern, and they’re great.
I also think a simple, like, lap blanket or a baby blanket is a really great gift idea. It’s small, it’s manageable and you don’t have to quilt it. You can just use, like, a really special fabric on the front and back, binding, a little bit of batting in between. You can, um, you know, stitch some quilt lines on it, but you don’t have to actually quilt together the fabric. There’s some great tutorials on Purl Soho’s website. Um, but you can just, yeah, you can just do it and wing it, and I’ve done it before, and it’s really fun.
Helen: Love it. You don’t need to be a quilter to make a quilt, right?
Caroline: No.
Helen: If you can sew, you can figure it out. You can do it.
Caroline: Totally. And, like, you can do a lot, too. It doesn’t have to be, like, a quilting cotton. You can use a flannel, like, a plaid flannel lap blanket in the winter. Like, how cozy is that, you know? You can use linen. You can go, like, more modern. You can go more cutesy. So lots of options there. So those are the things that we’ve made in the past, but we have many, many ideas.
Helen: We certainly do.
Caroline: So we’re going to round up our favorites.
Helen: Yes. So if you want to make garments, I think choosing a pattern or an idea concept that was going to be easy to fit, unless you’re planning on doing some, kind of, fitting with the person, or maybe if you live with the person, you have the opportunity to go in their closet and see what sizes they wear, maybe even steal one of their garments temporarily, so you can have it on hand to compare with your size chart. Those are options if you’re a bit closer with somebody. But if you’re, you know, across the coast or the country from somebody, then you’re definitely going to want to make something that’s easy to fit and maybe something seasonal as well. So, of course, we already talked about how much we love robes, but there are lots of other loungewear things like pajama pants or pajamas shorts or a whole pajama set.
Caroline: Yeah. So Closet Case Patterns has the Carolyn Pajamas which is super cute, and there are a few different views with both shorts and full leg options. Also, you can do the piping option for that set. So, really cute opportunity to, sort of, mix fabrics and colors. Thread Theory has a great PJ bottom which looks super comfy. I also love the idea of, kind of, mix and matching your own favorite, like, loungewear patterns. So I’m thinking, like, Virginia Leggings or Hudson Pants and then paired with, like, a Linden Sweater or I don’t know, something else, some other kind of cozy sweater, even an Elliott would be amazing as a set. Make it in, like, a matching French Terry, and then it’s, like, a cozy loungewear outfit for your favorite person.
Helen: Yeah, it’s true. I think knit loungewear is my preferred loungewear. That’s what I always go to when I’m lying around at home.
Caroline: Yeah. Lying around. There’s also the Lahja Dressing Gown by Named. It has two in one dressing gown. Um, so it’s a really, really great option if you’re thinking of making a robe for anyone in your life. I really love that option, and there’s tons of tutorials online for robes and cover-ups. Just series of rectangles.
Helen: Oh, yeah.
Caroline: If you don’t want to buy a pattern, there’s so many tutes online for that. So check those out.
Helen: If you want to go non-loungewear route, I think a jacket pattern, oversize jacket, like the Pona Jacket. Again, you can come up with your own design if you want. Just a series of rectangles or you can, kind of, figure it out and give people something that’s more of a flowy layer.
Caroline: If we’re going to talk about patterns, I have more ideas. One year I made a couple of Roscoe Blouses for Shea’s mom and grandma, and Roscoe is another one of those patterns that I think you can go a little bit oversize and it still looks really cute. So I just picked a pupple… I picked a pupple.
Helen: Picked a pupple peppers.
Caroline: I just picked a couple of pretty floral rayons from my shop and I made a couple of Roscoe Blouses, and they loved them. I also think the Wiksten Shift Dress is another, like, sort of, oversize, but it’s belted. It’s pretty, um, I feel like it’s…
Helen: Forgiving.
Caroline: Forgiving. Yeah. It’s pretty forgiving, uh, fit. So anything, I think that’s, like, a little bit oversized is a good option.
Helen: Yeah, exactly. Alright, what about accessories? Because those are really fun for scrap busting.
Caroline: Yes. I mean bags. Um, those are a great option because you’re not working with sizing. You don’t have to worry about fitting a bag. It’s a bag. So Portside Travel Set from Grainline Studio. I love that one because it comes with a few different options. So there’s three different sizes. There’s the duffle bag size, that’s a larger project, a lot more detailed, but maybe you can make that for someone who travels a lot locally and just wants, like, a smaller, kind of, carrying bag versus like a rolly bag.
You can do a lot with fabric there, too. Remember, you can use interfacing to make your favorite fabric a little bit thicker. So, you can do pretty much any fabric for, well, maybe not any fabric. I won’t say that.
Helen: Can I use bamboo jersey?
Caroline: You can use, you know, most, kind of, stable, woven fabrics, and if they’re not heavy enough, you can interface them and make it work for a duffel bag.
They also have a medium sized bag that could act as a toiletry bag or even a knitting bag to hold your current project or your gift receiver’s current project because this isn’t for you.
Helen: Try not to keep the gifts. That’s the hard part.
Caroline: And also, um, there’s a smaller pouch option in that pattern. That’s more of, like, a travel pouch. It’s great for holding a passport, small notebook, pens, chargers.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Um, so that’s a really great option for someone who travels. I love the idea of doing a whole set for somebody, but that’s a lot of work. Um, who knows if that would ever happen if I wanted to do that, but maybe who knows?
Helen: There’s also the Oberlin Tote Bag by Klum House which is a heavy duty tote that has leather straps. And you can carry a lot with that bag. And it’s super, super, pretty and cute, especially if you go and get the actual leather for the straps. That can look really professional.
Caroline: Yeah. And the Costa Tote which is your free pattern. It’s beautiful in a canvas. It’s another great scrap buster. It’s, kind of, a lighter weight tote that’s great for market shopping, grocery store…
Helen: Book bag.
Caroline: …like, a carry-all type thing. And if you sign up for Helen’s newsletter, you’ll get it for free.
Helen: That’s right.
Caroline: But I love the idea of color blocking also for the Oberlin Tote or your Costa Tote. I think color blocking, like, the bottom with, like, a wax canvas and the top with, like, a regular canvas…
Helen: Yeah, or using your denim scraps combined with wax canvas…
Caroline: Ooh, yeah.
Helen: You can have a lot of fun with different prints. I think that Anna from Noodlehead, we had her on our show a while back, but she designs all sorts of bag patterns, another great place to go look for options, but I just love the way that she combines different prints and textures and fabrics, and you can use all of these different things you have lying around.
Caroline: Absolutely. And then what about a yoga mat bag for the yogi in your life? Um, so I think Threads Magazine has a free pattern for that. Again, that’s another one of those ones, if you go on Pinterest or just Google, there’s lots of free yoga mat bag patterns out there. Um, that’s a really fun one to make. I’ve made a yoga mat bag a while back, and I use it all the time. I love it.
Helen: Oh, nice.
Caroline: Dopp kits or zipper pouches.
Helen: Yes.
Caroline: Tons of patterns out there for that. That’s a great gift. It’s small, compact. That’s one of those ones you can make, like, the night before and totally get away with it.
Helen: Or, like, assembly line and make 10 for everyone.
Caroline: Love it.
Helen: Great gift for kids and teenagers, too, because they need those for, you know, when they go to school as, like, a pencil kit or a little makeup pouch, or, you know, a little bag for their toys. My little niece is obsessed with putting things in bags. So a bag is, like, the ultimate gift.
Caroline: Okay. What about a fanny pack?
Helen: Yes.
Caroline: Those are cool now, right?
Helen: I love this idea. They are so cool now, and that is a really fun project. It has a lot of detail. I think it would be really fun for you to actually make it an interesting learning experience, as well, because it’s, like, a lot of little small pieces.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: So that could be really fun. We have a couple in mind: the Fennel Fanny Pack by Sara Kirsten. Super cute. And then also the Pooze Pouch by @maeve.makes. We’re going to link them both in the show notes. They’re both really awesome.
Caroline: I love how you said that. It’s so enthusiastic. The Pooze Pouch.
Helen: Pooze Pouch.
Caroline: It sounds like a dirty word, but it’s not.
Helen: It’s not. Pooze Pouch.
Caroline: I love it. Um, you can also make a wallet. This is an awesome gift idea. Thread Theory has a few smaller size wallet patterns that are great for holding just, like, cards or a small amount of cash. But I love the idea of making a little wallet or even a little coin purse.
Helen: Yeah. I mean, wax canvas would be really fun for a wallet, again, like, a stable denim or canvas, but I was thinking you could even use a boiled wool to make, kind of, like a soft wallet. I’ve seen some at craft fairs. All the edges are raw, and you’re basically just stacking rectangles up until you get the pockets that you want, sewing them together, putting a snap on, and they, kind of, have a soft feel to them, but they have all those pockets there.
Caroline: Yeah. So my recommendation, fabric lady over here talking, uh, look for boiled wool that’s thick and stable because some boiled wools will be drapier and lighter weight. So, like, the boiled wool viscose that’s at Blackboard right now would not work for that. But if you go for, like, a boiled wool, that’s like a little heftier, or even a, felt…
Helen: Like a Melton?
Caroline: Like, you can buy, like, a Melton or a felt even at Michael’s and use that.
Helen: True. Yeah. So true. Um, also, aprons we already talked about. My love of aprons. The Dogwood Apron that we have in my shop right now that we just came out with, the collaboration between us and Elena Dogwood Denim, I think is just a great gift for any maker, whether it’s woodworking or cooking or gardening or pottery or anything really because you need to protect that area of your body and also have all your tools on hand.
And it’s a really simple project. It’s so great for all of your scraps leftover from your jeans.
Caroline: I love the Dogwood. I want to make one for my brother. I feel like he would really appreciate it cause he loves woodworking.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: And he’s, kind of, crafty and artsy, and I think he would really, really like it.
Helen: Even if you just see, like, a crafty spark in somebody, maybe if you gave them a Dogwood Apron, they would be like, oh yeah, I should make something.
Caroline: Yeah. Love it. Yeah. Okay. So alternatively, for the cooks in your life, not that the Dogwood Apron isn’t good for cooking.
Helen: I mean, for cooking, you probably do want a bit of a splash guard on top. It’s true.
Caroline: But if you want to do a full-sized apron, I mean, obviously there’s the York Pinafore expansion pack for the York Apron which is super cute. It’s that crossback style apron. Um, love, love, love your pattern, Helen, obviously. Um, Purl Soho has a great free apron pattern on their website, and aprons are also pretty easy to draft. So if you know, a person’s general size, you can just, kind of, draft something up yourself.
Helen: Or use one that you already have at home as a base. It’s basically some kind of a square rectangle shape on the bottom. Some kind of a, I don’t know, like, a curve, quadrilateral cone triangle thing on top.
Caroline: I’m really getting it. Yeah. I can picture it. Thanks.
Helen: I’m gesturing, but you all know what an apron looks like, right? And then you put some straps on it, and you’re good to go.
Caroline: Yes.
Helen: And pockets, of course. Of course, pockets.
Caroline: Okay, let’s talk more about kitchen-themed gifts cause you know how much I love the kitchen.
Helen: Yeah. The kitchen is a great place to look when you’re thinking about making stuff because there’s a lot of textiles in the kitchen. Uh, potholders or oven mitts is a great option. You can quilt them, and you can use fun fabrics for that. Do make sure that you’re giving them a good amount of heft with your quilting because you don’t want anyone burning themselves. And you also want fabrics that can withstand high heat, so that they’re not going to be melting or anything. So use cottons and things like that, and make sure you’re doing maybe one or two layers of quilt batting, depending on how thick it is.
Caroline: Yes, and fabric napkins. So you can make really easily, some fabric napkins with just a square of fabric, and you can make it more elevated, depending on the fabric choice. Martha Stewart has free instructions on how to make this on her website. There’s also tons of instructions online on how to do those beautiful mitered corners on a napkin. Um, once I made napkins for my partner’s mom for Christmas, and I used just, like, a simple linen fabric, but then I used fabric paint to, kind of, color block a part of the napkins. And it was a really fun, easy project, but it really came together beautifully, and it was a fun gift to give.
Helen: That sounds amazing. Yeah. You could add that extra touch with a little hand embroidery or a little block printing or something and just make it extra special, so it’s not just a square of fabric.
Caroline: Yes.
Helen: It’s a napkin.
Caroline: And of course, um, Spoonflower, in their interview in Episode 90, talked all about this family heirloom recipe tea towel. Um, I love, love, love this idea. So if you haven’t listened to that episode, go back. There’s a great story behind it.
Helen: So you’re not going to tell people right now? No, essentially, I’m going to tell them, printing a family recipe onto fabric so that you can make a custom tea towel for a loved one. Yeah, it’s super, super special. I’m sure anyone would love to receive that.
Caroline: What about a cute lunch bag?
Helen: Ooh. Yeah, that’s a great idea. You could give that again too. I mean, I guess you could give it to a kid. Maybe it’s a better thing to give to, like, the parent of a child.
Caroline: Yeah. I feel like a, like an elevated lunch bag out of, like, a waxed canvas with a little roll and then snap.
Helen: Yeah. I mean, I guess if you work in an office or you take your lunch to work, then even adults need lunch bags.
Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah. And maybe for those more sustainably-minded folks, reusable sandwich or snack bags are also a really great option. And then you can also do, like, a DIY waxed food wrap. So just, like, a piece of fabric and then you use the, you get the special wax to wax it and then you don’t have to pay however much it costs to buy that in a store,
Helen: Yeah, but it is challenging.
Caroline: It’s challenging. I’ve heard stories of, like, like, animal hair getting, like, embedded in the wax.
Helen: Yeah. There’s a few different ways to make them see them look up some tutorials, but that one’s a little involved. Yeah, it is very cool.
Caroline: It is. You can use fun prints. Great scrap buster, again. I also love DIY produce bags. So sheer cup lining that you would use for bras is the perfect lightweight fabric option for this cause it’s see-through, so you can still see what’s in the bag for the grocery checkout person, but they’re also so lightweight that it’s not going to weigh anything. It’s not going to add to the weight of the veggies or fruit that you’re buying.
Helen: That’s a really good gift for somebody who is more eco-conscious. Like, my sister won’t buy any plastic or take any plastic from the grocery store.
Caroline: Does she just, like, pile all her produce, like, on the…?
Helen: She just shops only at places that don’t, like, wrap plastic around everything. But some grocery stores it’s, like, every single, like, cabbage or every single…
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: Blueberries, like, wrapped in plastic.
Caroline: Yeah, it’s true. Yeah, it really does add up. Yeah. Okay. Let’s talk more gifts.
Helen: Alright, I got a great gift once from my mom when we were taking some art classes together. She made me this roll up bag for, you know, like, brushes or pens and pencils. It’s basically a rectangle with a bunch of pockets in it. And then it has a flap that goes over the top and you roll it up. We’ll link one in the show notes for those of you that are having trouble visualizing, but you can use it for all sorts of things. Like, makeup brushes, it makes a great bag for. Knitting needles, anything where you have a bunch of pencil-like things.
Caroline: It, kind of, looks like those, um, like, chef knife roll-up things with the handle.
Helen: Yeah. Yeah. But I don’t make a knife one out of, like, cotton lawn though.
Caroline: Yeah, use the heavy duty canvas for the knife holder.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Spoonflower has free instructions on how to make this brush holder in a blog post, so we’ll link that in the show notes.
Helen: Perfect.
Caroline: You have made a cover for your Kindle.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Which I’m amazed that you even, I mean, I don’t know why I’m amazed because you’re amazing. But when I first saw it, I didn’t believe that you had DIY’d because it looked so professional with, like, the cardboard pieces and, like, the elastic around the corner.
Helen: I need to do a tutorial about that one because I think it is my proudest DIY make I’ve had it for, like, three or four years.
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: And it’s still going super strong because when I was looking for covers on Amazon for my Kindle, I was like, oh, these all look like garbage. I wanted to make something that was a little bit less plastic-y looking and would actually protect the screen as well. So it’s basically just, like, cardboard slipped into fabric, like a book cover, and then it has an elastic to hold it on, and it worked really, really effectively.
Caroline: So you could do a tablet cover like that. You could also do, like, um, like, a felt tablet cover or sleeve, or you can quilt, like, a sleeve for your laptop or for your tablet or for your Kindle or for your phone.
Helen: That’s smart. I made Sam one that’s, like, a sleeve. It’s got fuzzy fabric inside, and then it just has, like, a little Velcro tab on one end.
Caroline: Love it. Yeah. We found a felt tablet cover on the Leah Griffith website, and she also includes pockets for pens and clips. It even has a tie off option on the front, so it’s super cute. We’re going to link that one in the show notes, but lots of options there and another great scrap busting project.
Speaking of scrap busting, I mean, we’re just full of scrap busting projects today: bookmark. Bookmark is so simple, but you can have a lot of fun with this one. You can do, like, a fabric bookmark and add some floral embroidery on it or even, like, a little quote. You can block print it again.
Helen: It’s nice when bookmarks have something on the end of them. That can be where you put something a little bulkier…
Caroline: Like, a little tassel.
Helen: Yeah, a little tassel, or you sew a couple of, like, really pretty buttons up there. Um, I have a bookmark that I gave Sam. I didn’t make it, but it is fabric. And I think that there’s probably some, kind of, really, really thin cardstock inside. Basically, a rectangle of fabric and then on top, it’s got a couple of buttons, and he’s been using it for, like, a decade.
Caroline: That’s awesome.
Helen: Yeah. Super handy. Another small thing you could make is like a Christmas ornament. Come up with some kind of concept for Christmas ornament. We got one sent to us by a listener.
Caroline: Yes! One of our listeners sent us this adorable Christmas ornament that’s, it looks like little baby fabric bolts or little mini fabric bolts. So it’s, like, pieces of cardboard, like a fabric bolt, and then you just wrap scraps of fabric around it. And she had it, kind of, tied off in a little bundle. OIh, you even have it here. It’s so cute.
Helen: It’s hanging up on the wall.
Caroline: We’re looking at it right now. And it looks like a little stack of fabric bolts, and it’s the perfect little Christmas ornament, like. I’m in love with it. It’s so cute.
Helen: For any maker, I mean, quilter and really anyone who likes, enjoys a craft store…
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: …will get it.
Caroline: Yeah. But also, really any cute little object or shape, animal can be made into a really fun Christmas ornament that’s great for scrap busting.
Helen: I have an idea for a Christmas ornament that’s, like, a ghost where it’s just a piece of fabric, like, hanging on a ball and you just put googly eyes on it. So cute.
Caroline: A Halloween-themed, Christmas ornament.
Helen: Look, we get a little eclectic with our Christmas decorations. I’m just saying you don’t have to get fancy here.
Caroline: No, you really don’t. I think that sounds really fun.
Helen: Yeah. Alright. I love this next idea. This one Melanie put in here for us. And I think it’s so smart: giving a kit to make your own DIY something. Specifically, she suggested here a scrunchie kit. So if there are other members in your family or your friend circle that want to learn how to sew or are crafty and really enjoy making their own things, you could give them their kit for how to make something and include things like pre-cut fabric, notions, like, if it’s a scrunchie kit, you could use elastic, a safety pin, and a little instruction card that you could design yourself or download off the internet. Um, and we have included some links to YouTube tutorials, too, where you can figure out how to go about doing this. But I love this idea.
Caroline: I love it, too. It’s so, so cute. Yeah. Okay. What about other fiber art, kind of, related gifts that might or might not involve your sewing machine?
Helen: I really like this because, of course, if people like doing one craft, they’re probably at least mildly interested in some other craft. So you could do block printed handkerchief or scarf. You could try your hand at dying, um, a pre-made scarf. There’s actually a local shop in Vancouver, but they also sell online called Maiwa, and they have all of these napkins and scarves and tea towels and stuff that you can dye and block print. They’re, like, ready to go. So if you wanted to, you know, again, production line, make a bunch of something. You could grab a bunch of napkins and have fun experimenting with dyeing or block printing.
Caroline: Yeah. You could also do a rope bowl. So buy some rope from the hardware store and make a little rope bowl or rope bag or rope clutch.
Helen: Love it.
Caroline: Um, that’s such a great gift idea. People are always really impressed by rope vessels.
Helen: It’s true. Yeah, I mean, you see them in a lot of higher end stores now because they are a great little accessory for your interior. So I think people would be very impressed by a rope bowl.
Caroline: Yeah, and I also love the idea of making a little coupon to give to somebody that stands in for, like, a handmade gift. So it could be like, here’s one apron of your choice in the fabric of your choice, or, you know, you can come up with whatever you think that person will want and give them a little coupon for it. So you’re saying I’m going to make you this. Now you have to follow through, and it’s a little bit easier than having to, you know, dole out a ton of handmade gifts right before Christmas.
Helen: Yeah, exactly. You don’t have to be super specific either. You could say I will make you one garment or one bag and then you can actually have fun working with them on what garment they want, and looking at patterns that can be a really fun part of the process.
Caroline: Involving them in the process, making sure that they’re going to get something that they love.
Helen: Yeah, exactly. Okay. Okay. This is all for other people, but what about me, Caroline? What about my Christmas needs and what people are going to get me for Christmas?
Caroline: Well, Helen, I don’t know, but what about me?
Helen: Oh my gosh. I mean, It is really nice when you’re into something and your friends and family take note of that and they get you something related to your hobby. I always so appreciate when people do that, but it can be, kind of, hard to come up with things. And maybe you have other sewists in your life you want to get gifts for, and you’re like, I don’t know. What should I get them? So we have some ideas for you.
Caroline: Yeah. And then you can send this episode to your friend or family member and give them a timestamp. And then they’ll just start listening right now. Hello, friends, and learn about all the great gifts they can get you for Christmas.
Helen: Yeah. So what would be some gifts that you would like to receive as a sewist?
Caroline: Oh, personally, I am really in love with all of Merchant and Mills’, cute, little, kind of, accessory items that they sell. They have really beautiful packaging. It really feels extra special and high quality. And I think it just would make a wonderful gift for sewist because it’s something that maybe isn’t, you know, what they would invest in right off the bat. But it’s one of those things that you can kind of get down the line as, like, an upgrade.
They have tons of, like, special kinds of pins or little kits for bags or patterns. They have this really adorable travel sewing kit. Um, but really nice, like, not a dollar store, one. It’s, like, really, really beautiful materials in this little aluminum tin that you can keep in your bag. Like, just, they do such a good job with sewing gifts. So, love Merchant and Mills.
I also think, if you’re a thrifter, a fun gadget, like a bias tape maker or a vintage buttonhole attachment. We’ve talked a lot on the show about Singer, uh, vintage buttonhole attachments, if you can hunt one down, that is such a cool gift for a sewist. I also personally would love, like, a sewing or, like, I don’t know, girl power-themed print for my sewing room.
Helen: That does sound like something you would love.
Caroline: Some kind of, like, fun artwork that would work well in my sewing space, I feel like that would be a really fun gift for a sewist AKA me.
Helen: Duly noted. Okay, my turn. I think that, um, no, actually somebody made me once a wooden tailor’s clapper by hand, somebody who does woodworking, and I thought that was just amazing. So if you do know woodworking or you can get something custom done, somehow, a tailor’s clapper is a great way to go because it is a simple shape and you don’t need to be too precious about all the details. You just need to, like, a nice, solid… Ooh, Caroline’s pointing.
Caroline: You made me think of something.
Helen: You just need a nice solid base for actually pressing and maybe a pointed end. That’s super handy. Um, also a wooden pin holder. If someone could turn a wooden object and then put a magnet in it and you can, like, stick your pins in there. That’d be cool.
Caroline: Speaking of woodworking projects that you could make for sewist, um, when you’re doing, like, resist dyeing, you need those shaped blocks, like, for indigo dying and that kind of thing.
Helen: And clamps.
Caroline: Yeah, and clamps. So you could get, you can make, like, a bunch of triangles or squares or circles. You screw into them so that there’s something to, like, wrap the string or the elastic around. So you put, like, a screw in, but leave it not fully screwed in. Um, and just, like, give them a bunch of those and be like, hey, here, go dye some things.
Helen: Yeah. It’s so true. With block printing, also, you need blocks to glue your, um, soft blocks to depending on what kind of block printing you’re doing, but woodblocks, great idea. Can’t be easier. Everybody go and get out your radial arm saw. Go nuts.
Caroline: Um, another great one is a mini anvil because I feel like that’s a really special tool to have in your sewing room. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s a really fun thing to get as a gift because it’s cute and small and adorable. And then you can tell everybody you know that’s there about sewing and, yeah, why you need a mini anvil.
Helen: And how cute it is. Yeah, I think I would like to receive, Since I have been sewing for a while, I have most of the tools that I need. I mean, I’m always down for an upgrade, but I think what would really excite me as a gift is any kind of other fiber art-related kit. So if it was, like, a little felting kit or a dyeing kit or something like that, where I could get my hands dirty and do something other than sewing, I would be super into that.
Caroline: Oh yeah. Or some kind of a class or a gift certificate for a class, online or in-person, if you know someone who frequents a local sewing shop, go and see if you can get, like, a gift card for a class or, like, a voucher for a class that they don’t spend it on something else. They spend it on, like, something, like, an experience that’s fun for them.
Helen: Yeah. That is the ultimate gift, I think.
Caroline: Yeah. But there’s tons of other things that you can get for a sewist in your life. So, of course, garment labels are such a fun, final touch on a handmade garment. And it’s not something that all sewists necessarily have kicking around in their stash. It’s, kind of, one of those special extra items. So Kylie and the Machine Labels are super, super cute. We love… they have labels that say things like “me made,” or “it has pockets” or “this is the back,” “slow sewing,” “ta-da,” like so many great, great labels.
There’s also a new company called Stitch Collective. We’ll link them in the show notes. I absolutely love her feminist garment label. I think it’s super cute.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: She’s got a few really great designs, and I think she’s coming out with more. Um, but there are tons of companies out there that make cute labels, and you could also go the personalized route and get personalized labels for your sewing friend. And we’ll link some shops on Etsy that do that cause there are lots of options there.
Helen: Yeah, like if your friend’s name is Dave, you can have labels made that say “made by Dave.” How cool would that be?
Caroline: Love it.
Helen: Alright, I think also special notions make a great gift, like bias tape is, I mean, you can never have enough bias tape, right? And if you get special bias that’s already made out of a fun fabric and it’s already made for you so you don’t have to go through the effort of making it yourself, I find that super handy. Um, we got some beautiful bias tape from the Small Circle. We’ll link that in the show notes, they have so many different fun prints. And I think there’s a few other companies that do that as well. Maybe we’ll track some down for the show notes.
Caroline: Mhm.
Helen: We also did a roundup after our Buttons and Buttonhole Episode, that features a ton of different buttons shops, where to buy custom buttons, beautiful buttons, special buttons, all kinds of different buttons, and that is on our Instagram. We’ve highlighted it, so you can go and check that out if you want to buy some special buttons for hol-, for the holiday.
Caroline: For holiday, holidays.
Helen: I can’t talk anymore. It’s like I ran out of talking juice.
Caroline: That’s not good.
Helen: Caroline, you talk.
Caroline: What about sewing books?
Helen: Sewing books are excellent. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a good book, whether it’s about sewing or some other craft. Again, you can go a different fiber art route. Yeah. I mean, I think there’s so many good options. For a sewist, maybe a pattern drafting book. Maybe they want to try their hand at drafting.
Caroline: Ooh. Yes. Love it. Okay. Finally. Obvi.
Helen: Obvi.
Caroline & Helen: A gift card.
Helen: BlackbirdFabrics.com gift card. I mean that’s at the top of my list all the time.
Caroline: But seriously though, find out where your sewing friend buys their fabric from or their notions, or maybe specialty shop that they really want to buy something from. It’s a great opportunity to give this person a choice to choose whatever they want from their favorite shop. And you can get it in, you know, whatever amount you’re comfortable with, and they can use it just towards a future purchase. It’s, like, a sure-fire way to please somebody. I know some people don’t really believe in gift cards, but I’m not one of those people.
Helen: I think it really depends on the person that you’re giving the gift to because it’s true. They might want to choose, and you might not have any idea what to get them, so you’re better off going the gift card route and having it all work out.
Caroline: Yeah. We hope that this episode helps you with your gift giving and making, especially as these holidays approach. Can’t believe it’s December already get your butt in gear, get those gifts going, guys.
Helen: You know what, on that note, I just want to put a quick plug in for being realistic.
Caroline: Oh, okay.
Helen: Uh, and not taking on too much this holiday season. Because sometimes you want to make gifts for 20 people, but sometimes that’s not a good idea.
Caroline: Don’t. Nobody should be making gifts for 20 people.
Helen: I mean, it depends on the gift, I guess.
Caroline: I guess. Yeah.
Helen: But, uh, you don’t have to make gifts for everyone, and think about how much time you actually have to sew. Be realistic.
Caroline: Yeah. And we’re gonna be linking all of these ideas in the show notes, so be sure to check out those additional resources online at LoveToSewPodcast.com, and yeah, there’s only a few weeks left, so get making.
Helen: I love it. Get making.
Caroline: That’s it for this Love to Sew Favorite. We’ll be back in March with our new season. You can find me Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com.
Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at LoveToSewPodcast.com. Just search for the episode title.
Caroline: And, of course, if you want to join our Patreon fam, now is a great time to start. For just $5 USD per month, you’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode. For $10 USD per month, you’ll get a 15% discount code for Blackbird Fabrics and Helen’s Closet plus a bonus mini-sode. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew, for more info.
Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you soon.
Caroline: Bye.
Helen: Buh-bye.
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https://www.ellieandmac.com/collections/adult-tops/products/womens-24-7-top-pattern
I just stumbled on this and thought it might be a great scrap buster. A top using light weight woven AND knit together.
Thank you so much for sharing, Suzanne! This is great 🙂