Mother's Day Gift Guide for Quilters & Seamstresses

Given the amount of money large retailers spend on market research, you'd expect that they'd come up with some better offerings than pyjamas, fluffy slippers, foot spas and the latest Michael Buble CD for Mother's Day. And if your household is similar to mine, it's probably Mum who decides and purchases gifts for all other occasions throughout the year, leaving your partner and the kids to stumble blindly through the horror of the Mother's Day display at Target at the last minute, resulting in said fluffy slippers for the third year in a row.

So in the words of those genuis pop icons the Spice Girls, I'm gonna tell you what I want, what I really really want.

1. A new sewing machine. Perhaps your Mum has had hers for years and needs a replacement, or she'd like to upgrade to a fancier model. Perhaps she is a beginner and would like her first machine? Whatever the reason, you can be sure that it would be a popular gift idea amongst many Mums who sew and quilt. Here are the top selling machines on Amazon - a great place to start to look at features and prices.

2. Fancy Threads. If your Mum loves making quilts, thread is important. Aurifil is currently hugely popular amongst quilters and rightly so - they are high quality and come in a range of stunning colours. You can buy box sets which are ideal gifts. Check out this one, the Premium Collection by Tula Pink.

3. Gift vouchers to her favourite fabric store. This might be a local quilt shop or her favourite online store. This is easy to find out - just ask her where she likes to buy fabric. If you don't want to ask, here are some suggestions.

Hawthorne Threads  - Westwood Acres - Fat Quarter Shop - Fabricworm - Spoonflower

4. A beautiful book (or two). There are some great books available for seamstresses and quilters and you can find them on almost any subject. Garment sewing, small projects, quilting, applique, you name it. I asked on my facebook page recently about which books are huge favourites that they refer to again and again, so here are the top suggestions:

Practical Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman

Scandinavian Stitches by Kasja Wikman

Sew What You Love by Tanya Whelan

Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg & Cheryl Arkison

5. A serger / overlocker machine. Does your Mum sew a lot of clothing garments? Then she will love the professional finish and quick work that an overlocker can provide. I love mine, and it makes a huge difference to the quality of hand made garments. Here are the top Amazon sellers.

6. Rotary Cutter and Blades. These are such an important tool but I confess - I don't replace the blades as often as I should. My Olfa 45mm cutter is my go to blade, but since I've been quilting more often, I recently bought an Olfa 28mm cutter. I love it for cutting small pieces, trimming up blocks and working on small projects. Buy your Mum a new rotary cutter and a spare set of blades, and you'll be golden!

7. A Dress Form - for the dedicated seamstress, a dress form is a must have. If your Mum loves making her own clothes she would be thrilled to finally have one of these babies in her sewing room!

8. A new camera. Is your Mum a blogger? Or someone who loves taking photos of her sewing and quilting projects to share in forums? Or maybe she just loves taking gorgeous pictures of her family? Here are the top sellers from Amazon.

9. Furniture for her sewing area. A new set of shelves to store fabric? A comfortable chair? A new lamp for night time crafting? Lots of possibilities!

10. Something thoughtful. Most Mums I know don't want anything fancy or expensive. What most of us would like is some time to do something we love - sew, quilt, spend time with our family and friends, eat a meal at a favourite restaurant, or have someone cook our favourite meal for us (and then wash up the dishes!)

So whatever you choose to do for your Mum (or wife / partner / grandmother / step mum / awesome lady in your life) try and make it something to show her that you know who she is, what she loves and that you love her!

Simple.

Happy Mother's Day for May 11th!

*please note, this post contains affiliate links.