New Products / Gift Ideas

 I know a lot of you may not be ready to hear it yet, but Christmas is coming up quick. I took down all the fall decorations last week at our house and have been putting out the winter and Christmas decor. The boys all put their Christmas blankets on their beds last week too. I decided I needed to make a new Christmas quilt for my bed so I started that yesterday evening. Do you have Christmas quilts for the beds in your home?

Last Tuesday on Facebook Live I did a little walk through of some of our new products that would make great Christmas gifts for your quilt friends, or maybe for you to add to your own wish list. You can watch the video here, and I will go through some of them below as well. 

Jewelry is always a great gift and we have several different options in the shop. We have necklaces in different styles, finishes and lengths. These have been selling like crazy over the past couple weeks and there are more on order that should be here this week or next. We also have the ruler bracelets. These are available in 2 lengths 15" and 17" ( I wear the 15" and love it) They come in 5 or 6 different colors. 

We also had some fun quilty socks in stock, I think we were nearly cleared out of them on the weekend, but more are coming again. 

Notebooks and stationary are always a super useful gift. The Lori Holt Office Bundle Set includes pencils, a notebook, bookmarks, stickers, file folders, tape, dividers and more! 

We also have a variety of notebooks available, and we have some day planners on order that should be here any day now. 

There is several different styles of coffee mugs and a stemless wine glass too that would make great gifts. 

We also have a couple products that are designed to keep your notions safe. We have the rotary cutter cases in pink or green and the ruler safes in 4 colors and 2 sizes. These are great if you normally travel a lot to classes and retreats, it will keep your tools safe, and they make great storage for when your tools are not being used. 

Car coasters are a great stocking stuffer and we have a couple different designs available. 

Gift Cards always make a great gift, and we have them available in any dollar amount that you choose. 

Do you enjoy getting quilty gifts for yourself or for your friends?

Kayla

Christmas Part 3

his evening's post is the final in our 3 part Christmas Series. Today I want to give you some ideas of what to buy for your quilty friends, or give you some ideas of what to put on your own list. Some of these gifts are useful notions and some are just fun.

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First up useful notions. I have put these all to the test and I highly recommend them all. The stash and store is a perfect organization tool to hold all those small things that always get lost under our piles, think scissors, marking pencils and the seam ripper, we have two colors in stock right now, but there are a few more colors on order. The ruler pad holds those small trimming rulers and cutting mats, getting them off your table but still easily accessible. We also got a new shipment of the Ruler Roundups today. I have one on my cutting table and it conveniently holds all the rulers I use everyday. These always sell out quick so if you want one come in store soon. The Alphabitties and Wonderclips make a great team, use them to keep your pieces organized and together throughout the cutting and sewing process. 

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The Moda Clipboards are great for planning projects and making lists, in addition to the board itself they come with a large pad of grid paper, six pencils and six binder clips. Esther is on her second as my sister-in-law adopted the first one a couple weeks ago, she loves it and she is not even a quilter. 

Esther ordered in these super fun Advent Calendar which contains 24 different notions. I think this is such a fun idea and they are priced at only $36, and I can guarantee that the gifts inside are of a much higher value than that. 

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Speaking of Calendars we also got the newest Inspiring Stitches Desk Calendar in today. Not only is a super cute calendar, it is also a block of the month, what a great two for one deal!

So aside from useful gifts that we don't usually buy for ourselves we also have the super fun treat ideas. 

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You know we carry socks which are always a big hit, but we also ordered in some more fun things with Christmas in mind. Everyone drinks some kind of beverage whether it be coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine or water, and the new mugs and glasses that have come in will make those drinks seem a lot better. 

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These Riley Blake Bandages are perfect to prevent blood from getting on any of your projects, plus they are super adorable, and I have it on good authority that they stay on really well. 

If you are still stumped we also sell gift cards. 

I must say that December is one of my favorite months to work, and even though it is a full month away I am looking forward to it already. We have so many husbands, and non-quilters come in the store saying they are looking for something for so and so. I love helping them find something to suit you. And I love knowing what you are getting for Christmas. 

If you would love something from this list or anything else specific in our store, but when you start talking quilting and your families eyes glaze over, make a wish list at our store and leave it with us and just tell your family that you are registered at Chicken Feed and we will help with the rest. 

Tomorrow is our Saturday PhD Club session, yesterday we had three ladies pay the $10 fee for not completing their homework (one of them was me, oops), but we also had a couple that finished their goals which is so awesome. During yesterday's session I finished up one of my Be My Neighbor Quilt Tops and I hope to finish the second one tomorrow. The final post for that will be on Tuesday, so it is time to start planning our next Quilt Along. I picked some out today and will do a poll on our Facebook Page sometime in the next week to see where your interest lies. So far I have a quilt pattern, a row quilt that can be done as individual projects or combined into one quilt and a book of minis picked out, so think about what you would like to do and be sure to vote when the poll comes up. 

Next week is Quilt Market, we are missing this year for a couple of reasons. Esther leaves this Monday for her vacation so she can't make it, and my sons 7th birthday is next week, and though I love working at the quilt store and everything that goes along with it, my family still comes first and I cannot skip out on his birthday.  

Kayla 

Christmas Part 2

Christmas is a time when many give us give gifts to those we interact with on a regular basis, teachers, co-workers, neighbors, friends and family. Handmade gifts are always so appreciated, and its a great way to personalize something to really suit the receiver. 

Aside from quilts which make great gifts, there are many small project ideas that are super quick to sew up. 

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Table toppers are a great gift idea. You can make them seasonal or to match the decor of someones kitchen. I made several triangle frenzy runners last week, and they go together so quick and yet look like they were a lot of work. 

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Mug rugs are also a great small gift idea. Use up scraps and make one of your favorite blocks, or take an orphan block leftover from a quilt, than quilt and bind and you have a quick gift done. You can always put it together with a coffee mug, or a festive treat for an added special touch. 

This past summer I made a matching apron set for my sister and her little girl as a thank you gift. Aprons are a quick project and always appreciated. Throwing in a cake mix, and some mixing spoons makes for a fun gift.

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Simple tote bags make amazing gifts, and they are their own wrapping as well. I have made a few for my sons friends, and together with a new book it made a great gift. This is one I made a year or two ago and he still uses it to tote all his things around the house, and back and forth to the library. I will probably be doing them for my sons teachers this Christmas, and because I don't know their taste in books may throw in a gift card to Chapters. 

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Also in the bag category are little zip pouches, I love zipper pouches, and use them all the time, they just keep everything together so nicely. My boys use them to take game boys, small cars, Lego, or a notepad and some pencils when we have to go to appointments or on long car rides, they each have personalized ones out of their favorite fabrics. We have some fun patterns for pouches available in store. 

Pillow cases are a quick sew, this is one of Esther's go to gifts for her nieces and nephews. She will make a big stack of them and let everyone choose one. The kids love it and she will occasionally get a text now and then saying "Auntie Esther can you make me a new pillowcase, I have worn my last one out."

These are my go to gift ideas, there are so many ideas out there, what are your favorite things to sew as gifts?

Kayla

Christmas Part 1

I know many of you are probably reading the title and groaning, "Christmas already, fall just started!" I am cringing as well and yet I know that if I want to get any of my Christmas sewing done in time for it to decorate my home or give as gifts I need to start soon. 

I am going to do a 3 part series on Christmas, sewing for the home, projects to make for gifts, and fun quilting theme gifts for the quilter in your life.

There are so many beautiful Christmas fabrics available and yet the question always remains what can I sew, how many Christmas Quilts can one person have. 

Well aside from Quilts there is lots to sew, but I am going to start with quilts.

I have a Christmas quilt for my bed and  couple pillows to match. I have the fabric to make a wall hanging to match and hope to get that done this year. To some it may seem weird to have a Christmas Quilt on my bed, but I love it, and it is fun to switch up the bed quilt even if it is just for a month. 

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I love doing runners for Christmas, and this will overlap into next week as they make great gifts. But I love doing them for myself as well. It is a great way to get some new fabric into my house as well as do some extra sewing. For myself I love doing patterns that take a of work or to try out a new technique, because in the end I only have to make a few blocks and I am not committing to a full quilt.  The one pictured is a runner I just finished that would look great in Christmas Fabric and is the perfect example of one that was a lot of work, but didn't feel like an overwhelming task. It is done with the Strippy Star Ruler and Log Cabin Trim Tool both from Creative Grids.

Place mats are a great added table decor especially during the holiday season and they are quick to sew. 

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Esther is planning on making herself a jelly roll rug from Winter Village by Basic Grey. This is another fairly quick project that is a great touch to the winter decor in your home. 

Fun wall hangings are always popular, in fact the only time I have quilt projects on the wall is during Christmas. I have a lovely snow man wall hanging that I received as a gift a few years ago, and a wall that is the perfect size to hang it on. 

There are several different tree skirt patterns available, and they make the bottom of your tree look so nice whether or not there are presents. 

Advent calendars seem to be on the rise again, and we even have one or two panels that make up Advent Calendars. I have also seen a wide variety of patterns for making your own. 

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What is your favorite thing to sew for your home and do you make it new every year?

This week is Shop Hop, we will be open 10am-8pm on Thursday, 10am-5pm on Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday. We are excited to see all of you, it is amazing how many quilters there in the area, and having everyone get together for this event is so fun. 

 Also I will miss out on seeing many of you because I will be away. As a result of me being gone, there will be no blog this Friday either. 

Kayla