Ask the Experts: Tips, Ideas, and Advice for Holiday Quilting

“When I am sewing gifts, I usually pick one project to do. Usually, it’s for my nieces and nephew. Then, I pick out my fabrics for each person and do them all assembly-line style. It saves a lot of time—instead of doing one project from start to finish and then starting over. I usually personalize their gifts by putting their names on them.” 

– Kari Mathews

“The holidays can be a stressful time, so I make sure to bookend my days with relaxing quilting tasks. I’ll sew at my machine at night, then put the stack at the ironing board to iron in the morning. The machine noise helps me calm my mind at night, and the ironing is a peaceful task that also warms my hands.” 

– Brittany Fisher

“Around the house, I display cloth garlands, fabric pennants, and lots of holiday quilts, but I really enjoy stitching up gifts! Throughout the first part of the year, I check Pinterest, Facebook, and other online sources for great gift ideas. Once I find something fun, I make multiples. One year, I made my adult children a passel of 10-minute table runners, one for each holiday. It’s great to see them in use all year long. I’ve made thread catchers for my friendship group, mug rugs for my sisters, cloth produce bags, pillowcases, coasters, and lots of other things. I even stitch up the bags to wrap the gifts in. Making small gifts like these are great stash busters and stocking stuffers. There have been many late nights and long hours of sewing, but I enjoy the stitching and the giving, too!” 

– Lyn Brown

“To make change-of-season decorating easier, I keep my holiday quilts stacked together on a shelf in my linen closet. I have learned that decorating for Christmas during Thanksgiving weekend has merits; if I postpone decorating until December, this joyful task is unfortunately often sidelined by preparing and attending social gatherings, holiday baking, and last-minute gift making.

As for gifts, perhaps the ladies on your gift list would enjoy receiving a quilted table runner, placemat set, purses or tote bags, or other small gifts—like stockings filled with baking needs or a zippered pouch. These are always welcome and could be themed to match each recipient’s interests. You could use 5″ charm squares or 2½” squares for a coordinated scrappy look from various fabric lines, along with several patterns. Alternatively, you could use the same pattern and fabrics to make them all alike.” 

– Abigail Dolinger

“I start planning my main holiday projects well in advance. In July, I have an idea of the main projects I want to create. By October, I have my quilty to-do list finalized. I make sure to add some quick projects to my list, as those give me immediate satisfaction of completing something fun and can break up the stress of my big projects. Then, I organize my time with a spreadsheet that lists each day of the month, with each day sorted into several columns. One column lists the project. Other columns have the time of day I plan to work and the part of the project that needs to be completed. To balance my life, I also fill in non-crafty events, like holiday shopping, work parties, get-togethers, and family time. Some days may not have any sewing time—and my Saturdays are usually blocked off for Family Play Days. Seeing all the detailed tasks for the day helps me plan what I can complete in time for the holidays.” 

– Leah Malasky

“Handmade holiday giving is my favorite type of gift to give and receive, but it takes some planning and lots of time. When my daughter was little, I taught her how to make drawstring fabric gift bags. She was thrilled to help thread the drawstring through the casing or turn the bags inside out. When she was interested in using a sewing machine, she also helped to sew the bags: her favorite part was joining me in saying, “PIVOT!” when we turned a corner. We made gift bags in all different sizes and wrapped gifts for our friends and family. These are now beloved and get passed back and forth to this day!

I also love to participate in handmade holiday swaps with crafty friends. They are a great way to collect holiday decorations that you can look forward to using every year. Start this in late spring or summer when the holiday fabric collections hit the quilt shops. Decide with your friends if you want a theme–like an ornament swap or a table runner swap, then partner up and set a date to mail or gather for the exchange.” 

– Michelle Freedman