Monthly Archives: December 2022

Gifts Quilters Could Really Use

Quilters are a selfless lot. They spend untold hours upon hours making beautiful gifts for others and ask nothing in return. During this gift-giving time of year, they definitely deserve something, but what? Here are some suggestions for gifts that quilters really could use:

  • New Quilting Scissors – Destined to be at the top of the list, you know you ruined Your Quilter’s favorite scissors when you used them to cut cardboard, burritos, wire or even roof flashing. You owe a replacement pair.
  • Restaurant Gift Cards – Remember when Your Quilter spent frantic days non-stop to finish that cherished baby quilt or that unforgettable wedding quilt? Well, they are going to do that again one day soon and they are not going to have time to cook dinner. Have someone else do the cooking for you both. Extra points for take-out!
  • Fabric Store Gift Cards – Your Quilter can never have enough fabric so give a little help to build their stash. Be sure to support local, independently owned quilt shops!
  • A Good Chair – If the gamers get fancy chairs with all kinds of lumbar support, then so should the Quilters, after all, quilting is sitting… for creative people.
  • A Really Big Magnet – Preferably on a stick! Tired of walking on quilting pins in the carpet? Well, if Your Quilter had something to pick those tiny little fellas up with, you wouldn’t be finding them while in your sock feet. Makes a great stocking stuffer.
  • Thread – To the uninitiated, this may sound like a terribly boring gift idea, but I can assure you that Your Quilter would find a rainbow box of threadmore delightful than a box of chocolates.

Armed with this handy list of useful suggestions, I hope you can find a nice gift for Your Quilter, because you know as well as I do… you are getting a quilt!

The Rewards of Shopping Local


Everyone loves online shopping: it’s so easy, convenient, and you get exactly what you want showing up at your doorstep. It would be naïve to say we should refrain completely from online shopping – we are just not going to be able to put that toothpaste back in the tube. We should, however, be aware of our choices and make a conscious effort not to forget about local businesses that make up our communities. Not only do these local businesses rely on us for their survival, but their survival benefits us as well. Let’s think about how:

  • Local businesses are owned and operated by our friends, our neighbors, our kid’s best friend’s parents – all people in our communities. These people represent “the little guys”. Big online retailers and megalithic marketplaces are already getting enough tax breaks and other incentives, its up to us to help the Little Guys buy supporting them with our dollars.
  • Money spent locally in our communities goes back into local economies and helps us, too. When we spend our money in a Local Quilt Shop, that business pays taxes to our towns. That money goes to school, roads, police and other local services in our towns – all making our lives better.
  • Shopping local is much more fun and interactive than sitting behind a keyboard. In a time when “working from home” is all the rage, shopping local enables the chance to get to get out of the house, talk to other people, and learn about new patterns and projects you otherwise wouldn’t have.
  • Local Quilt Shops have many unique products you would never find online, items ranging from beautiful hand-dyed materials to tools and accessories made by local artists.

Now get out of your pajamas and make a trip to your Local Quilt Shop. You will be glad you did!