A Few of My Favorite Things
Note: The tools listed here are tools I use. I do not receive any compensation for mentioning them here.
Gadget Girl
It’s true, I’m a gadget girl. If I see a quilting gadget andit makes sense to me, I’ll give it a try. There are many items I’ve purchasedthat I try and end up never using. When I find something I like, it seems I useit all the time.
Rotary Cutter
I have several rotary cutters. My favorite is the one pictured and is made by Fiskars. I have small hands and the handle of this one fits very comfortably in my hands. I say ‘hands’ because I’m about 95% ambidextrous and can use the rotary cutter in either hand. The blade design of this cutter works well for both left and right-handed users. I love it so much, I purchased two of them.
Easy Thread Needles
At a recent quilter retreat, I was introduced to John James Easy Thread needles. What a game changer! I use them when working on the long arm to bury thread ends as I work. I tried waiting to the end and then burying the thread. Never again! Using the easy thread needles makes it easy to thread the ends while the quilt is still on the frame. When I’m done with the quilting, everything is neat and there are no thread ends to worry about.
Magic Pins
I have this odd obsession with pins. I’m very fussy and like a “good” pin. My new favorite pins are by Taylor Seville Originals called Magic Pins. I don’t know about magic, but they glide easily into my fabric. The soft ends are easy to grab, and the pins lay flat. No little bump from a glass ball head. My biggest pet peeve about pins are burrs and blunt ends. I’ve purchased two 50 pin packs of Magic Pins and so far, not one burr or blunt end. They recently introduced a fork pin and I’m looking forward to giving them a try.
Seam Ripper
Yes, I make mistakes. Every sewist needs a good seam ripper for those “un-sew” moments. I found this one by Seam Fix at my local quilt shop. Its feature is the soft end for “erasing” those little bits of thread that get stuck in the fabric when removing a stitched seam. They are available in several fun colors.
What is your favorite quilting gadget?
Note: This post is part of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com.
