Remembering our loved ones at holiday times takes on poignant meaning when they are no longer with us. Reminiscing with family and friends and passing around a treasured photo album help to assure memories are preserved. So too can a memory be preserved by sewing a keepsake.

Whether known as plushies, softies, or stuffies, stuffed children’s soft toys are a delight to sew using a few fabric scraps or knitted fabrics. Soft stuffed simple shapes and whimsical animals make for creative play especially when sewn using colorful and appealing print fabrics.

Fleece is a deep pile polyester knit that provides warmth without weight washable and machine dryable. Fleece has a soft and fuzzy texture and comes in a rainbow of solid colors and prints as well as novelty and licensed designs. Gifts can be quick and easy to sew with this very forgiving fabric.

Having a front door wreath is a common even year-round custom with a different one for each season or to announce a special occasion. Often assembled out of fragrant evergreens, the Christmas door wreath seems especially welcoming as it signals for all that hospitality is no stranger at that home.

No serger to encase that pesky fraying fabric at the seam allowance edges? No worries! Although the home serger is bar none an exceptional sewing tool to apply a professional look to seams and fabric edges, and at an amazing speed, the trusty traditional sewing machine can mimic the process well.

Traditional charming hanging advent calendars often have numbered pockets frequently containing small treats to help countdown the days leading up to a special holiday. All are endearing for what they represent - innocent anticipation for a big day.