Ripped on Scotch

A cutter that you like is a must, but i'm going to throw out there a 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 square ruler as well as the 6 x 24 ones. I'm always trying to square up blocks and I use it a lot more then I thought I would when I got it.

I also say a cutting table that is the correct height for you. I have the one from Joann's and I can't tell you how much better my back and shoulders have been from being at the proper height to cut things out.

LindaM

Really all I use the most often are a good rotary cutter, ruler, self-healing mat, iron. The ruler I use most often is my 6 x 24" ruler, and I love the bigger (60 mm) rotary cutter. I keep a supply of blades and replace the blade when it starts skipping - not worth the frustration of using a dull blade!

My favourite other things
- have a wonderful pressing board (see her tutorial here ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c )
- elmer's school glue (for basting bindings and tricky corners)
- walking foot for my sewing machine (dual feed - feeds top and bottom evenly)
- library card - visit your local library and go through all their quilting books for ideas, patterns, inspiration. The libraries can also get in books from other libraries in their system - love the library!
- guild membership - friendship, inspiration, ideas, workshops
- blogs, forums, youtube videos
- titanium sewing machine needles - last longer but I still change my needles every few projects (or when it starts making that popping sound which means it's not going through the fabric easily)
- design wall - lots of options here, from hanging a flannel-backed tablecloth to making your own from insulboards to this option ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Ittsig9SY )

Welcome to the forum, and enjoy the wonderful world of quilting!

Cathy77

Couldn't agree more!

One thing you might want to add (if you don't already have it) is a 1/4" presser foot (preferably with guide). That'll safe you a lot of head aches - and ripping!

And maybe also a square ruler to square up blocks and whole quilts. But you might want to look around in your house if you or someone in your family is into woodworking. You might be able to re-purpose!

quiltsRfun

Hopefully not but when you do you'll be glad to have a really good seam ripper.

tessagin

For newbies, I suggest they purchase a quilting kit for the beginner. Usually it consists of a large ruler, a square ruler, cutting mat and rotary cutter also pins.

Juztme

I'd add a pair of small scissors for clipping threads. I have a couple of pairs of the kind that are open and you squeeze them to cut. I found the cheapest ones at a LQS for about $3.00 were the ones I love.

The other thing I use is a lot is the Clover Chaco Line marker. It helps me mark things, especially when the friction pens don't work, which seems like most of the time. I bought some of the Pounce iron-off powder to fill up the marker so I know it will come out if I use it on the top of my quilt.

IrishgalfromNJ

In addition to the basics already mentioned I would like to add that one of the best purchases I made recently was under $20.00, it was a hands free lighted magnifying glass from Nancy's Notions. I love that thing. It comes in handy mostly for helping me thread my hand sewing needles when I'm hand sewing my bindings, but I'm starting to do hand embroidery and it's a life saver for threading those needles as well.

One of my favorite over $20.00 purchases was a cone thread holder. It's the metal one with the flower on it from Connecting Threads. It was $39.00 when I bought it, it's on sale now. It's super heavy, very pretty and I love it. You can get a cheaper cone thread holder, but it won't be as stylish. Link here: http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D71253.HTML

I also love my Gingher scissors. I have two pair, one big and one small. They are my cutting friends. Good scissors go with good rotary cutters.

Have fun making your list.

mckwilter

My absolute must haves for quilting, besides a good sewing machine, are

(1) a good ironing board and iron. You can buy a cheaper iron and expect to replace it or get one with a good guaranty. I don't use steam, preferring to spritz my fabric with either water or spray starch, so purchased the Continental iron from Amazon. It doesn't have any holes in the sole plate, which is great if you are doing a lot of fusibles.
(2) Serrated blade scissors. I love the Karen Kay Buckley scissors, but Kai, Havel and Gingher also make serrated blade scissors. I won't ever use non serrated blades ever again! Not only do the serrations act as tiny pinking shears, the serrations grab the fabric and pull it into the blades, rather than pushing it away as smooth blades do.
(3) A good cutting mat and rotary cutter. Get a rotary cutter that is comfortable in your hand. I have 4 different brands, but love my ergonomic Fiskars.
(4) Long, thin, sharp pins. Clover makes some that are 1-7/8" long with glass heads (so you can iron over them); flower head pins are nice to have because you can mark letters and numbers on them with a Sharpie; and Karen Kay Buckley has some very thin, very sharp pins. The only drawback with them is that the heads are so small.
(5) A June Tailor Shape Cut; a 6-1/2" square and a 12-1/2" square.
(6) A good light so that there are no shadows around your presser foot.
(7) A good seam ripper (or two or three, because they seem to wander off at the most inopportune times). I like the Clover seam ripper with the white handle, because the point seems sharper and finer on those than any others I've used. The Clover brown flat handled seam ripper is also good.
(8) Good needles -- Schmetz, Superior Threads, Organ. You can also buy Bernina, Janome, etc., but those are made by another company, and I've found they're no better than Schmetz and cost more.
(9) Good thread. I buy Prescencia (sp?) 60/3 weight, 100% cotton thread by the cone. I get mine from Harriett Hargrave's website, though I am sure there are other places you can get it. Also, it comes in a 50/3, but I prefer the 60/3.

ShelleyCS

Clover extra fine piecing pins. Love them. They help my precision, and you can sew right over them. A large cutting mat.

Bree123

For "must haves" over $20, I agree with tessagin: buy yourself a beginner quilting set. I did that when I first started quilting & I use it to this day. It had a large ruler, cutting mat, rotary cutter & a white marking pencil in it.

But I'm going to assume you have those items and the other really basic items like a pair of sewing scissors (I mostly use the non-offset pair, but I also own an offset pair & that seems to be what most people prefer), a pair of paper scissors, some quilting needles (machine or hand based on how you quilt) & an iron since you really would be hard-pressed to try and do any quilting without those.

After those, I would say that the 2 things I really love & use all the time, since I do a lot of hand applique, are my Gingher embroidery scissors and some John James Gold'n'Glide milliner needles. If I weren't doing applique, I'd pick one of the larger Omnigrip squares & the offset pins for basting.