Rebecca's Ultimate Etsy Gift Guide for Quilters and Crafters

 Hello, friends, and happy Nearly Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States!  Today's post is something I've never done before -- a shopping guide chock full of gift-worthy goodies that I personally would love to find under my tree on Christmas morning.  If you have quilters, sewists, or embroiderers on your shopping list this year, I have some suggestions that are sure to be received with delight.  (If YOU are the quilter/sewist/embroiderer reading this post, you may find a few items for your OWN wish list).  What's more, every item on my list is in stock and coming from a small craft business owner via Etsy -- and none of them contains those pesky microchips that are delaying just about everything else you might want to buy for the holidays this year.

A Few of My Favorite Tools

Each of the items on this list is something I personally own and love, or something I currently have on my own wish list.  Feel free to share this post with others, post on social media or wherever.  Disclaimer: this post does contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking my link.  I do appreciate your support of my wicked thread addiction!  😉

 Beautiful Tools: Where Form Meets Function

The items in this section are a pleasure to own and use because they combine the finest craftsmanship with beautiful design.  Bonus: They make great Instagram props to "style" your work-in-progress photos.

1. Hand Embroidered Felted Wool Pin Cushion from Etsy maker Martha of Quilt Shenanigans.  Who is this good for?  Anyone who does any kind of sewing at all can use a pin cushion, and these must take Martha hours to individually hand stitch and embellish with tiny beads.  Her hand stitching is exquisite, the felted wool is soft and luxurious to the touch, and the pin cushion is well-packed to hold its shape and is stable on a flat surface.  Even the slenderest pins slide in and out with ease, and she has lots of beautiful designs in stock to choose from.   

My New Favorite Pin Cushion, made by Martha of Quilt Shenanigans on Etsy 

2. Handmade, Hand Paired Embroidery Scissors from Maison Sajou.  These are manufactured by a 200-year old company in France, but available in several Etsy shops.  I got mine from Penelope Textiles' Etsy shop.  A few things to know: There are lots and lots of cheap imitations out there for a fraction of the price, but while the mass-produced knockoffs might look just as cute as photo props, there is no comparison to the way they actually cut.  It's like the difference between a Wustof steak knife versus the plastic knife that comes with your takeout order.  The lesser version SORT of cuts, but not cleanly or easily and it's not a joy to use!  Authentic Maison Sajou scissors are individually handmade by French craftsmen, with hand paired blades that are kept together throughout the entire production process to ensure that they match up perfectly. They are sharp, accurate, and cut smoothly and cleanly all the way to the tip (which is absolutely crucial for snipping the inside corner seam allowances in needle turned applique).  Who is this good for?  Anyone who enjoys any kind of hand stitching like cross stitch, embroidery, needle turned applique, or hand quilting would love to receive a pair of Sajou scissors!  In addition to the Hare design that I own, there is also a cute Eiffel tower version, gorgeous Art Nouveau Peacock scissors, and other historic reissue designs to choose from.  Of course, if you just want a cute pair of scissors for a photo prop, those cheaper knockoffs will suit you just fine!

Hand Paired Hare Embroidery Scissors from Maison Sajou, via Penelope Textiles on Etsy

Tuesday is a Great Day for Needle-Turn Applique!

Oh my gosh, you guys -- I had the BEST time at my needle-turn applique workshop on Saturday!  Not only was it a healthy slice of heaven just to relax and sew with no distractions for an entire day, but I also went to lunch with some wonderful, funny, and incredibly talented quilters who invited me to join their quilting bee.  Their monthly get-together was yesterday, which gave me another three hours to relax and continue working on my applique block with other women who share my love of quilting.  I am floating on a cloud of sunshine, sparkle dust, and happiness -- making new quilting friends is the perfect antidote to the Post-Holiday Blahs!

Here's my workshop block so far:

My 12" Needle-Turn Applique Workshop Block In Progress

My Fabric Picks: Some Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink Snails, and Random Stash Discoveries

I did end up swapping the Kaffe print with the Tula Pink print once I got to class due to the size of the circles involved and the scale of the prints.  I opted for the No Fabric kit for this class because, although I love the soft, vintage charm of instructor Christa Smith's fabrics, I felt like it was too similar to my Frankenwhiggish Rose needle-turn project that has been dragging along for several years, and I wanted a change.

With Fabric Kit Had Fabrics Similar to This Class Sample

Also, I wanted to be able to USE the workshop block without having to create an entirely new project (UFO!) around it.  No more orphan blocks!  I had thought about mixing in some applique blocks with the 6" pieced sampler blocks I've been making off and on as breaks/rewards between other projects.  Remember my Farmer's Wife, Farmer's Wife 1930s, Vintage Block QAL blocks, and random other 6" blocks that were living on my design wall for awhile?

Assorted 6" Sampler Blocks.  My 12 inch Workshop Block Might Join These...

So the new (tentative) plan is that I could mix in some 12" blocks with the 6" ones and this could be one of those larger blocks.  And if that doesn't work out, I know that I can work this brightly-colored block into a baby quilt.  In any case, it felt good to work with totally different colors and fabrics from the Magnum Opus/Magnum Onus that my Frankenwhiggish Rose is turning out to be:

Meanwhile, I'm Still Working On the Eight Remaining Blocks Like This One...

I love the look of antique Whig Rose quilts, but I'm finding it tedious to work on the same block over and over.  Good for improving needle-turn applique skills, maybe, but difficult from a motivation standpoint!  At this point I have all of the stems and stacked center "rose" petals appliqued to all of the blocks as well as the double circle centers, and I'm working on needle-turning all of the leaves.  Next will be all of those stinker tulips with the revers applique centers and deep, tight inside and outside curves, and then all of the stuffed berries, and all of the broderie perse rosebuds that I'm cutting out of leftover drapery fabric (with a distinct possibility that I might have to cut rosebuds out of one of my actual drapery PANELS, if there aren't enough rosebuds in the fabric scraps!).  Once I've finished my workshop applique block, I'll switch back to the Frankenwhiggish Rose project for my portable hand sewing.

I'm really glad I gave myself a break from my major WIPS and gave myself permission to go off on a workshop tangent.  I definitely got enough out of the workshop to make it worthwhile.  I learned a different way of using the Clover bias maker gadget to make quick stems, and I learned some methods for streamlining the prep work for applique to get to the stitching part faster.  Who knew you could glue baste for needle-turn applique instead of pinning?!  I might not have the courage to do it that way for a really intricate Baltimore Album block, but there are a lot of less complex applique patterns that this would work for.  You all know I'm dying to start a new applique project, like Esther's Queen's Garden pattern:

70 x 70 Queen's Garden by Esther Aliu, Pattern Available here

Or -- gasp! -- dare I even say it? -- Sarah Fielke's Down the Rabbit Hole pattern:

96 x 96 Down the Rabbit Hole by Sarah Fielke, pattern available here

But there are LOTS of other quilts that need to get finished before I can start either of these.  There's a new baby who was born last month whose quilt isn't even started yet (need Jingle off the design wall before I can get into that one) and the high school graduation "Quillow Sunday" service at our church is exactly 5 months from tomorrow.  That gives me exactly 152 days to complete Lars's graduation quilt from start to finish, except that I'm not even ready to get started on it yet...  So I haven't started the Queen's Garden even though I have the pattern and have purchased my fabrics for it, and I've not ordered the pattern for Down the Rabbit Hole.  Instead, I got my rabbit fix by ordering these adorable 4" embroidery scissors last night from The French Needle:

Hare Scissors by Jean-Marie Roulot

I ordered the Antique finish shown in the middle.  They are handmade in France and even cuter than the Sajou hare scissors I was lusting after previously -- even the screw at the pivot point is decorative on the Roulot scissors -- yet they were significantly less expensive.  A penny saved is another penny to spend on fabric, right?  

We're not having any stress over here, in case you're wondering.  Just stitching away happily, thinking about bunny rabbit scissors.  

I'm linking up with:

• ·       To-Do Tuesday at Stitch ALL the Things: http://stitchallthethings.com
• ·       Midweek Makers at www.quiltfabrication.com/
• ·       WOW WIP on Wednesday at www.estheraliu.blogspot.com
• ·       Needle and Thread Thursday at http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/  

Not for the Faint of Heart: Snip, Snip, Snip!

So last night, my Reality-Romance-Addicted husband was camped out on the sofa to see who got engaged from Bachelor in Paradise, and I was sitting next to him with my applique project.  

Trimming Away my Applique Backing with the Duck Billed Applique Scissors

I decided that I needed to trim the backing away from behind my Whig Roses PRIOR to stitching down those brown center circles that I glue basted in place on each block last week, because I didn't want to risk accidentally stitching through to the backing and not being able to remove it later.  These are large applique shapes with multiple layers of fabric, and I don't want to be quilting through all those layers later.  Yes, I know some people feel like applique is more durable if the backings are not trimmed away, but look at the size of my hand stitches -- anything smaller than that and it would be weaving the two fabrics together instead of stitching them.  My hand applique is more secure than my machine piecing, and it's not going anywhere.

Itsy Bitsy Stitches Aren't Going Anywhere

Of course, after investing months and months into these blocks already, it would be absolutely devastating to accidentally slice through the applique work while trimming away the backing behind it.  My poor husband was a nervous wreck just watching me, and kept saying things like "Don't you think you should SLOW DOWN?!!!"  Hah!  He thinks I'm reckless with my scissors; isn't that cute?  In reality, these special scissors make the task a lot less fraught with danger than it appears, as the wide, curved lower blade pushes the applique work down and out of the way of the slicing action.  Worth. Every. Penny.  I don't remember where I bought them.  They're probably either Gingher or Dovo.  The cutting action was stiff and was making my hand sore at first, but a drop of sewing machine oil on the scissor joint got them working smoothly again.

All Gone!

I got all eight of my blocks trimmed like this one, and one of the brown circles stitched down as well before the big Bachelor Proposal at the end of the finale.  I will have time to stitch a few more circles down during Anders' violin lesson this afternoon.  The prep time is a drag with prepared edge applique, but it sure makes the stitching go more smoothly to have those raw fabric edges already turned under smoothly and ready to go!

Meanwhile, I did NOT get my math quilt loaded onto my longarm frame yet.  I bought an assortment of longarm thread to get started with when I picked up my machine in March, but alas -- none of the sensible neutral thread colors I selected is going to look good on that black, lime green, purple and fuschia quilt top!  Bummer!  I think my Bernina shop probably carries longarm thread now that they sell the Q20 and Q24 machines, but they aren't going to have the size L magnetic prewound bobbins that I like...  And I'm still chicken to wind my own bobbin, since my machine has been stitching out with flawless tension using the prewounds!  Why mess with success?!  I'll probably pick out some more thread at my training class on Monday.

So the new plan is to load up a yard of cheater cloth onto my frame and practice with my rulers, stitching straight lines around the printed "piecing" lines and filling in with free motion fills.  We'll see if that actually happens or not by the end of the week.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Scissorlicious!

Harriet's Dovo 3 1/2" Hardanger Embroidery Scissors, from Sassy2Stitch

Lately I've been obsessed with scissors.  Not the little plastic kind the kids use, not the ones from Office Depot that I use to open packages -- I've been searching for embroidery scissors.

What are embroidery scissors, you may ask?  Well, they are about 4" long, and they have long, thin, razor-sharp points that enable you to clip fabric very precisely, with single-thread accuracy.  This is very important for clipping concave curves and inside points of applique shapes, because if your clip goes too deep your applique shape will fray, but if it doesn't go deep enough, you won't be able to get a sharp inside point. 

Dovo 6" Stork Embroidery scissors available here from Sassy2Stitch

I began by hunting for Dovo Solingen embroidery scissors, a German brand that I've heard lots of Serious Quilters raving about, (including Harriet Hargrave, whose machine applique class I was fortunate to take last month).   However, if I'm going to pay $50 or more for a 4" pair of scissors, it's not enough that they are meticulously crafted and perform flawlessly.  They must also be beautiful!  Dovo has some fancier embroidery scissors, like the Stork scissors at left.  Hmmm...  There are too many knock-off versions of the stork scissors for my taste.  I want something special, that I don't see everywhere.  I kind of like the Scalloped embroidery scissors (below), but the scissor blades look a little squattier to me, not as thin as the others:




Dovo 3 1/2" Scalloped Embroidery Scissors, available here from Sassy2Stitch

Soon, however, I stumbled upon Sajou, a line of French scissors that are entirely handmade in small ateliers near Versailles.  My favorites are their historical reissue designs:



Sajou Langres 4" Embroidery Scissors

Ooh la la!  Look at the cute little embroidered twill label!  Look at the darling little BOX!  Are you swooning?  If not, you would be if I told you how expensive they are.  It will suffice to say that Sajou scissors make the Dovos look like an economical option.  But I'm remembering all of the breathtaking vintage and antique embroidered textiles I saw at the Marche aux Puces in Paris -- can't you just imagine that the embroiderers who created such beauty might have been using beautifully made tools like these?

Embroidered Detail of Early 18th Century MAN'S Jacket

Vintage Embroidered Collar Spied at the Paris Flea Market in 2011

I am convinced that I could easily execute exquisite embroideries like those, if only I had a pair of lovely, decadent Sajou scissors in my sewing basket.  Sajou even has an Eiffel Tower embroidery scissors, a reissue from the late 19th century: 


Sajou Eiffel Tower Embroidery Scissors

No, I didn't buy the Sajou scissors... yet.  As gorgeous as they are, and as seductive as their fancy French pedigree may be, I don't know anyone who uses them and I have never seen them in person.  Next time I get to Paris, I will definitely seek them out.  After all, when you're on vacation and you're shopping with Euros, it's kind of like Monopoly money and it doesn't really count.  Or so I tell myself.

So, what did I end up ordering?  I went with the Dovos, just not the plain ones:


Dovo 3 1/2" Embroidery Scissors, Coming Soon to a Mailbox Near Me, available here from Sassy2Stitch

I also ordered a second pair of rounded tip Dovo embroidery scissors for trimming away the backing fabric behind my applique shapes.  I already have one of those unwieldy Gingher "duckbilled" applique scissors, but that big old duck bill gets in my way and makes me feel like I'm trimming with a lawn mower or a hatchet.

Dovo Rounded Tip Embroidery Scissors, Also Headed My Way and available here from Sassy2Stitch

I also ordered this pretty beaded scissor chatelaine, basically a fancy-yet-functional necklace for keeping track of my scissors and needle threader when I'm wandering around town with my little hand sewing projects, which I seem to be doing more and more often lately:

Scissor Chatelaine, Because I'm Fancy, available here from Sassy2Stitch

Incidentally, Jenny the Quilt Skipper must have a spy cam in my office.  Her Scissor Lust post appeared today, just as I'm impatiently awaiting my own package of scissorlicious lovelies. 

Do you have a favorite pair of scissors?