Holiday Gift Guide For Sewists

Here’s a holiday gift guide for sewists with some links. I wanted to share something like this for a while, but I always run out of time-😂. These are some sewing helps for others to gift to you or for you to gift yourself, any time of year!

*The following includes affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you shop through these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support.

1. Walking foot

You may have heard me mention this before, on my YouTube channel or here. This is so helpful.

Be sure to check you machine to make sure you purchase the right one. Bernina feet are exclusively for Bernina machines.

Brother walking foot Bernina walking foot

2. Fingerthing pusher

Sometimes you need an extra hand, or some help. This is it.

Fingerthing pusher

3. Foldable cutting board

Although I don’t use mine as often as I used to, this definitely comes in handy!

Foldable cutting board

4. Cutting table

This is the closest thing I see to one the one I use (I’ve had mine over 20 years). But a foldable table is a fantastic investment because you will get so much use out of it!

Foldable cutting table

5. Darning egg

There are times you may need to fix something, and this is a great tool.

Darning egg

6. Sewing clips

I’ve received these as a gift, and they are so very helpful.

Metal hemming clips

7. Plastic clips

These are great for sewing with faux leather or any fabric that you don’t want to put holes in.

Sewing clips

8. Heat erasable pens

I have them and use them often. And they do erase with heat and I haven’t had any marks return.

Heat erasable pens

9. Flexible ruler

These are great for measuring the crotch curve for pants.

Flexible curve ruler

10. Pattern drafting kit

This has a lot of the tools needed for pattern drafting and alterations.

Pattern drafting kit

So that’s my holiday gift guide for sewists. I think that many of these items will make your sewing life easier. If you have other suggestions, please leave a comment and let me know.

Minerva Fabrics Stretch Velvet Beauty

I used McCall’s 7186 to make this Minerva Fabrics stretch velvet beauty. Not to toot my own horn, but this dress is gorgeous! I attribute that not so much to my own skill, but to the fantastic fabric.

The Fabric

Minerva gifted me this fabric. I am a Minerva Brand Ambassador. This project featured a new exclusive fabric for them. It’s called a Crush Velvet Stretch Knit. It washes and dries beautifully (in the washer and dryer-cold water, low heat).

The Pattern

The drape of the dress is why I chose this. I made View D. There are gathers at the shoulder that create the drape in the front of the dress. This is the second time I’ve made it and this view. Although the pattern is OOP (out of print) it’s available on Etsy or Ebay.

This is a pattern designed for knit fabrics.

Alterations Made

Because I made this pattern some time ago, I needed a bit more room in this one. I am still able to wear the dress I previously made, but it was a little tight and I just want more breathing room. 1″ was added to the center back seam and 5/8″ added to the side seams.

Once I got the sizing the way I wanted, this was a very quick make. I love making things that look like I spent a lot of time on them. The reality is, the majority of the sewing was done on the serger, so this only took a few hours to make!

Helpful Hints

A walking foot is a terrific help in sewing stretch (or any) velvet. It will keep the layers of fabric feeding into the machine at the same rate so that your seams will line up properly.

Be sure to use a press cloth and/or an iron shoe. Velvet can easily “scorch” and you could end up leaving a mark on your garment.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic dress pattern that is perfect for a stunning fabric like this.

Brother walking foot

*Some links above are affiliate links

Here’s my YouTube video I made about this dress and the sewing process:

A Button Up Shirt With Simplicity 1538

I decided that sewing a button up shirt with Simplicity 1538 would be my next project. And I also decided to use a piece of plaid fabric that I’ve had for several years.

I had purchased the fabric from Fabric dot com (no longer in business). It’s a very soft but weighty flannel.

The Pattern

Because I wanted something that would fit me well, I chose Simplicity 1538. This is a pattern I’ve used before. It’s a fairly straightforward shirt pattern. I did want to use this pattern rather than McCall’s 6613 that I have used recently.

I like the fit of this particular pattern because it is not a blousy. Because this pattern is designed for women, there are darts on the front which, of course, give it better shaping.

Simplicity 1538

Plaid Matching Gone Awry

So, I did attempt to match the plaid on the front in particular. When laying out the fabric and pattern, I started with the back. Since this is the largest single piece, I thought it would be easiest to start here. I had already traced the back patten piece so that I had two pieces that could be put on the fabric (fabric right side up). Then I moved on the the back yoke. I think I my main issue is that I intended to cut out the front placket on the bias. I completely forgot to do this, and therefore, it is as it is. Oh well. It will most certainly be worn by me.

Contrast

The contrasting fabric is something that I had leftover. I purchased this from Spoonflower. I have used this for holiday placemats. Luckily, that fabric has the same colors as the main fabric, so it works well together.

The Result

Sewing a button up shirt with Simplicity 1538 or another pattern is a fairly easy process. It’s easier, of course, if you aren’t using plaid or a pattern that you want to match up.

As far as the buttons are concerned, I used some flat silver buttons that I had in my button stash. They go very well with the gray of the shirt.

When applying buttons, I start with the button at the bust, that way I can more easily avoid gapping there. Then I measure the distance for the others so that they are spaced evenly (for the most part).

If you’d like to see my YouTube video about this process, you can watch this:

*Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Thanks for your support.