Are you one of those people who hates going into stores in September and seeing Christmas decorations already? So am I. However, there is a good reason to start thinking about Christmas gifts now rather than later. With people having such busy lives, it’s hard to squeeze in all the things that have to be done at the last minute. Getting your gift shopping done early can reduce holiday stress and give you more time to enjoy the festivities with your family and friends. The reason I shop early is that I get so busy creating T-shirt quilts for customers who are giving them as Christmas gifts that I really have to plan ahead. And I hope that most of my customers will plan ahead as well. T-shirt quilts make great one-of-a-kind personal gifts that will be treasured for a lifetime. Giving one as a gift shows that you gave careful thought and consideration rather than just picking up a last-minute gift or a gift card. If you have a difficult-to- buy-for person, think about a quilt that expresses that person’s interests. Your husband or boyfriend may have a drawer full of Harley Davidson T-shirts that he loves, but never wears. Your wife or girlfriend might have a collection of sorority T-shirts. There are T-shirts that cover every interest from travel, concerts, school, college, sports, marathons or a variety of other interests. I personally collect travel T-shirts and quilting related T-shirts. And if you don’t have a whole drawer of T-shirts to choose from, pick one shirt and I can make a quilt that will enhance the T-shirt. I also make quilts out of Crown Royal bags that people collect. So start thinking about your loved ones and get your T-shirts together and get them to me. It gives me great pleasure to think of my studio as Santa’s Workshop as the holidays draw near because I know there will be a lot of happy people on Christmas Day.