Tag: Quilting Tools (Page 2 of 2)

Fabulous Quilting Tools

Here are the three best quilting tools!

Are these the three best quilting tools EVER, in the whole world? Okay, maybe not. However, if you are making quilts using fusible applique or even broderie perse, THESE ARE THE THREE BEST

Anyone who quilts knows you gotta have tools…and the right tools can really make quilting fun!

I’ve been sharing  tips of the trade when it comes to working with value and auditioning fabrics for my latest patterns, which use both sides of one focus fabric.  Now I’m going to share the three top tools I’ve found and grew to love while making these patterns.

(drum roll)

Karen Kay Buckley Scissors

Image of Scissors

They cut like a dream. The edges are serrated which makes them seem to grab and hold on to the fabric as you cut, rather than pushing it away from you. I have made many of these #usebothsides quilts and cut many, many paper-fused appliques with them – and quickly, too. They cut today as well as the first day I bought them. I highly recommend them. They make cutting enjoyable, even under deadlines. I use the blue handled size.

Soft Fuse Premium

A few years ago, I wandered upon Misty Fuse. I liked that it looked almost like a spider-web and, once fused, it felt like it wasn’t even there. It works great for projects where you use rulers or die cutters and you don’t need to trace patterns–because there’s no paper on which to draw.

Image of Logo

Enter…Soft Fuse Premium , a paper-backed, but thin, web-like fusible which quilts like a dream. Soft Fuse  doesn’t make your applique stiff or hard to manage and it quilts like a dream (kinda like Karen’s scissors cut). I highly recommend it.

Roxanne Glue-Baste-It

Temporary Basting Glue

Image of Glue Bottle

Last, but not least, Glue-Baste-It with this micro-applicator tip is the bomb–and life-saver when it comes to whipping out quilts! This has saved me many times! It gets into tiny places, dries clear (really, it does, except maybe on Lame – but how often do you applique with that?), and it  lasts forever! I still have a teeny, tiny bottle from 15 years ago (from the Sewing Basket) by my machine and it still works great (but doesn’t have this fancy applicator tip).  So, why do I need this product? When I’m cutting flowers for Colorful Petals or Colorful Wings, I don’t cover  my entire piece of fabric with fusible but I might see a flower I really want in my quilt. Rather than set it aside, I keep it in my pile and put a dot or two of Glue-Baste-It on it when I place it on my quilt. It holds the flower in place just as though it was fused, until I quilting it down. Likewise, if I’m quilting a long the edges  of my applique and find a spot not adhered fully, I don’t plug in the iron and wait for it to heat up to reheat the fused fabric -I just dab a dot of this glue and keep on stitching! It really is a great product to have on hand.

Do you NEED these products to make #USEBOTHSIDES quilts?
Image of Three Quilts
Colorful Petals Quilt Patterns
Image of Three Quilts
Patterns available at etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios
Image of Cauldron Wall Hanging

Nah, but having cool tools is part of the game of quilting, right? If nothing else, put them on your wish list for Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas…the countdown is on and a new pattern is coming SOON! Stay Tuned.

What’s your favorite quilting tool or product? Let me know!

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Outtake:

Image of Cat
This is Mungojerrie (named after a cat in the musical, CATS), checking out the Roxanne’s.

Quilt Retreat Take-Alongs

Image of Creek and Sand Bar

On the road to quilt retreat.

Here are a few items you might want to add to your retreat list:

There are lots of lists out there suggesting what to pack for quilt retreats. Here are a couple of things I add to the basic lists – to update them or accommodate for my projects. Hope this will help you, too, be totally prepared for your next retreat.

Okay, so first, take all the normal sewing/quilting supplies (machine, fabric, thread, needles, scissors, seam ripper, etc.).

Then consider:

Chargers for phone, Ipad and Fitbit

Cords for all machines and laptop

Leather thimble or little stick-on dots for hand-work

Chain-cutter (mine is Barney purple)

Guild directory (for when you can’t remember that one lady’s name)

Pre-cuts guide (for shopping trip)

Pressing board

Silicone Pressing Sheet

Extra light bulb for machine

Basting glue

Pressing Spray

1/4 inch guide

Extra lighting

Water

You might want to throw in some clothes and soap and you’re good to go! Now check out this One Sweet Retreat to read about last year’s trip to Jonas Bluffs.

Please share your ideas for retreat lists and comment below.

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