Christmas in July? Why Quilters Start Celebrating Early

Quilt fabric manufacturers release their Christmas collections in June and July. Those gorgeous prints and advent‑calendar panels you love? They sell out fast once the holiday rush begins. Shopping early means you'll have your favourite fabrics in hand before they disappear, and you can support your local quilt shop or online retailers while stock is plentiful.

Once your Christmas fabric stash is sorted, you can start planning your festive makes without the time pressure of autumn (back to school / back to work / everything moves up a gear). Whether you dream of making tree skirts, table runners, quilted stockings or handmade gifts in your own stitched gift bags, July gives you breathing room to sketch ideas, gather supplies and map out a schedule that fits around your summer plans.

Christmas in July is also a perfect excuse to experiment with techniques you've been itching to try. Want to master free‑motion quilting, curved piecing or appliqué? Practice now while there's no imminent deadline. A few years ago I decided to make a hat for Nige a couple of days before Christmas. Never again. It was a good hat though! (And, no, I'd never made that kind of hat before either, so I broke all the rules).

Starting early gives you time to enjoy the process and polish your skills.