If I was putting together a little gift basket for a close sewing friend for Christmas, I would make it themed “12 Days of Sewing”. I would wrap each gift separately and they could open one each day leading up to Christmas (or starting on Christmas until January 5th, which are the actual 12 days of Christmas).
The examples I give below are ideas to get the wheels turning. If you shopped this list exactly it would round to about $122 before tax. That is a big budget, so you could swap out bigger items for something smaller. Here are a couple ideas: a set of buttons, a fabric fat quarter, a zipper, 1/4″ elastic. Another idea: pick three to represent Jesus’ three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Or just go BIG! Whatever speaks to your gift giving spirit.
On the 1st Day of Christmas: Silver Metallic Thread
Start off with silver! I bought a spool of silver thread for a costume years ago and since then I have used it many times for fun decorative details on projects. It’s always there when you need a little extra *simmer*. (~$6)
On the 2nd Day of Christmas: Kai 5 1/2-inch Multi-Purpose Scissors
These are easily my most used scissors when sewing. Let’s acknowledge that they are pink and cute, but the goodness is in their functionality. They are so sharp and cut all-the-way to the tip. So precise and smooth. I use them start to finish in every project. (~$16)
On the 3rd Day of Christmas: Taylor Seville Comfort Grip Magic Pins
These pins are highly praised by Buried Diamond on IG. She says they are her favorite for heavy fabrics. These are on my wish list (the ‘quilting’ size). These come in a variety of lengths for different purposes/preferences; applique (26mm), patchwork (36mm), quilting (48mm), extra-long (56mm), fork (two pronged, excellent for sewing stripes in stretch fabrics). (~$15)
On the 4th Day of Christmas: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
A book to delight someone who would be intrigued by this description: “…unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.” I enjoyed this book a lot. I’ve also read and liked ‘The Paris Seamstress‘ by the same author, Nastasha Lester. (~$11)
On the 5th Day of Christmas: Leather Thimble
In my opinion, a leather thimble is the best. It is warm, soft, and flexible. It is sewn to the shape of a fingertip and feels like a thick second skin. Major fan! (~$13)
On the 6th Day of Christmas: Sew-On Snaps
Endlessly useful and good to have on hand. This little card comes with three sizes. I love having my snaps on a card because it makes for easy organization. You can also get snaps in black, gold, and clear. (~$6)
On the 7th Day of Christmas: Sewing Machine Enamel Pin
There is something charming about an enamel pin. I have a little collection on my sewing machine cover. (~$7)
On the 8th Day of Christmas: Point Turner
This particular point turner is on my personal wish list. I am curious about it and it seems as if it would be very handy. You may be wondering what I use for turning points… I use this boat shoe lacing needle. I really like it a lot, but on some fabrics it is a little too pointy. (~$8 for the white turner or ~$12 for the lacing needle)
On the 9th Day of Christmas: No.9 T.E.C. Tokyo Hand Sewing Needles
These Japanese needles are listed as “small, very fine, and sharp”. I can tell you that is true. The eye of the needle is very small too. They can be tricky to thread, but once the thread is in, they are excellent to sew with. They glide through fabric *sew* well because there is no bulk at the eye. I have used them for years and love them. These are a luxury item. Each pack has 25 needles so one pack lasts a long time. This gift wrapped would be very tiny. (~$20)
On the 10th Day of Christmas: 10-Pack of Wonder Clips
For special circumstances where using a sewing pin would leave a mark in the fabric. Or quilt binding. Or bulky seams. A pack of 10 is the perfect size to test them out before committing to a big pack. (~$9)
On the 11th Day of Christmas: Bodkin (2 Types)
For years, when I wanted to pull elastic through a casing I would use a big safety pin. It works, but sometimes it doesn’t work very well. I finally got this bodkin set and I haven’t used a safety pin since. They work so well and they are much sturdier. No more bent safety pins, yay! (~$5)
On the 12th Day of Christmas: Metallic Gold Mini Ric Rac Trim
End with gold! This gift is pure whimsy and Christmas sparkle. When combined with the silver thread, you’ll evoke the song ‘Silver and Gold’ by Burl Ives. (~$6)
Silver and gold
Silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On every Christmas tree
Love it!