31 Thoughtful Gifts for People Who Sew (2023)

Do you have a sewing lover in your family or need a great gift idea for your sewing friends?

Whether you’re looking for Mother’s Day, birthday, or Christmas gifts, this sewing gifts guide is full of great ideas for gifts for people who sew.

Thoughtful gifts make the best gifts – this comprehensive guide of sewing gift ideas will cover all the bases no matter your budget or the sewist’s skill levels.

Whether you’re looking for practical and useful gifts like sewing tools, a fun gift for their sewing room, or just something that shows off their love of sewing, read on to get some great ideas for the perfect sewing gift.

The Best Gifts for a Sewer

Magnetic Needle Minder

Every sewing enthusiast has likely lost a needle at some point. But there’s a way to solve that problem by using a magnetic needle minder – especially one that’s so cute!

These make great gift ideas for needleworkers and cross-stitchers. 

Wood Seam Ripper

Every good list of sewing gifts likely will include a seam ripper and this one is no different!

While plastic seam rippers are a dime a dozen, why not get them a really fun and beautiful one like this wood seam ripper?

Pin Cushion

Everyone probably remembers their grandmother’s tomato pin cushion, but there are so many more choices now!

This super adorable hedgehog pin cushion is a bit different.

Embroidery Scissors

A passionate embroiderer might already own an embroidery machine, but an extra pair of embroidery scissors will never be turned down especially when there are some beautiful and fun options out there. 

Or your friend isn’t an embroiderer, they might appreciate a different pair of scissors for cutting fabric, you’ll be surprised at how many different types of scissors are available for sewers!

Sewing and Quilting Magazines

Give your sewing buddies the gift of inspiration with a new sewing book or a magazine subscription.

Magazine subscriptions can make an amazing gift.

There are so many inspiring quilting magazines to read. Depending on which magazine you go for many have easy sewing projects and a free sewing pattern, free templates or free gift included each month so you’ll be giving multiple gifts in one!

Rotary Cutter Set

This amazing set is an important thing for every craft room to have that also happens to be a good deal in regards to the price!

This set comes with a self-healing cutting mat, acrylic rulers, craft clips, and replacement sharp blades all in cute pastel colors!

Sewing Starter Kit

Have someone in your life that is interested in sewing but hasn’t really gotten started yet? A thoughtful gift idea is a sewing starter kit and possibly even paired with a pattern for an easy sewing project. 

Sewing or Quilting Classes

Giving the gift of a new skill is priceless! A sewing class or quilting class either online or at a local quilt shop is a great idea for beginner or intermediate sewists and quilters. 

Mini Iron

A quality iron is important for flattening out seams or straightening fabric for projects. Oliso irons are the best of the best for many sewers and especially quilters.

The large version is pricey but the mini version is more affordable and super handy!

A little iron is a useful tool for small projects or short seams that a large iron isn’t practical for. 

If your crafty friend likes to make larger quilts, you might want to consider gifting them one of the best cordless irons for quilting.

Desk Light

Every sewist and quilter can do with a bright light, as the light on a sewing machine is really not bright enough for detailed work. 

The small but powerful desk lamp is great for illuminating a sewing table and workspace. 

Cricut Maker

This tool can do so many things! You can cut all sorts of material, including fabric with it.

It’s fantastic for making appliques, adding embellishments, and more that is beneficial for sewing projects.

Cricut Makers aren’t cheap though! So this is a splurge gift – the sewer in your life will appreciate it and know you want to feed their crafty habits!

AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter

I love my AccuQuilt Cutter (well actually I have two!) – this is one for the quilters. It helps cut fabric more accurately and a lot quicker.

It is especially great for anyone with arthritis who is struggling to cut with a rotary cutter.

I love this product so much that I even wrote a review on the AccuQuilt Go Cutter which you can go read about, or take a look at my AccuQuilt Die Collection.

Fabric Bundles & Subscriptions

What’s something any sewist can’t get enough of? Fabric!

Different types of fabric are easy to find on Etsy or sign them up for a monthly subscription box or even a gift card to a fabric shop.

This is one of the best gift ideas, especially if the person you’re buying for already seems to have it all.

If you’re on a budget, have a look at my tips for buying cheap fabric for quilting.

Wonder Clips

These wonder clips are a great alternative to pins for all sorts of sewing projects. They’re also really great for delicate fabrics or leather as they don’t pierce fabric (like pins would) and they’re easy and quick to remove.

You can sometimes find them in little gift tins like the one above which adds a nice touch!

Sewing Coffee Mug

Not every sewing gift has to be a new tool used for sewing. It can just be themed items like coffee mugs that express their favorite passion and hobby. And there are so many cute options out there!

Magnetic Wrist Pin Cushion

Similar to the magnetic pin cushion above, this is one for your arm.

The sewer wears it on their wrist kind of like a smartwatch and they can easily keep their pins nearby (and save them from rolling on the floor!) as they move their fabric about before pinning in place.

The one pictured above is handcrafted by an Etsy Seller. Another popular version is by Prym and you can find it here.

Acrylic Rulers

If the sewer in your life is a quilter, the general rule applies – they can never have too many rulers! Rulers get used regularly (okay some more than others!) and can make some projects much easier if you have the right one.

Have a sneak into their sewing room when they aren’t there and check which ones they already have first though!

Sewing Machine

If you have a larger budget, then a new sewing machine could be a meaningful gift to consider.

It will help to have an idea of what they’re looking for – a machine for quilting is different than one for dressmaking for example.

In any case, make sure to provide a gift receipt if letting them choose isn’t going to be part of the gift!

Sewing Quote Pencils

You might be thinking, who actually uses pencils anymore? But seamstresses do!

These pencils are practical, cute, and sassy!

Sewing Tote Bag

There’s no such thing as too many tote bags!

They can use this just for everyday things or to carry some of their sewing supplies with them on the go. 

Sewing Thread Assortment

This set of 50 threads comes with loads of different colors. It’s not only a practical gift but makes for a beautiful rainbow display as well!

Fabric Weights

Want to be able to cut and draw patterns without having to use pins and still keep fabric perfectly in place? These weights will do the trick!

Sewing Patterns

Often sewers and quilters will want to pick out the patterns they use to sew with but for some people, the challenge of taking on a new pattern that someone else has selected could be fun!

Read this scrap fabric sewing pattern post for some cute ideas of patterns – you can buy hard copies or pdf downloads (usually the more affordable option).

Flat Pins

A great stocking stuffer (or just because) gift? Flat pins! These lie flat under acrylic rulers and won’t melt if they get mistakenly ironed!

Quilt Books

Who doesn’t enjoy a good book? This gift idea is great value as many quilt and sewing books have multiple quilt patterns or projects in them so it’s like buying them multiple patterns at once.

There are a ton of different quilt books out there from how-to guides, quilting pattern books, inspirational aesthetic books to give them lots of new fresh ideas, and more.

Heat Erasable Fabric Pens

These fabric pens are really helpful for marking fabric. They won’t have to worry about removing any chalk later as the lines erase when the fabric gets ironed!

Thread Spool Holder

Having thread all over the place may be a common sight in their sewing room, but everyone can do with a little help.

These holders keep everything nice and neat because they stop the ends of spools of thread from coming loose and then snaking their way around the room!

Bobbin Savers

How to keep bobbins organized is sometimes a struggle. Sewers and quilters often end up with lots of half-full bobbins after finishing projects and they need to keep them somewhere so they can clearly see what colors they already have threaded on a bobbin (or they’ll just wind another one and then have two the same color!)

These bobbin saver rings come in different sizes (because different sewing machines have different sized bobbins – if your seamstress has a Bernina Sewing Machine for example they will use jumbo bobbins).

Wooden Thread Rack

All those beautiful threads can make for a beautiful decoration for their sewing room and this rack makes that more than possible.

Bias Tape Maker Kit

This bias tape maker kit makes it easier to make different sizes of bias binding. It’s a fiddly job as any sewer will tell you but this kit makes it a bit easier!

Quilting Grip Gloves

If the person you’re buying for is a quilter, they are going to be super thankful for these gloves.

These were designed specifically for quilters to help them maneuver their quilts around as they quilt – especially for free-motion quilters.

Sewing Cabinet

This is the mother of all gifts for a sewist and probably one you should order with their knowledge.

A sewing cabinet isn’t actually a cabinet, it’s a super fancy sewing desk that has storage but also has the ability to hide away your sewing machine and for some also gives you options about raising and lowering your sewing machine to different heights depending on the project.

This is a BIG-ticket gift but it is on the wish list of many a sewer and quilter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Have We Missed?

We have tried to include many practical gifts with a personal touch to help you show you care, but we would love to hear if we have left something out.

Have we missed any brilliant gift ideas for sewers and quilters? Have you tried any of these gifts? Did you like them? Drop a comment.

The sewing friend on your gift list has no doubt made you loads of handmade gifts over the years so I hope you have found the perfect gift above to show them how much you appreciate your own gifts that they have given you!

Looking for ideas for your fabric scraps? Try these posts:

• Easy Drawstring Fabric Gift Bag – No Measuring!
• Modern Quilt-As-You-Go Scrappy Coasters
• Scrap Fabric Owl Soft Toy – Free Pattern Templates & Tutorial
• Scrappy Hexagon Quilt Block – No Measuring!
• How to Make a Quilt Design Wall (It worked!)
• 7 Quilt as You Go Methods (No Hand-sewing!)
• Sewing Room Organization Tips – No Cost Before & After Makeover
• Sewing Room Makeover – Again!