quiltmaker101

My favorite quilting "tools" are improvised from other items. I have a hard pressing board made from Corian. It was supposed to be a cutting board, but I wrapped a thin towel around it and it is great for getting a really flat seam pressed. Sometimes the ironing board is too squishy.

Best of all, I love my huge old drafting table. The boss gave it to me in September, and with the elevated surface (which has a level, sliding ruler!) I can cut pieces without an aching neck! It has two huge deep drawers and a butcher block flat area that holds my spare machine!!! I am soooo lucky!

patricej

Favorite Rulers:

Easy Rule 2 (6.5" x 24") by Sharon Hultgren. it took a while to get used to the extra half inch but the whole inches are very clearly marked; lots of handy 1/8" reference lines; the lines aren't too fat; it lays nicely flat, heavy and stable.

Easy Angle, also by Sharon Hultgren. I know it's handy because i'm forever misplacing it. if nothing else, it forces me to straighten up and reorganize while i'm looking for it. :lol: seriously, though, half and quarter-square triangles are so much easier to make accurately when i use it ... properly. :roll:

1" x 12" Omnigrid. i hate the stupid yellow lines, but it has reference lines for that annoying but often necessary scant quarter inch. which isn't a quarter inch at all.

Get Squared, 8.5" square ruler by [Gasp!] June Tailor. it has a nifty little 4.5" square hole in the middle; clear markings; the one i reach for first when it's time to square up the corners of tops and for mitering my borders and binding. (although i'm slowly getting into the habit of mitering with the Easy Angle, instead.)

Things I'm Glad I Bought On Sale, Because They Weren't Worth Even That Much (To Me):

Sidewinder. For sale, dirt cheap to anybody who wants to work that hard to wind a bobbin
Mat Smoother. the scrubby things from the dollar store work better
ironing mat on one side, cutting mat on the other. once it warped (which didn't take long) it made a handy lap desk. until it completely fell apart. :lol:
Grandma's Secret Stain Remover. may as well spit on the stain. the results are about the same.

Mixed Reviews:

blade sharpener. it does work if you do the twisty-thing often enough and on both sides of the blade and using both sides of the sharpener. not as good as new, of course, but it'll hold me over while i'm waiting for shipments of new blades to come in.

any brand of cutting mat. but i wouldn't want to try working without one.

mini craft iron. very handy in specific situations, but generally a pain to use. doesn't get hot enough, either.

Best Iron [so far] - Black & Decker Classic. a real workhorse.

Top Two Quilting "Tools" I'd be Completely Lost Without:
1. My Computer equipment
2. You Guys :wink:

gigi2landon

My Scepter - Seam Ripper :roll:
My Ruler with the edge
My Joann's table
My Reading Glasses
My movable light for using my seam ripper oops Scepter! :oops:
Rowenta Iron - automatic shut off
The Internet!
My pentel pencil for drawing lines on the wrong side of the fabric

2wheelwoman

Thanks for the link to the yo-yo quilt. It's awesome. It does seem like yo-yo's would be a good take-along project. I'll have to add a yo-yo quilt to my list of Future UFOs. :lol: :lol: :lol:

CRH

Patrice: I am glad to read your opinion of June Tailor' Get Squared 8.5 Ruler - have been drooling over it for some time. Guess I'll put it on my shopping list!!

In regard to Grandma's Secret Stain Remover,I have had a different experience. I keep it on hand to get the stains out of my (5) grandchildren's clothes when they are here. (they HATE bibs!) :) My cupboard is full of the laundry stain removers you find at the grocery store, and Grandma's works better for me. Of course it would make a difference what type of stains it is used on. Mine are usually chocolate, spaghetti, and jello. :)

My only complaint is that the bottle is so small and it costs quite a bit proportionally! :(

The one tool I panic when I can't find is a sharp pointed tweezers I stole from my make-up kit. I use it for guiding fabric, picking out paper piecing, taking out pins as I sew, etc.,etc.

ania755

My relationship with the curve master improved a lot since last post...I think I actually like it and it does save time....but...I believe that my curves will never be perfect...This foot makes a different ....
The tiny clipper and ripper are constantly in use....and yes...some good rulers.....Stencils can be helpfull but books and magazines are invaluable because of all these great ideas.....and of course...our sewing machine (the more the merry).... :oops: :oops: :oops: Am I greedy?

ania755

curve master

patty48

I'm having trouble with my new Olfa blades also. Skipping every few inches, very frustrating. Some suggested buying a new rotarty cutter just in case it was defective. I did that and the blades are still skipping. Very fussy about blades. I like them sharp, sharp, sharp. Any suggestions, different blades....I thought Olfa was the best....

draydev1

I have the June Taylor square it up ruler with the opening and I love it. I even have the 4 pack set of squares from Wally and they are great. I'm sorry others seem to not like them but it could just be that I'm so new to quilting that these are all I know and haven't had any problems with them. My 6 x 24 ruler is the Fiskars that came in a set from JoAnns of the ruler, mat and rotary cutter. Haven't had any problems with the rotary cutter either. I found replacement blades for $1 ea at the Current Outlet before I left Colorado and took all they had off the shelf. These blades are about $6 each normally. I got really lucky and I'm stocked for a while. Just bought the Brother XL-3750 sewing machine. It works perfect for me. Don't need anything big and fancy. This straight stitches for piecing and comes with an extension table and foot for free stitching for machine quilting. I love it!!!

granny216

Actually it isn't a tool but I love my Moleskin that I put on my featherweight to make even seams. I cut a piece off the larger piece(Usually about 1/2 inch) measure a slight 1/4 inch from the needle, peel the backing and stick it on the machine. I can zip right along on straight stitching. I change it when my seams look a little off. I have feet that are supposed to have the 1/4 inch but darned if one piece or the other doesn't slide under it. Have those that came with the machines and they aren't any better but I have friends that use them all the time. A useless thing was a piece of plastic that held two pencils so you could add 1/4 inch to an applique piece. Another thing a friend loves.