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It's unanimous... rotary cutter, rulers and mat!!

I got to go with the needle.....and thread....those inventions where genius

I think laces were the first sewing to hold pieces together. Smart ancestors and hopefully we will get smarter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewbizgirl (Post 8436419)

It's unanimous... rotary cutter, rulers and mat!!

Oh yeah. I learned in the late 80's with a scissor, templates, etc. No way would I have still been making quilts if that's what I was limited to. Even now I'll avoid a pattern with templates if I can.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZquilter (Post 8436271)

Rotary cutter and mats are the top of my list for sure!

The same for me. I remember trcing around squares and cutting with scissors. Bah Hum Bug.

My favorites are #1 sewing machine, #2 rotary cutter and mat, #3 my design wall, #4 my quilt frame my son made me, #5 my rulers.

I've hand sewed many historical outfits and their undergarments (a 900's Viking outfit and a 1500's Tudor farthingale dress as two examples) and am getting ready to start my Regency 1812 ball gown - all hand sewn of course. And I only use the equipment available at the time the garment would have been actually made to make it more historically accurate.

But, now that I've gotten into making quilts I could NOT imagine hand sewing one of them. Egads! Don't ask me what the difference is but there is one. lol

My List:
Scissors - good ones
Pincushions - I made one in the shape of a stuffed peacock. The tail feathers are attached with magnets. They come off and they're my pattern weights.
Iron - a good one that does not have auto-shutoff. I have my grandmother's Black and Decker Easy iron that still works great. It's my backup iron. Cannot stand the auto-shutoff on irons nowadays! By the time I'm ready to iron it's turned itself off and then I have to wait for it to heat up again. Grrrr...
Cutting mat and rotary cutter
Rulers - all of them...and I'm trying to own all of them. lol
Interfacing, iron on bias tape, and iron on hemming tape - they make sewing that much easier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzSLO (Post 8436301)

I agree. Without the rotary cutter and mat, I would not be a quilter. At my first quilting class, we drew lines on the wrong side of fabric (with ball point pens), then cut the pieces with scissors. No more templates for squares, rectangles or half and quarter triangles.

Not a gadget, but my quilting is also very dependent on the mindset and books from Eleanor Burns (can I really make a “Quilt in a Day”?) and Mary Ellen Hopkins (Are you sure “Its Okay if you sit on my quilt?”).

The first QIAD Log Cabin quilt was make quickly. The second time I made the same quilt I timed it. 21 hours from start to finish -- cutting fabric and last stitch at the end.

I will add pre-wound bobbins and wonder clips to the list.

Plus the auto needle threader feature on my machine.

Definitely the rotary cutter and mat. When I first saw them being used, I thought I died and went to Heaven. Just thinking back on cardboard templates and scissors give me angst.