Kathy,

My mother and I are wondering about your avatar? Front porch planter with a sleeping chicken, or soup pot for dinner? LOL

Ragann63

It's never a dmb question if you don't know the answer and for every day you learn something new, you'r getting smarter than those who never ask. Quilting queen

You can also wittle down a popsicle stick or use a drink stirrer (is that a word) :!:
Dee

I use a stilleto to guide my fabric thru the machine and if you don't want to purchase one at a quilt shop (they are pricey) buy a cutical stick from the drugstore, I also have a wooden stylus that is pointy on one end and wider on the other. I use it to poke corners out on quilty things I make and quick turn. marge

The tool you mentioned is probably an awl, used in the previous years for punching holes in leather.
I have one and use it for my stylus too.
It's great because it fits in the hand well and reminds me of my
beloved aunt who once owned it.

I found dentists tools at a local market - they are wonderful - nice and pointy. But very sharp, so carry them in your bag carefully!

I use the bamboo sticks also, they are the right length too....

If you have a pantograph on your machine quilting table, the stylus is the pokey thing that sticks down in the pattern grove and guides your sewing machine and carriage along the design/pattern.

Yep, it is also a sharp chopstick. Got one in my sewing kit too!

http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponlin...76&cat=&page=5
Here's a picture of one from El Burns' website and...

http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?...teria=stiletto
Here's a different kind (see stiletto/awl) from Clotilde.

Here they're called stilettos, but they're the same thing basically.

Thanks, now I know what they look like! :lol: