As the incoming program chair for the Village Squares Quilters I am at no loss finding quilters to visit with us and share their experience and quilts. I’m excited to have several people lined up for the fall already and will reveal closer to the time. *I’d like to let the guild know first.*
One challenge all program chairs face is budget. Speakers cost money, I have a certain amount to spend and must be wise in how I accomplish this feat! In an effort to be slightly frugal, so we can have some really awesome speakers later on I’m going to present at one of the meetings and this is where I’m asking for your help.
Back story – one of our members sent me a pdf file from Prym/Dritz with lots of information on their notions. She would be interested in knowing which pins, needles rotary cutters and so many of our other quilting tools people use and why they use them.
If you have time to leave me a note letting me know what are your favorite, can’t live without notions. Over the years I’ve used quite a variety of pins and have found that I like two different pins for different reasons. I also know I don’t like the pins we used in school partly because they’re short and thick and partly because they’re not quite as sharp as the other two brands I’m using today.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Teri
Hi Teri…my favorite rotary cutter and the one I use all the time is the Olfa 60 mm. I like the feel and I seem to have better control with the larger handle. I totally dislike the curved handled cutters (don’t remember brand name) which was my first purchase, I couldn’t cut at all with it. Pins — for piecing I prefer the very thin pins that I think might be referred to as silk pins; and when I’m sewing on a border or a binding I tend to use the larger pins with the little glass heads. I’m particular and I use the pricier pins from quilt shops, they are ‘nicer’ pins, IMO.
I have several sizes of rulers for rotary cutting and my faves are those by Creative Grids. Another thing I use a lot is a small cutting mat which I can turn if I need to cut more than one side of a block or whatever. By my machine I keep a stilello, a pair of small Fiskars snips with gray handles, a seam ripper, a 6″ ruler,
small brush for lint on the presser foot. Other things I choose for my quilting hobby is silk thread for hand applique, and Thread Heaven for when I’m using it. Something I recently used for the first time that I discovered is wonderful is the bias tape maker where you feed the strip of fabric through one end and press it as it comes out the other end and it makes it perfectly. Example, I used it to make the basket handle for the A Tisket A Tasket project. I could go on and on but I won’t, hope this is helpful.
Wow, what a topic. I have a lot of gadgets aka notions. I love my creative grid 8″ square ruler.Also use my 2″,3″,6″ and 12″ square rulers all the time.Have two different sizes of Nancy Crow straight edge rulers (first rulers I can remember purchasing -like 20 years ago. LOL). Last year I bought a 36″ creative Grid ruler. My back is so grateful whenever I cut my quilt borders. : )I use the 28mm Ofla cutter as have better control with cutting.Could be because I have small hands. The slotted ruler is awesome for strip cutting (currently using with teaching niece to use the rotary cutters as is safer and accurate). Have several different sets of pins-silk pins, flat “button” topped pins that you can iron over and are sharp and lastly,long quilting pins to pin down applique shapes on background. Have a Ofla 12″ rotating mat which is very helpful with cutting patches. Keep a toothbrush travel holder to store my seam ripper, stilleto and Ginger snips by my sewing machine when not in use and also, if need to take somewhere. Have a set of dedicated Mary Kay make-up brushes that I use to clean dust and lint from machine.The blue,round rubber bobbin holder is so nice to store the bobbins and they stay put. And, pincushions are ao necessary and each of mine has a specific purpose-have several tomatoes, my Grandma Vi’s old sawdust filled one, another one made from wood and materials from Hawaii, a fancy one that is so nice to push a pin into and pull out, and have a magnetic one for my silk pins. Have a basket filled with small rulers, quilting gloves,Bohin chalk mechanial pencil, presser bars…etc that sits on sewing table. Use a plastic pencil box to store my frequently used sewing machine feet and quilting machine needles. It is ready to take with me,easy to find what I need and hard to spill contents. Fusible web-several brands with Steam a Seam 2 and Wonderunder lite are my favorites.Of course the iron and ironing board, a wooden iron is very useful,too. Love to use General’s chalk pencils. I have notions that I haven’t used yet, like the “Little Gripper” Fons and Porter rulers, Quilt in a Day Flying Geese rulers but will try soon. Have more but will stop here. ROFLOL
PINS: I agree, I use silk pins for just about everything. they are extremely thin and sharp and do not leave holes in the fabric, even if left in for a long period of time.
ROTART CUTTER: I like the 60mm size for most jobs and use Fiskar’s because I like the weight in my hand and the fact that it has a real handle. I also like the small 28 and 18mm Olfa cutters for cutting curves and circles respectfully. But mostly I use my 60mm Fiskar’s.
BASTING: 505 Spray! I love it!!!
THREAD: Superior Bottomline for the bobbin, Masterpiece and Rainbow for machine quilting.
NEEDLES: Sharps for machine piecing. The size will vary depending on the thread I am using. Metallics for metallic thread, size 90/14.
Hope that helps and good luck with your budget!
I’m interested that several folks love their “silk” pins… I bought a tin of them and hate them… they aren’t sharp and are thicker than others I have??? Maybe I got a bun tin…?
Anyway – I do use extra fine pins without heads for pinning and am looking to find some of the long extra fine pins with a tiny glass head to add to my arsenal. I have flower head pins to use with pinning layers of fabric (like for 4 patch stacked posies) but have found that the cheap pins aren’t sharp or have snaggly points – so it pays to have the more expensive ones. You just can’t iron over them… it ain’t pretty if you do! LOL
I LOVE my ‘Shape Cut Plus’ ruler… this makes cutting strips soooo easy. And now that I know they have one specifically sized for cutting 2.5″ strips from yardage… I want it, I want it bad.
I have from time to time had problems with my wrist… and the Martinelli ergonomic cutter made it easy for me to cut during those times. I used it at the shop before I moved from MA – no way was I able to cut fabric on the weekends after fixing and painting at the house all week long without it. I was wearing a wrist splint and I could cut with it on… no way to do that with another cutter.
I keep a 4.5″ curved tip squeeze snip scissor at my machine and love it… they can be pricy but are worth every penny you have to pay IMO.
EQ6…. Love it!
Wish I were close enough to come take your class! The feathers are great!
Lynn as in QuilterLynn on TQS.
Teri,
I can’t live without 505 basting spray.I do traditionally baste a large quilt, but for smaller wall hangings, 505 is perfect for me.
The 3 gadgets I can’t live without is my Clover needle threader….forget finding glasses, I rather stick the needle in the thing and have it thread my needle for me!
My bias tape maker and my puzzle mat. I love my puzzle mat cause I can break it down to the size needed. What a great subject you brought up.
I was reading about your concern about teachers costs. When I teach, I try to piggyback other guilds, so that the travel expense is shared.
Linda
http://www.lindampoole.com
http://www.lmpoole.blogspot.com
P.S. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Your quilting. Really!!!