My DH knew immediately what it is...he used to use them for fishing floats! :D

Ouch is right!!

i use a chop stick ihave to look for a quill now suzieQ

It's a quill.
Anne

Clotilda carries those quills, I have one that I use all the time..to keep it from being lost I stick the sharp end into my pin cushion.
Anne

I got mine at a craft store in the Haight-Ashbury district in SF. They were very cheap and I love them!!

thats what my guess was also at first i thought maybe it was a porcupine quil pen

I have one. It is a porcipine quill.

Hey Lucky Patsy's Mom. I was looking for your response to the stiletto and saw that you took a class for storm at sea. I have a quilting friend who did a beautiful storm at sea eight or nine years ago. Her quilt was so beautiful that I went out and bought some material for my own version of storm at sea but had 2 deaths in the familyu and had to stop working on it before I even got started. I went to make the quilt and didn't have a pattern. My quilting friend could not find her pattern so I started to look on line and had difficulties. Some had pictures with no patterns and some had patterns but were the old version where there were way to many pieces. Anyhow I used a pattern I found on the internet. I printed it and began all the cutting. When I went to put the pieces together the square finished block would not fit with the lagre diamond block. I rechecked the cut pieces and they were all cut to the size of the pattern but I think the large diamond through the printing became enlarged. I cann't recut and sew all the blocks so I have been trying to cut down the size of the diamond but would appreciate it if you had a pattern I could download. I have put the project away but want to take it back out this week as my quilting group starts meeting this wednesday for a 10 week session. I am not going to give up on making this quilt but the patterns I have found since then do not seem to add up to what I have already cut and I want to make this quilt.
If you can help I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,

Ann

I've been reading all the comments and I still don't know what this "thing" is for..... :oops: I haven't been quilting that long so there is still lots to learn - so pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase give me some more infos on what to do with this "stiletto" - I always thought they were shoes..... :?

Mine also!

It has many uses but the usual one is that when piecing, you do not want the last inch or so to "wander" under the foot. You want the stitching to continue straight off the piece so the quill is used to hold on to the piece as it goes under the needle. It goes where no fingers dare to go!
Hope this helps.

Ahhhhh, that was an explanation I can do something with!!! :) Thanks a lot. :thumbup:

:lol: :D :roll: My mother would say, "Be careful with that, don't hurt yourself, and promptly hurt herself. I have too many kids floating through my sewing studio to have something like that. I use a chopstick. That is gorgeous though; would look good in my collection. :roll: :lol:

Have no idea, don't even know what a stiletto is or what it's used for! The word stiletto reminds me of high heel shoes! LOL

Stiletto reminds me of a long, very thin, razor sharp dagger.

I have one too, but mine is made out of plastic. I use the sharp end for holding fabric down near the needle. Use the more rounded edge in the corners when you turn things right side out. And I've even run it over (accidentially) with the needle, which didn't hurt it. Nice inexpensive tool!

Hi Ann, In the workshop I took, we used Wendy Mathson's trimplates and I highly recommend them. The technique is similar to the one used by Rhonda here on the board, where the pieces are cut slightly larger and then cut down to the exact size with the trimplates. Every thing turns out the right size that way. My little square in a square blocks are 3 1/2", the large ones are 6 1/2" and the diamond comes out 6 1/2" by 3 1/2", all unfinished. How much difference are you getting in your blocks? The stiletto helps keep the long skinny triangle parts from slipping around and keeps the seam allowances going the right way.
Marilyn

This stiletto is a porcupine quill and can be purchased from http://www.clotilde.com for about $4.00. This notion is quite handy.

Hi Megpie,
What is quillwork? Do they use the quills and for what or are the quills used in the work(art)?
If you can show your earring sounds very interesting.
Thanks
Meema :idea:

As a city dweller growing up, I never in my life saw a porcupine quill. Thanks for the education and helpful hint.

Ellis' Granny B

It definitely is a porcupine quill. It makes a dandy stiletto.

yup, I held my brothers ankles once while no one was looking and lowered him to reach into a zoos den to reach one. Long time ago...