Gift ideas for sewing?

What does she have?

If she doesn't have a good pair of bent dressmaker shears, that's the first place to start. They will look like: http://www.kaiscissors.com/pop.php?f=/item_images/... or http://www.kaiscissors.com/pop.php?f=/item_images/... but not this: http://www.kaiscissors.com/pop.php?f=/item_images/... I prefer Kai brand -- they're light, very sharp, easy to balance in the hand, and come with lifetime free sharpening if you send them back to the plant in Tualatin, OR. Other good brands include Gingher and Mundial; Fiskars are also good on the inexpensive end of things. She should be able to open the blades almost all the way to the pivot -- longer blades mean better cutting. I wear a size 7.5 glove and use the 11" dressmaker shears from Kai. If her hand is smaller than mine, she might do better with 10".

If she's going to be sewing clothes, a ham, seam stick, clapper and sleeveboard. The seam stick is just a piece of half-round molding or handrail from the lumber yard... I have two pieces, one about 18" and the other about 4 ft. That can be used as a clapper, but it's mostly useful to press a seam open without leaving an imprint of the seam allowance on the outside fabric. This is a ham: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailor%27s_ham and here's the clapper I particularly like: http://sewtrue.com/Store/POINT-PRESSER-and-CLAPPER... but you can use the seam stick as a clapper and a piece of pointy bamboo as a point press. Here's a sleeve board: http://www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=174 If you happen to have a hobby of woodworking, you can make the clapper/point press and sleeve board pretty easily; maple is the preferred wood, but any non-greasy, non-staining hardwood will work. No finish, just sanded.

Here is a company I've been buying from -- they generally have low prices, and cater to the professional sewing crowd: http://www.wawak.com/ This thread is a steal: http://www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=1240... if you order from them, ask them for the color chart (it's free). Good standard dressmaker thread from Gutermann, about 1/4 the price of the thread on consumer spools. They also have the pressing equipment above and a fair selection of scissors. If you order from them, consider ordering also a pack of these needles, size 12, for her to try: www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=6389 and www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=9391 or www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=6519 and www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=6541 and www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=6845 for good pins.

Also a couple of good seam rippers like:www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=9043 or (budget choice) www.wawak.com/products/product.cfm?pID=2388

You might also want to consider a subscription to something like Threads magazine.

More: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200908...

What kind of sewing? If she's taken up quilting, she probably doesn't want or need a tailor's ham, for instance, which is very helpful in ironing darts and such in garment construction. However, quilters generally love rotary cutters and cutting mats. People who sew garments sometimes find such cutters and mats helpful, and sometimes they don't.

No matter what sort of sewing she does, she will need to iron it. However, she might not appreciate a new iron and ironing board as a gift!

If you have a good quilting shop in your area, you might ask about classes. Most quilt shops offer quilting and patchwork classes, and some offer general sewing classes as well. These classes are usually taught by people who love sewing, and love to talk about sewing. If you ask one of the workers, you might get some good suggestions for gifts, as well.

And good on you for trying to get something that you think your wife will enjoy.

A pincushion, dressmakers pins, tailor's measuring tape, extra needles for her machine, a tailor's ham (a fabric store will know what that is!), tailor's chalk, a good pair of dressmaker's shears. Aside from the scissors, these are all inexpensive.

get a sewing basket and fill it with notions like pincushion, seam ripper, measuring tape, pinking shears dressmaker shears tailor chalk straight pins elastic, thread in different colors, snaps, a good instruction book, etc,

Books, on what interest her, a book to learn how to sew along with any special projects.

I got to agree with Kay and go with a good pair if shears, I use Gingher. You can buy them at JoAnn Fabrics