Quiltingboard Forums - Helpful tools for both longarm and standard machine quilting

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Some things save me time, others frustrations, others expense. There are also a couple of techniques to help me when backings are too small in width and stabilizing when doing several colors.

This is a friend's quilt and will require 3 colors of thread and had the backing too short.

The purple article on the left is an eye brow shaper, it has a razor blade protected by metal with slits. This is easy for ripping and does not cut into the top. I found them in the beauty department of any pharmacy store or store like Walmarrt/ There is another brand that is longer and better. Next to it you can see the batting and then a piece of muslin sew onto the sides of the quilt. There was only two inches extra given on the backing and with my wonderful long clamps from Calico Kitten, I need more. I was able to sew this on with the longarm

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Starting on the left, is a plastic dish with a cover for my chalk. I use a foam craft brush to apply chalk to my stencils. Put brush into chalk, knock off the excess on the sides of the dish. Next to it is baby talc which I use in place of chalk. It is fine and much cheaper, I also use it in my pouncer. A pencil sharpener with two sharpeners, one large enought for the chalk sticks is the red artcle and nrxt is the chalk board chalk I use to mark parts of my quilt. Next to that is a black handle with a little crocket hook in it for getting thread out from under the quilt top when they have been quilted in and finally on the edge is a ballpoint awl by Clover. If you are ripping out from the top of your quilt especially just a few stitches, the ball head is wonderful

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The pearl heads on the pins show up well. When I am doing several colors and need to stablize the quilt sandwich, I pin every six to eight inches with these very visable pins.

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These are GENERAL pastel chalk pencils. I have used white and grey and both have washed out well. But they do have to be washed. They don't just brush away. I found them at Walmart and many other craft departments in stores.

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I will definately be looking for an eye brow shaper. Thanks Deb!

Great tips and information!!
I like the idea of using baby powder.
Thanks!

Thanks for these helpful hints!! I will surely use them.

I don't think I have ever seen an eyebrow shaper here, I'll have to go and look. Thanks for the tips.

I just got one of those eyebrow things, it works great! I also use a mustache trimmer...9.99 at WalMart and if you need to rip what seems like umpteen miles of stitches, it works wonderfully!
Thanks for the tip in the baby powder.

Wonderful tips! Thank you. :)

Deb, you are so clever and creative. thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the great tips!!

What a great thread! Thanks for starting it. I'm going to look for an eyebrow trimmer, it looks very handy. I'm also going to look for the General's pastel pencils. I had never given those a thought but I'm sure they'd be wonderful for marking quilt tops rather than using the expensive marking pens. Thanks so much for sharing your tips.

My tip: For keeping track of small tools while sewing I use a mechanics bolt tray, a small metal bowl that's available at the auto parts store. It is magnetized and will sit nicely on top of a metal sewing machine and/or it's heavy enough to not slide around much on your sewing table. I toss my threaded needles, seam ripper, small scissors, awl and few pins in mine so they are right there and handy to grab. It keeps things from getting lost under the layers that seem to accumulate when sewing. An added bonus it that it will magnetize the tools you put in it so you can just grab a scissor and run it over the floor to pick up stray pins that you've dropped.

And on some rollers, it will stay for ease in reaching pins while pinning your quilt on the rollers. I actually have one for each type of pin that I use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose L

Thanks for the tips!

Great tips - thanks Deb

Great tips Thank you!

Thanks for the tips !

Thanks so much for sharing these valuable tips!

Oh...these are great tips! Thanks for sharing!

Did anyone recently see the post that showed a clear plastic tool that would be helpful for quilting around a applique piece or pieces of a block? It had different angles, etc.to accommodate different maneuvers. I'm not sure if it was only for LA quilting or if I could use it with my domestic machine. I made a note that it was from handiquilter.com but can't find it. That will teach me to stop and investigate the site immediately and not leave it til the next day (probably looking at the wrong note -- just got back from 3 day quilt retreat and it is daunting to try to catch up on all the Quilt Board backlog). Today have checked and rechecked all the old posts and can't find it anyplace. Thanks...........

Quote:

Originally Posted by grocifer

There is one by DeLoa that is palm sized and has a smooth rounded edge on the bottom so the tool does not catch other applique pieces. Jamie Wallen recommends it on his site. I have it and it even fits my very small hand.

The eyebrow razor is the BEST!!!! I found them at a dollar store and you get 2/$1.00. I am not sure what dollar store.

Thanks debcavan -- that isn't the tool I saw but I will explore it further. I need all the help I can get when free motioning on my Viking 1+ --

Thanks for sharing those ideas.

Have you tried the generic Mr Clean eraser sponges like from the Dollar Tree to remove chalk and pencil. I havent tried a write pencil like that but have used it o other color pencil shadin when I get it too dark

Great ideas, thanks :!:

Quote:

Originally Posted by writerwomen

Add on note- use the eraser dry

Great ideals! off to walmart

Great tips! I have been searching for a chalk pencil!

I've just tried your tip about using talcum powder with my stencils on dark fabric. It works beautifully and took no time at all to mark the borders. Thank you so much for making my life so much easier!

Great tips. Good tools to add. Thank you.

How do the clamps from Calico Kitten work? Is there a video I can view or any other info that you might know about?

Like your tips and techniques, thanks

Great tip!!! Thanks!