I took a quilting class once. I love the concept and I love quilts, however I don’t like sewing machines - so, we weren’t the best fit. (prefer hand quilting back in the day…)
I’m going to be visiting and staying with a cousin who has recently started quilting. Sounds like she is sort of self taught. Sort of basic skills right now but she has made 4 quilts. I will be bringing a hostess gift for the family (something from our home area) but I’d like to bring something just for her - and I thought maybe something that would be nice for a quilter to have…something like a book for a somewhat beginner or a tool that is nice to have or some sort of personal item that reflects being a quilter.
I thought about just picking a selection of quilt quarters (? is that the right term?) to jazz up her fabric collection - don’t know if that’s too much of a personal thing…
I’ll be flying so it needs to be smallish to fit in my carry on. Any ideas appreciated.
I would,find out where she purchases her fabric, and get her a nice gift card to that shop. I have a bunch of quilters in my family…I would never buy themmthe fabric to use…unless they were making a quilt for me.
Any JoAnn’s Fabric store will have a nice selection of quilting books, tools, etc. Even if she buys specialty fabrics, the rulers and templates and stuff are all the same at JoAnns as at any expensive specialty store. Gift cards available at many places like the racks at the grocery store or Walgreens.
I found a JoAnn’s about 5 miles from her house. Hard to imagine that someone wouldn’t be able to find some quilting items at JoAnn’s, right? I can get the gift card here and just bring it with me.
A group of fat quarters from a nice quilt store is always welcome. We quilters see a material that we would not pick as a challenge! Or she can always use them as trade bait at quilters swaps for what she really wants. Or you might get lucky and she will use them to make you a quilt.
I would not get a gift card to Joann’s. Their fabric can be substandard for quilting, and the staff is often ignorant of the needs of quilters, particularly beginning quilters. Also, if you are trying to make her feel special, a gift card for thread isn’t going to do it.
I like the fat quarters idea. I know fabric can be personal but any quilter loves extra! Especially if the selection has something she has an interest in—say cat/dog fabric, sayings, sparkle fabric, birds, sea themes, music etc.
Agree that a GC to JoAnn would not be that exciting; nice to have but not special. But a GC to Missouri Star might be good. Google Missouri Star Quilt Co., they’ve got it all.
I’ll have to look up Missouri Star Quilt co - not familiar with them!
If you did want to bring some fat quarters or strips or some other fabric, I’d look around for a quilting store local to you to pick them up at. Solids or basic patterns are always useful to fill in on quilts and you don’t have to worry so much about whether the recipient will like the pattern. Me, I’m a big fan of batiks…
I’m a quilter and I agree- do not get a jo Ann’s gift card. Most of their fabric is not high quality fabric appropriate for quilting. I believe fat quarter is the term you were looking for. If you know her fabric preferences a fat quarter bundle could be appropriate. However, tastes/needs are so individual, that it could be hard to get something she would like. There are lots of great online quilting shops where you could get a gift card. She could use it for fabrics, tools, etc. someone already mentioned Missouri star (www.missouriquiltco.com). Also try www.webfabrics.net and www.equilter.com, www.fabric.com
I am a quilter, the one who suggested JoAnn’s. I buy all kinds of things there that aren’t fabric - cutting mats, rotary cutters, scissors, books, templates.
Missouri Star is wonderful, but a $25 or $50 gift card doesn’t get you much. I get the catalogs and the quilt kits can cost $150 - plus shipping costs. Quilting services can be $100 for a baby quilt. It’s really expensive. If someone gave me a gift card it would cost me another $50 or so to use the gift. I do like the videos.
My dad got me a Joanne’s gift card; I used it to buy Olfa mats when they are on sale. Have gotten a couple good ones for 60% off. I get my fabric at my local quilt store, Connectedthreads.com and occasionally Missouri Star. The LQS has supported our project making quilts for a local women’s shelter with free workspace, fabric donations and volunteer quilters, so I tend to spend my quilting $$ there. A local quilt store gift card may enable her to take a class or two. I’ve sewn forever and am a self-taught intermediate quilter, but classes are great for short cuts and pro tips that would take me forever to figure out.
Mom used to quilt a great deal. Best gift could be simply some great ideas. My favorite that she made was a t-shirt quilt. She took some of my favorite shirts from events, teams, etc. and made them into squares. Easy to make (or so I am told) and a big hit.
I’d be very happy with a gift card to Joanne’s. And I use it on supplies (rulers, mats, rotary cutter replacement blades - they dull so quickly!). But I"m a thrifty person, so this is how I would likely use a gift card. If your relative is more of a spender, then a gift card to Missouri Star would be lovely. As another poster pointed out, they are pricey and so the gift card might need to be augmented by the receiver in order to be useful.
Any ideas appreciated.