American Patchwork & Quilting December 2021

I’VE PLACED STICKY NOTES ON THE PAGES OF PROJECTS I WANT TO MAKE. Do you mark the holiday season by making gifts for family members and friends? While I appreciate receiving handmade presents, I think I enjoy making them even more. In this issue of American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine, we have devoted several pages to five small projects that anyone on your list would love to get. Sprinkled throughout Make in Multiples, page 24, are gift-wrapping ideas and tips for customizing colors and patterns for your intended recipients. Another quick-to-make project in this issue is Hung with Care, page 50. Designer Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings used flannel and wool scraps to create a trio of mitten ornaments that also could be used as gift tags. As for the quilters on your list,…

CHRISTMAS QUILTS Stitch festive quilts that will elevate your holiday decorating this year. AllPeopleQuilt.com/075 WINTER QUILTS Add warmth to your home with handmade quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/078 ORNAMENTS Assemble delightful baubles to decorate your tree. AllPeopleQuilt.com/079 Sew Thankful Watch our social media sites in November! During the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, prompts on Facebook and Instagram will encourage you to submit stories and photos of what you are thankful for as 2021 winds down. Get the details at AllPeopleQuilt.com/076. GREAT GIFTS You can start now to make presents for everyone on your list. AllPeopleQuilt.com/077 TABLE TOPPERS Top your holiday table with one of our merry quilts. AllPeopleQuilt.com/080 search: American Patchwork & Quilting @allpeoplequilt…

I use ice cube trays to keep hexagons organized by color so they are easy to find for piecing. BETH JOHNSON Jerseyville, Illinois I love to have the fronts of the quilts I make monogrammed with the season and year that I completed them. I do this in addition to putting labels on the quilt backs. The monograms are lovely reminders of when the quilts were made. CHERYL JOHNSON Washington, Texas When I have a long length of binding to fold or wrap, I hang it over my balcony railing and let it fall to the floor below. This eliminates twisting and tangling, allowing me to easily roll it up. I do the same thing to straighten out a long length of fabric. CONNIE S. SILBER Bryan, Texas For me, the hardest part of using invisible thread is threading…

Q: The holidays are a stressful time for me. Between shopping, entertaining, and cooking, I rarely find time for myself and my sewing projects. Any tips? DIANE BENFIELD Jersey City, New Jersey The holidays can be the most wonderful time of year and also one of the busiest. Here are some ideas for carving out more time for sewing this season. GIFT SMARTLY If you’re making gifts, be realistic about how much time you have to sew. Pick easy patterns you can make in multiples (see our ideas on page 24) or narrow down your recipient list to those who will truly appreciate your gift. BE PREPARED Keep your sewing machine, supplies, and works in progress where they are easily available. That way you can sneak in even just five minutes of sewing between other activities. ADD IT…

I choose something that’s easy to make in multiples, such as a zipper pouch, bookmark, or journal cover, to reduce gift-making stress. While I select fabrics to match recipients’ interests, repeating something over and over lets me get in a groove, which speeds up the process. JODY SANDERS, Group Editor I always watch the movie White Christmas and sip hot chocolate while binding my last quilt of the year by the lights of our Christmas tree. LINDSAY MAYLAND, Product Editor For friend gifts, I like to piece scraps of Christmas fabrics into mini stockings that I fill with candy. To alleviate the stress of sewing many small items, I bring my favorite holiday things into my sewing space to make it as festive as possible. Hot chocolate with a candy cane stirrer, for example,…

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