My favored scissors are Professing Kia. Very expenses, but worth it. I like them better than Ginger and I have the whole set of Ginger. The differences between embroidery scissors and thread cutters are: Thread cutters are like one handed snipers and embroidery scissors are small scissors unless you are talking about sewing machine embroidery scissors. Those may have a bend in the hand to get into the hoop. One pair of scissors that I like is duck bills for cutting close to seams. A lot depends on what kind of sewing/quilting you plan on doing.

Extra rotary blades in the size you use most often, magnetic pin holder, long quilting pins or flower pins (very thin so go thru many layers of fabric easily), but probably the easiest for your shoppers is to get you a gift card for the stores you like to go to most often. Then you can get what you want most, whether it's fabric or notions.

The one tool I would love to add to a wish list is the large cutting ruler (don't know what it's called) with slots in it at different measurements to put your rotary cutter through.

You can slice several strips of fabric without even moving the ruler.

Other than that... lots of fabric.

Joanne

a rotating mat. i never let anyone buy my fabric for me, but a gc would be great. a pair of bent shears for cutting very close to the fabric. if you've never used high quality thread, this is a chance for a gc at an online thread supply site. if you have a computer in your space, how about some tutorial dvd's? method books, like quilt in a day, or fun and done, or jodie barrows or the cotton method. not patterns, but methods of quilting. a subscription to your fave mag.

some good, but basic rulers. squares and straight rulers.

make a list and put it on your fridge. it should have tools in every price range. your family will know at a glance what you want and they can spend accordingly. you still won't know what you're getting, so it will still be a surprise. gift certificates for fabric but no fabric. you'll get some baaad surprises.

How about an enrollment in a class at a quilt show or a local shop? We are having a quilt show here in January and I am giving the suggestion that I would like to be enrolled in some of them. A person can do this on line. I also use my fine-line chalk marker quite a bit. The chalk brushes off so no marks are left on the fabric. I also use 123 Quilt Pro. It is an abbreviated version so you cannot draw your own blocks, but you can design a quilt using the designs provided, fill in with fabrics of your choice and audition the look before you buy fabric. You can scan in your own fabric and use it to fill in the design. It also tells you how much of each fabric is needed on the print preview screen. I used it to show our group how a cooperative quilt would look(by printing out the design) before we started. I spend a lot of time designing quilts that I never make.

I second the gift card idea, from either Joann's so I could use my coupon and get double my money or from the local quilt shop. To that I would add CHOCOLATE. Marge

I'd ask for gift certificates so you could choose your own taste in fabrics or your own tools.
Speaking of tools -- you know those suction handles that look like a telephone receiver that are so nice for use on rulers? They sell for $19.99 in fabric shops. Get this: I found the EXACT same thing in a catalog "Dr. Leonard's" or "Harriet ..." for $9.99!!
ALSO the smaller suction handle that sell for $16.99 in the fabric shops? I found the EXACT same thing at Harbor Freight for $3.99!! No kidding.
(wish I could find our coveted rulers & rotary blades...)

I just got a 17-inch Olfa revolving mat and I can recommend that for a Christmas wish goodie. For me, it's not just the fact that it can revolve (and there's no tipping), but the fact that you can put it anywhere for a portable cutting surface. This is the kind of thing you would want to buy with a 50% off coupon, though, as it is on the expensive side at full price. I love, love, love this mat!

One thing that I have that I love (bought it myself) is a plastic box with a handle built into the top, with smaller boxes inside. I take it to quilting at church on Tuesdays. All my little things are packed in it. Comes in handy when others need to borrow something as well.

A post-Christmas update:
Thank you so much for all of your ideas!

I received a slotted ruler, a ruler handle (with the suction thingies), the EQ6 software (yay), and a gift certificate. Perfect!

BTW I had bought myself a pair of the thread snippers (using a coupon at Joann's)...pretty nifty.