Gifts for the Guys

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Let’s not forget that men need moisturizing too! LoLo body bars are perfect for dry hands and more. I have two new scents in the store, Mr. Darcy and Edmund along with Plain Jane (unscented) are very nice for men as are the other scents. They all do the same fantastic job we are used to from LoLo—keeping our skin looking and feeling great.

My guys, young and old, all love good pencils as much as I do, and Blackwing pencils by Palomino are my #1 pick every time.

Grandson Jack loves to sketch. Son Chris writes notes in the margins of books while reading, and he keeps logs of various projects and recipes in notebooks.

Blackwing also makes notebooks, extra-special pencil sharpeners, point guards, and they all make wonderful gifts.

I highly recommend their One-Step Sharpener in the video above. It’s a good idea to order extra blades to have on hand. For the pencils, I gravitate toward the firm and extra firm graphites, especially. The medium and soft are different, giving a darker line with less pressure.

When it comes to notebooks, the sets of Clutch Notebooks or the Slate Notebooks are a joy to write in. The paper feels good under both pen and pencil. I like blank notebooks, but the ones with lines are just as nice.

Lastly, a Lap Apps is a lovely gift good for anyone to use with tablets, books, or hand sewing. Click here to see a video that shows oh-so-many ways to use it.

For Your College Student

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My oldest grandchild is a sophomore in college this year. Like so many, last year she went to school remotely from her bedroom. She’s still nearby, but living away from home for the first time—very exciting!

Me, Elanor, Lorna

If there is a young adult newly living on their own in your life, here are a few gift ideas that they might really appreciate :-).

Everyone should have sewing needles on hand. The Pebbles Household Needle Assortment from John James is perfect, and you can pair it with this Set of 5 Neutral Bobbins. I would add a pair of 4 3/4˝ KAI scissors because they cut well, are a good size for many jobs, and come with their own sheath.

If your college student is anything like ours, organization is VERY important! Take a look at Yazziis. I especially like the smaller pouches. It’s easy to see what’s inside and they are easy to tuck into backpacks and bags.

A LoLo Cuticle Intensive and a LoLo Moisture Bar are skin savers, especially this time of year. This gift is a reminder for self-care.

And then there is the Lap App! This wonderful tool can be used with books, a laptop, and more. Watch the video below to see it in action. Elanor loves her Lap App with the Dark Feathers fabric cover, and uses it with her laptop.

Happy gifting!

Wednesday Giveaway – Frida goes to Linda Burger!

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This lovely embroidered dishtowel from Danica is 60% cotton, 40% linen mix, 18 X 28 inch in size. Linda Burger is our extra lucky winner as the random number generator has chosen her twice!

I’ll be back with another Giveaway next Wednesday. Until then you can shop for all sorts of sewing notions, books, and other fun stuff at pieceocake.com!

Challenges that Delight

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The Form & Color toy is great fun wrapped around an activity that makes anyone, young or old, use your brain. Kids love it and surprisingly enough, I do too. What makes this special is that the half-square triangle shapes are tangible, you can feel their shape, and easily move them around.

This is an excellent gift for anyone 5 and up. It’s fun to play with kids, or without. Click here to find this and other wonderful toys on my site.

Speaking of games… Bear found the Pirate Magnetic Figures set, on his own, opened it up and started playing with them! Notice the pirates are not wearing their boots… Bear mostly won’t wear shoes.

The figures and clothes are sturdy and backed with a magnet sheet. They stick to the printed interior of the tin or to other metal surfaces that work with magnets.

Kids will surprise you if you leave them to play on their own. Before long, Bear has added the Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls that my mom (his great-grandmother) made back in the day with her button box.

And this is why these toys are so wonderful! They spark creative play!

Click here to find these and more excellent toys on my site.

Bullseye show and tell…

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Laura Noveck finished her Bullseye quilt and the backstory is fun! First the photo…

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing my Bullseye Quilt. It was mostly completed with my stash fabrics. I only purchased 2 fat quarters for setting squares. You taught this class at the Daytona Beach AQS show in 2019 where I was so impressed by you and your project. You gave me the tools and confidence to take this on. This became my Covid quilt.

In entering it in our local guild show (150 members), I received a First Place in my size category as well as a “Viewers Choice Award.” I was told that it was also considered for “Best of Show.”  I wanted to have you see it and thank you for the inspiration. I am very proud of it. I have attached a better photo if you want to see more detail.

—Laura Noveck

I did get a kick out of Laura’s quilt because it is so good! And I love that she made it mostly with fabric from her stash. Well done, Laura, and thank you for sharing you lovely quilt with us!

If you would like to make your own Bullseye quilt, click here to find the pattern. I also teach Bullseye online on Creative Spark. Click here to find the class 🙂.

Wednesday Giveaway – Lo-Lo!

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Peggy Bremer is the winner of the To-go size Pumpkin Me Up Lo-Lo. She will receive this artisan-quality handcrafted bar moisturizer made with locally sourced beeswax and essentials oils.

I’ll be back with another Giveaway next Wednesday. Until then you can shop for all sorts of sewing notions, books, and other fun stuff at pieceocake.com!