At this time each year, we like to present a round-up of holiday gift ideas from Fit for Art available on our website (and a few that are not). We hope you’ll find a few that fit your list from this rundown of possibilities including projects to make from your own stash, virtual and digital products you can get right away, products that need to be shipped, and books for sewists to look for at your favorite book suppliers.
Gifts to Make
Over the years we have posted step-by-step instructions and patterns for sewing several giftable items, all of which you can find links to on our page of Free Downloads. These include:
- Several types of flower pins or embellishments – Felted Wool Layers, Organza Rose, and Denim Dahlia pins and knit flower embellishments.
- An Artful Slumber Mask.
- An Obi Belt.
- A Composition Book Cover embellished with collage or scrap lace.
Follow Rae’s inspiration and guidance to convert a beloved sports team tee to a Spirit Tabula Rasa Knit Tee or Tunic with personality in Tee Shirt Redesign. Of course this technique can be adapted for any thematic tee treasured by your gift recipient – think school names and colors, clubs and associations, special charity events and so much more – as Rae did years ago with this Snazzy Bmore Tunic.
Gifts of Learning – No shipping required
For gifts that require no time to be shipped or to make, consider a gift of learning with Rae and Carrie at Fit for Art for your friend, or make it even more special as a gift of time for the two of you to experience together!
Our virtual courses on making the Tabula Rasa Kit Tee & Tunic or the Tabula Rasa Jacket allow your giftee to learn on demand at their own pace and in their own home or location of their choice. Add a one-on-one virtual coaching session to boost your loved one’s progress and confidence when they are ready! We will happily create an individualized gift certificate announcing your gift and with instructions for the recipient to claim the course and/or coaching session.
Send your friend on a Sew Successfully Retreat in the Baltimore area in the Spring or Fall, where they’ll receive 3 days of one-on-one guidance on projects they choose, or on a very special week-long retreat in August 2026 to Spark Creativity in Enchanting France. All we require for now is the payment of the registration fee to hold a space for you and/or your giftee. Contact carrie@fitforartpatterns.com to arrange a gift registration and individualized gift certificate.
Gifts of Learning with Fit for Art Patterns
Of course, we think Fit for Art’s patterns accompanied by all of the supporting video tutorials and many other resources available for free on line are also a great gift of learning. Take advantage of the discounted Core Pattern Bundle to gift a start on the Fit for Art path, or shop for digital patterns for immediate delivery.
Is there a kid in your life who is ready to learn to sew garments? Give them the Tabby Jacket pattern and the gift of your time to launch a love of sewing! The pattern instructions are written for kids who can read and have basic sewing skills to sew a unique jacket or vest while working with adult assistance. Start with a shopping trip to a local quilt or fabric shop, or even in your stash, to find fabric that excites your kid to start sewing. Find links to resources that will support you and your kid on this sewing journey on our Kids Jacket Help page.
Whether your giftee is a quilter or garment sewer, our new book Sewing Quilted Patchwork Jackets provides a path to learning to create a very special and personal quilted jacket, coat or vest. We will happily personalize the book with an inscription to your giftee. Even better, take this journey of discovery together with a friend to encourage and inspire each other!
Gifts to Read
We always enjoy reading a sewing themed book and know many of you do, too. Over the years we have reviewed an assortment of non-fiction, and a few fiction, books of interest to sewers in our blog posts, any of which would make a nice gift for a fellow sewist. Find detailed descriptions in the blog archive category Book Review of books such as:
- Claire McCardell, the Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickson
- Dolly Parton, My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton
- How to be Old, Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon by Lyn Slater
- The Golden Thread by Kassia St Claire
- Threads of Life by Clare Hunter
- and more!
This Fall, after reading the Claire McCardell biography, Carrie read a related chronicle of the women who created the New York Fashion industry during and after World War II – Empresses of Seventh Avenue by Nancy MacDonell. Recently published and highly recommended!
