Christmas time at Missouri Star Quilt Co. Main Shop in Hamilton, Missouri.
Ready or not – Christmas is coming! The holidays are such a special time for crafters because it lets us share our creative gifts with friends, family and those in need. There is no better time of year to warm the hearts of your near and dear with a homemade gift (that just happens to show off your crafty abilities).
Shorter days and holiday activities can make it feel like there isn’t time to make handmade gifts (it’s already December!). While tackling a brand new quilt may be daunting, there are many festive projects that can be created quickly and bring cheer to those who receive them. And in a year like 2020, when social distancing means breaking time-honored traditions for the safety of our friends and loved ones, there is no better gift than something made from the heart and by your own hands.
Create an awe-inspiring mantle display by gifting a Christmas Stocking that can be used for years to come!
What is more classic than a Christmas Stocking hung by the chimney with care? This holiday gift has an extra bonus – it’s already gift wrapped! Stitch up a quick and easy Quilted Christmas Stocking using 2.5 inch strips of precut fabric, and then fill them with all kinds of handy quilting notions, Missouri Star Gift Cards and sewing thread for a merry gift to the maker in your life! Even if sewing isn’t your recipient’s passion, that beautiful, handmade holiday stocking will become a part of their traditions every year.
Misty relaxes in the kitchen in a cute red-checkered One Yard Apron.
A lot of the Christmas season takes place in the kitchen with holiday baking, festive family dinners and plenty of hot cocoa! The incredibly simple One Yard Apron is the perfect gift for the hostess in your life. It’s such a fast, easy project, you can use it to teach the kiddos in your life the joy of handmade gifts – with only one yard of your favorite fabric!
Basics can be beautiful, like this easy holiday Mug Rug.
This little Mug Rug is such an easy project, you’ll probably make a few for yourself along the way! Using a pack of 5″ squares of precut fabric, these cute table-savers keep your Christmas cocoa cozy. As a holiday bonus – this fast little gift is perfect for beginners!
When selecting your fabric, it’s not just about snowmen and snowflakes. Keep in mind the mug rug will serve as a protective layer for a hot drink, and also might soak up spilled drinks after enthusiastic cookie dunking! Avoid light fabrics that stain and try a thick flannel fabric such as a Woolies Flannel Holiday Warmth Charm Pack by Bonnie Sullivan for Maywood Studio. If you’re feeling ambitious, swap out the charm pack for a Layer Cake (10″ square of precut fabric) and create gorgeous table protectors for your holiday feast!
Light up their Christmas with a quilted tree skirt they can use every year.
More so than all the other decorations, the Christmas tree is always the focal point of the holiday season – that’s where the presents go! Gifts get the perfect showcase when arranged on a quilted fabric Tree Skirt. This little quilt for your tree comes together simply with 5″ squares of precut quilting fabric.
The fabric is what makes this project shine! Of course you can design the exact skirt to suit your holiday style if you want to whip this up for yourself. If you’re making it for someone else, consider solids or batiks so it’s more likely to match their decorations. Season’s Splendor Batiks Stamps by Kathy Engle for Island Batik is a perfect combination of festive Christmas colors and classic motifs.
With festive new MSQC Fancy Zips, the Easy Zipper Pouch from Missouri Star Live is useful gift for anyone!
Give the gift of functionality this Christmas with the Easy Zipper Pouch, featuring the all new Missouri Star Fancy Zips! In this Missouri Star LIVE, Jenny and Misty teach us how to stitch up this extremely useful project that, with a little festive fabric from your stash, makes a thoughtful last minute gift idea. There are so many uses for this handy little bag. Add some vinyl to the interior for a cosmetics bag or add some batting for a notion holder!
You’ll need cut yardage no smaller than 14″ in length (the necessary length to add a Missouri Star Fancy Zip). For a festive holiday bag, select a beautiful cut of Christmas fabric by the yard. If you need a little extra help with this project, you can purchase a digital download of the Easy Zipper Pouch pattern so that you can start stitching immediately!
MSQC gift cards in festive gift card holders offer holiday cheer to your favorite maker!
If it’s the night before Christmas and you’re still having doubts, keep it simple and crafty and gift card it out! If there’s a quilter on your list who has it all, give them the gift of choice with a Missouri Star gift card! Available in both physical gift cards (definitely consider a holiday gift card holder for big MSQC fans!) and digital gift cards (that can be emailed same day), this last minute gift idea will save Christmas when your crafting time has run out.
When you give a quilt, you’re giving so much more than a simple present. A quilt is a gift of time, a gift of patience, a gift straight from the heart with love in every stitch! There are so many wonderful charitable organizations that welcome handmade quilts with open arms. If you’re looking for an opportunity to give love, we’re here to help you find a place to send your beautiful quilts, fabric, supplies, and donations. Thank you so much for everything you do! Together we can change the world one stitch at a time.
How We’re Giving Back
This year, Missouri Star has chosen Project Linus to receive a $5,000 donation. Project Linus provides love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.” Learn more at www.projectlinus.org
Find a Place to Donate Your Quilts Below is a list of organizations that could use your help and sewing skills! You can give finished quilts, fabric, supplies, monetary donations, and more. Click on each link to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to make a difference.
Quilts for Children in Need
Babies in Need Every baby deserves to be safe, warm, fed, protected and loved! Babies in Need works with local social workers to ensure that every newborn in Southwest Washington has essential clothing, bedding and car seats. Our gift packs provide these and other items parents need during their baby’s first three months of life. babiesinneed.org
The Cradle The Cradle is one of the foremost adoption agencies in the country. They provide lifelong support for all who are touched by adoption—birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents. The Cradle is committed to finding a loving home for every child entrusted to their care. www.cradle.org
Komfort 4 Kids The Komfort 4 Kids Project is a completely volunteer-based, non-profit group that relies on the support and generosity of the community to help make a difference in children’s lives. They coordinate the collection and distribution of new, handmade blankets to organisations that deal with sick, traumatised, or needy children in Australia. www.komfort4kidsproject.websyte.com.au/
Little Lambs Foundation for Kids The Little Lambs Foundation for Kids has a mission to uplift struggling families and foster youth by providing necessary items that no child should have to go without. www.littlelambsofutah.org
Newborns in Need Newborns in Need, Inc. is a charity organized to help take care of needy babies. NIN volunteers provide care necessities to agencies and hospitals serving premature, ill, or impoverished newborns. Newborns In Need distributes items free of charge to babies in the United States. newbornsinneed.org/volunteer/
Quilts Beyond Borders Quilts Beyond Borders is an all-volunteer non-profit organization which reaches out to under-served children, mainly orphans, across the world to provide a handmade quilt and spread love and hope. quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/about/
Quilts for Kids Quilts for Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming fabrics into patchwork quilts to comfort children facing serious illness, trauma, abuse, and natural disasters. www.quiltsforkids.org
Quilts from Caring Hands Quilts from Caring Hands makes and distributes quilts at no charge to children-at-risk in Oregon: the homeless, those in foster care, visually impaired, abused, those with mental health issues. Our quilts are given to agencies that work with children from birth to age 18. quiltsfromcaringhands.com
Binky Patrol Binky Patrol is an all volunteer, national, non-profit organization making and distributing homemade blankets to children born HIV+, drug-addicted, infected with AIDS or other chronic and terminal illnesses, those who are abused, in foster care, or experiencing trauma of any kind. www.binkypatrol.org
Shriners Hospital for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, research and outstanding medical education. All services are provided in a family-centered environment, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc
Sleep in Heavenly Peace They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. Across the U.S., too many children go without a bed to sleep on. They end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. www.shpbeds.org
Sweet Pea Project The Sweet Pea Project offers comfort, support and gentle guidance to families who have experienced the death of a baby. Sweet Pea Project Blankets are donated to hospitals across the country and around the world. www.sweetpeaproject.org
Touching Little Lives The mission of Touching Little Lives is to make and distribute free of charge handmade items to preemie and needy newborns in Ohio. Every penny donated is spent on providing for these little lives. This is truly a charity of the heart, our reward being the personal satisfaction of helping those too young and fragile to help themselves. www.touchinglittlelives.org
Wrap Them in Love The mission of Wrap Them in Love is to collect donated quilts and distribute them to children around the world, so they can be wrapped in love and comfort. As we all know, a quilt is a very special thing. It isn’t just a blanket; it has been lovingly created by a real person. A quilter leaves a part of themselves in every quilt they make. The child who receives it will be able to snuggle up in all the love and comfort that comes in that quilt. www.wraptheminlove.org
Quilts for Comfort The primary purpose of Quilts from Caring Hands is to bring this feeling of loving comfort to at-risk children in Oregon. These include those who are homeless, drug addicted, visually impaired, or abused, and those in foster care. Our quilts are distributed through designated social service agencies. Each quilt we make for a child is unique. In addition to crib- and twin-sized quilts, we also assemble tactile quilts and “cuddlers” for visually impaired children. The finished quilts and cuddlers are given away once each quarter. quiltsfromcaringhands.com
Snuggles Project The Snuggles Project remains a very popular program of Hugs Society (formerly Hugs for Homeless Animals). Its popularity is worldwide. People from all around the world make Snuggles and donate them to their local animal shelters and rescues. Since its inception we have provided more than a million Snuggles to shelter animals around the world. www.snugglesproject.org
American Red Cross The American Red Cross mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. For over 130 years, the Red Cross has provided comfort, care and necessities to those affected by disaster including immediate assistance for food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. www.redcross.org
Cancer Support Community (a.k.a. Gilda’s Club) As the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, the Cancer Support Community is dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. They are here to provide relevant and highly personalized support when and where it is needed most because “Community is Stronger than Cancer.” www.cancersupportcommunity.org
Quilt for a Cause Quilt for a Cause organizes the donation and marketing of hand-crafted quilts, quilt-related products and activities to raise and distribute funds to organizations in Arizona that provide treatment, support services and research for breast and gynecologic cancers. www.quiltforacause.org
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Seattle Cancer Care Alliance brings together the leading research teams and cancer specialists of Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s, and UW Medicine. Their mission is the pursuit of better, longer, richer lives for their patients. www.seattlecca.org
Quilts of Valor The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. www.qovf.org
Quilts of Honor The mission of Quilts of Honor is to bestow a universal symbol and token of thanks, solace, and remembrance to those who serve in harm’s way to protect and defend our lives and freedoms. Quilts of Honor are made by the loving hands of countless volunteers who wish to thank those who have served and to honor their service and sacrifice. www.quiltsofhonor.org
Daniel’s Heart Foundation To bring relief to those who suddenly find themselves experiencing life-long illness, disease, or physical trauma and are being cared for in their homes. www.danielsheart.com
Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization with a deeply rich history while also being truly relevant in today’s world. More than 1,000,000 women have joined the organization since it was founded over 125 years ago. They became members to honor their heritage as well as make a difference in their communities across the country and the world. www.dar.org
The Giving Quilt Inc. The Giving Quilt, Inc. is a public, non-profit, charitable organization that promotes the creation and presentation of quilts that provide comfort to children and adults, and works to increase public awareness with a biennial public quilt exhibit and presentation ceremony. The Giving Quilt invites all quilters to participate by donating quilts, either through participation at Giving Quilt sponsored sew days or through the biennial quilt show. Quilters and non-quilters are encouraged to join and participate through donations and assisting at the show. Thegivingquiltinc.wordpress.com
Hearts Knit Together Hearts Knit Together is a non-profit organization that delivers much needed personal items to those escaping domestic violence, sexual abuse, or war. Our volunteers collect, craft, and assemble these kits which include hygiene items, toys, games, puzzles, clothing, and stuffed animals for the children. These kits are distributed through Domestic Violence Shelters, victim support centers, and refugee organizations, to children and adults across the state of Utah. Our mission is to offer joy and order in the lives of those in our community who need it the most. www.heartsknittogether.org
Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS Each quilt donated to Hopes & Dreams from generous and selfless quilters across the country is sold to raise funds for ALS research. Hopes & Dreams, Inc. is a registered nonprofit with 100% of sales going to ALS research. Hopes & Dreams, Inc. is supported and funded in full by Quilters Dream Batting. www.hopesanddreams.quiltersdreambatting.com
Love, INC of Columbia, MO Love Inc. seeks to help those struggling with poverty by listening without judgment, facing reality, finding hope, and partnering for change. They do this by receiving, organizing, and deploying resources and volunteers to address material, informational, and relational poverty. www.columbialoveinc.org
Mito Quilts of Hope Mito Quilts of Hope Charity Quilts is a project whose goal is to give a quilt to every patient with Mitochondrial Disease (Mito) in Canada and the United States within 5 years. Due to Christine Knox’s own diagnosis of Mito, she conceived the project in August of 2013, to raise awareness of this rare genetic disease. Mitoquiltsofhope.org
New Moms New Moms partners with families to construct the foundation of well-being by strengthening core life skills, incorporating early childhood development supports, building pathways to and preparation for education and employment, and expanding positive social networks and access to community resources. newmoms.org
Operation Happy Nurse To help all nurses struggling with stress, anxiety and/or depression by offering a community focused on improving overall mental health and physical wellbeing. www.operationhappynurse.com
Quilts of Compassion Quilts of Compassion is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing hope and encouragement to those who are hurting through the gift of handmade quilts. www.facebook.com/quiltsofcompassion
Ronald McDonald House Charities They believe in supporting families around the world and helping them access the medical care and resources they need. www.rmhc.org
Stitchers Mending Hearts, Inc. Stitcher’s Mending Hearts is a Non-Profit organization doing good for the needy by using our crafting talents to bring a smile to someone in need. www.facebook.com/stitchersmendinghearts
Tubman Tubman helps women, men, youth and families who have experienced relationship violence, elder abuse, addiction, sexual exploitation or other forms of trauma. Throughout the Twin Cities, Tubman provides safe shelter, legal services, mental and chemical health counseling, elder abuse resources, youth programming and community education, including public information campaigns to provide community members the information and support they need to get help or give help. www.tubman.org
Young Parents Network YPN was founded in 1985 by community leaders who recognized that there was a lack of support for young families in Cedar Rapids. Since that time YPN has taken on a leadership role in East Central Iowa as the provider of ongoing comprehensive year round programs that meet the most critical needs of thousands of families within our community. www.ypniowa.org
There are so many ways to give love! Explore our holiday page to find several projects that make wonderful charitable donations and thoughtful gifts and check out our Planning Tips for Successful Holiday Sewing to help keep your giving projects organized!
A quilt is a gift from the heart, one that gives tangible comfort to those in need. We encourage you to take a closer look at your community and even your own friends and family. Who needs a quilt? Leave a comment below and let us know how do you like to give back. What are your favorite charitable organizations?
Give love with Missouri Star! This holiday season, we’re all about creating gifts from the heart. Making thoughtful homemade presents comes second-nature to quilters and you can find everything you need right here at Missouri Star to make your gorgeous holiday masterpieces! Want to stitch up a special quilt just in time for Christmas morning? Or create a pretty wall hanging to welcome guests into your home? How about a matching set of place mats or a table runner to set the scene for a holiday party? And don’t you just love matching patchwork stockings hanging on the mantle? However you like to celebrate, we’re here to make it magical. When you make with your hands, you give of your heart!
There are so many ways to dress up your home for the holidays and we’re here to help you find just the right touch to make your season bright! We’ve curated five unique holiday looks just for you. From traditional red and green to sleek white and silver, sneak a peek at our style guide to see what makes you feel right at home. Check out this fun holiday style quiz to find out what your signature style is. Then, share with us in the comments!
