Ditto on the quilting gun. Totally worthless. I'd have to say my favorite tool is the walking foot. Many others too, but I don't know what I did before my walking foot. NEVER had backings without puckers.

And in response to poultney. I'm so jealous of you having the Bernina 830. I can't imagine ANYTHING more favorite than that.

My favorite tool is my ruler and my thread cutter that I got from Kathy N with my doll quilt. and I did not even no what it was :oops: so glad she told me in the card. God bless. Penny

It goes without saying that without my rotary cutters and mats I would probably not be doing a whole lot of quilt making. But my very favorite tool is my quarter inch foot that I bought when I got my latest Janome. As a lady who couldn't sew a quarter inch if her very life depended on it, this is an amazing and life saving tool for me.

You got that right. I couldn't sew 1/4" if my life depended on it.

[Billy[/quote][/quote]

Ask and you will receive!!

Billy, if you're not already taken, will you marry me!!??
I've got a whole lot of stuff you could fix and make for my quilting room. You'd be kept really busy!

:lol: ;-)

my favourite tool is certainly my lovely sewing machine!

I think I agree. I haven't really ever used it. Now I don't think I remember how. Maybe someday, but now they are up to EQ7.

I'm too new to have a favorite tool yet; I just barely know what quilting is. But I love no1jan's sense of humor!

June

It did take a bit of practice but quickly became one of my favourite tools especially when cutting for strip-piecing, borders or binding. You can fold your fabric and cut through multiple layers which makes the cutting faster. Tip - make sure you have a new blade in if you are cutting multiples.

Worst gadget - like many others - basting gun. I can be thankful I didn't buy it - it was a gift. Reading this thread I doubt if I'll ever get to sell it!!

My favorite tool is my Westcott Titanium scissor. It has a 10 year guarantee to stay sharp. Hmmmmmm....will see how long it stays sharp!

I have the 12 inch slotted ruler but I can't find the 18 inch one. I have seen it on Simply Quilts but have not found it online or in any store.

If you are looking for 18 inch rulers check out officemax, officedepot and Michaels. The prices are reasonable and good accurate rulers. I buy metal rulers as I always end up cutting into the plastic or wooden ones with my rodery cutter....heheheh I am very hard on rulers!

could you tell us how to mark a quilt with a darning needle? always looking for new ways to do this.

Needle marking (or needle scratching - but actually the fabric should not be scratched!) is a traditional method often used in UK for wholecloth quilts or patchwork with light colored solid fabrics. You need a darning needle with a tip not too sharp. You don't hold the needle upright but at a sharp angle and press it firmly against the material. The needle tip leaves a mark like a crease. This marking method is best to use after basting the quilt and when the batting lies under the top. The big advantage is that you don't have to remove any marking lines!

This amazing, I would think that the creases would dissapear as I quilt. I will have to give this a try. I guess it would not work on all materials tho. Thanks for this tip. I appreciate people who value the old time methods. I'm an old timer.

The creases stay quite a long time! I mark almost a quarter area on my queen size wholecloths with this method and they stay long enough to see them clearly.
I love to use the traditional methods, too! And they work great for me.

My favorite quilting tools are my rotory cutter/matt and rulers.
These tools allow me to cut perfect pieces every time.
Keep my pieces squared up as I piece my blocks.
I bow down to the quilter who invented these quilter tools. :thumbup:

I'd like to hear more about the Clover Chalk Marker, please.

THE hera applique tool will do the same thing.

What is that?

I was talking about the 18 inch square rulers with slots every 1/2 inch. Great for cutting strips accurately without having to move the fabric

I love the "Sixth Finger", tool I bought at the Clotilde.com website. I use it to keep from sewing through my fingers. Right now it is on sale for less than 10 dollars. I also love my supreme slider mat for free motion work.It makes moving the quilt top so much easier.

the Hera tool is a bone or ceramic piece with an edge that you mark fabric with it makes a line that you can use to quilt with and no actual marks to have to remove.

OK!! I am drooling....pics please, at least I can enjoy dreaming of such great equipment. "One day" is coming, just not as quickly as I would like it to. :?

question:
I have the june taylor ruler that's 8"x10". Is the 12"x16" ruler made of the same thin plastic? It seems awfully flimsy and way too flexible when I use it--I just tried because so many of you like it. Is the larger one stiffer or the same?
Thanks!

my friend and i both had June Tailor's 12 inch ruler. her's is an older one and i noticed that her ruler is not as flexible as mine. her ruler feels like it is made with more plastice while mine has more, i don't know? epoxy perhaps. my friend has broken hers and i bought her a new one to replace it. she had said she really like the new one with its more flexible material.

I'm not sure if I have a new or an old one, but mine is very thin and it feels as if the rotary cutter could cut right through it. Does anyone know if the larger one is stiffer? Has anyone cut through their ruler?

my cutting mat, what would we do without a cutting mat!!!!

So far, my old Kenmore Awl and 505 Spray.