Non-quilty, Quilting Tools

I apologize for the tardiness of this post.  This week has been a difficult one.

I have quilted almost 40 years.

I began at what I consider a transitional time in the quilting world.  Rotary cutters were just getting firmly established in quilt pattern directions.  Sewing machine companies were finally developing machines designed with quilters in mind.  Quilters were able to purchase sewing notions made just for them.  The biggest plum in the quilting pudding was Quilt Shops were popping up everywhere!  Imagine our sheer giddiness to discover fabric stores just for quilters!  We had one quilt store in Greensboro at that time.  The Saturdays I wasn’t at a ball field or dance lesson, I’d get up early, shower, chug down a cup of coffee and head over to Randy’s.  It was so nice to be in a place where there were lovely, all-cotton fabrics designed with quilters in mind.  To examine a plethora of quilting notions and patterns available and have knowledgeable staff to answer the questions of a very young and inexperienced quilter was pretty much my quilting heaven on earth. 

However, if you’ve ever had a chance to examine my quilt studio (which is such a hot mess right now between home renovations and the abrupt stoppage of clean out due to my cancer diagnosis), you’ll notice I have quite a lot of tools which didn’t come from a quilt shop.  Most likely these were picked up from a hardware store, the health and beauty aisle at a drug store, or one of those Everything-Once-Was-A-Dollar stores.  I’ve found these tools as useful as any I’ve purchased from any quilt shop and would like to share them with you.

• Blue Painters Tape

A roll or two of this tape is truly a handy-dandy item to keep in your sewing room.  When I began learning how to quilt on my domestic sewing machine, the first technique introduced was straight line quilting.  I used the painters tape as a guide.  After screwing on my walking foot, I used the side of the tape as a visual cue.  The tape can be placed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally across the surface and you simply sew along the side of the tape.

Why blue painters tape?  It doesn’t leave the sticky residue masking tape does.  It lifts pretty cleanly and can be repositioned at least once.  I have also covered old sewing machine needles with it before tossing them in the trash. I’ve used pieces of this tape to label parts of the quilt, hold together a design board, and tape down cords.  Bonus:  While the standard width of this tape is 1-inch (which I’ve found everywhere from Target to Walmart to hardware stores and even some convenience stores) it is available in 3-inch widths all the way down to ¼-inch.  One 1-inch roll is around $5 where I live, but I truly think it is more convenient and economical to purchase the three pack. 

• Pool Noodles

I could sing the praises of pool noodles forever.  I even wrote an entire blog about them: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2021/07/28/in-praise-of-pool-noodles.  I always purchase at least one at the end of the summer at the Everything-Once-Was-A-Dollar-Store-But-Now-It’s-Not.  This year one cost a whopping $1.50 plus tax on the clearance rack.

Once the pool noodle hits my quilt studio, I cut it into chunks 4-inches in length.  My pool noodles are generally 48-inches long, so this gives me 12 pieces of pool noodle to work with.  And what I primarily use them for are binding holders.  When I cut out my quilt, I cut out everything including the binding.  I make it and then wind it on one of the 4-inch noodle pieces.  It’s small enough that it doesn’t take up a lot of room in my project box, but large enough it handles several yards of binding just fine, and I can easily pin it in place.  Once I’m ready to sew the binding onto the quilt, I use a cone thread holder, like this one:

And load the pool noodle on the spindle.  I place it beside my machine and sew the binding on with ease. 

As an avid appliquer who has a special affinity for floral applique (remember my motto – if you can’t grow ‘em, sew ‘em), I have lots of bits of vines and stems left over from projects.  Some of the pieces are small enough to toss without guilt, but others you can’t.  I keep those spare vines and stems on my pool noodle chunks the same way I do the binding.  This keeps them in great shape, neat and ready to go when I need them.

Pool noodles can also be used for storing and transporting quilts, giving a spool a little lift on the long arm to allow for a bit more tension, and lots of other things.  To find out more, you can read my blog about them.

• Command Hooks

Again, this is one of the non-quilting items which can be found almost anywhere from Target, Walmart, on-line, and hardware stores.

I keep the medium-sized ones around because they seem to be most versatile the way I use them.  I purchased my first pack with one goal in mind – corralling my scissors.  You know how those things are – you are just sure you put them down in one spot, only to return to that spot to find they’ve walked off somewhere, and you spend the next half-hour looking for them.  I put a Command Hook on the side of each of my machines and hung my scissors there each time before leaving my studio.  I can’t tell you how much the frustration level dropped.

Over time I learned they’re pretty handy to have near my design wall and to hang the tools I need (like rulers) near my cutting table.  My best advice is to buy a pack of medium-sized hooks and keep them in the studio.  That way they’ll be there when a need hits.  A pack of nine medium-sized hooks sells between $11 and $13 on Amazon.

• Magnetic Bowl

I pick these up at Harbor Freight Tools and generally they run me around $6.  Mechanics use them to keep screws and other tiny objects in.  I first found them ideal to keep at my long arm for my pins.  You definitely need something to drop the pins in, and the bonus was even if the bowl tipped over, most of the pins remained in it.  Over time I found they were pretty handy to have anywhere I needed to corral my pins but didn’t want to take the time to stick them back in a pin cushion. 

• Magnetic Wand

While we’re on the subject of magnets, let’s talk about this wonderful tool.

Originally made for mechanics who dropped screws and other tiny, metal objects, you’ll be thankful for this extending magnetic wand when you spill a box of pins or needles.  A few wipes make for an easy (and safe) clean up.  And if your diabetic or have fur children, these things are priceless for finding dropped pins and needles.  I purchased mine from Harbor Freight for about $6.

• Magic Erasers

These things are wonderful to have around the house.  They clean everything from scuffs off of shoes to stubborn soap scum in the shower.  I keep one in my quilt studio to take any Sharpie marks off my rulers or templates.  At some point, we’ll use a Sharpie to trace a template or accidentally put a mark on a ruler, and I’ve found a dry Magic Eraser that takes those marks off beautifully.  Depending on whether you buy in bulk (like I do) or purchase a smaller pack, the cost can run between $5 and $12.

• Watercolor Brush Pens

These pens, normally used in artwork, can be pretty handy in the quilt studio.  Instead of filling the barrel with water, I fill mine with starch, Best Press, or Flatter.  I use them in conjunction with turned-edge applique, but they’re also great to run a bead of starch or Flatter down a seam before I press it.  The seam lies flat and neat.  A set of six on Amazon will run you about $6.

• Silicon Tips/Silicon Swabs

Originally these were found in primarily electronic stores and were used for microscopic cleaning of tiny electronic parts.  Somewhere along the way, sewists discovered them and found out they were perfect for cleaning sewing machines and their bobbin cases.  Some quilt stores now carry them, but if you want to buy in bulk, electronic stores or Amazon are still your best bet.  A hundred silicon swabs costs around $8 and a 300 pack of silicon tips are around $8, too.

• Silicon Make Up Brush Holder

These handy-dandy make up accessories can be found everywhere from Almost-A-Dollar establishments to drug stores to Amazon.  And while the open-weave interior is great for stashing make up brushes, mascara, and other beauty tools, that open weave is also great for storing quilting tools.  Quilt shops sometimes sell these, but if you’re pinching pennies (and who isn’t these days?) you may want to comparison shop.

• Plastic Baskets of Various Sizes

For me, these are strictly an Everything-Used-to-Be-A-Dollar store purchase.  These wonderful items can be found on several aisles of the store – laundry, closet organization, kitchen organization, school supplies – they’re literally everywhere.  These come in all sizes and depths, making them great for so many storage and organizational tools for your studio.  I purchase them in several sizes, but tend to stick to a low height so they can fit into a project storage box.  As I cut out my quilt, I can place the pieces neatly in one of these baskets and at the end of my sewing time, I can put them in my project box.  This keeps them neat and ready to go at the next sewing time I have.  The more organized you are, the more time you have to sew.

The last two items on my list of non-traditional quilting tools I almost didn’t list because I purchased them at a quilt store and haven’t seen them anywhere else, but apparently they are available at other shops and in other departments.

• The Purple Thang

I love this tool!  Inexpensive and practical – and now available in colors other than purple – this notion serves as a stiletto, flat edge for pressing seams, helps you turn corners, and a bodkin.  The tapered tip can help you fill small areas of stuffed animals or pillows as well.  I keep a couple of these near each of my sewing machines, one in my hand sewing kit, and one in my hand applique kit.  Currently, you can purchase our of these (with a case!) for $5.48 on Amazon.

• Glue Stick Precision Tip

We quilters use a lot of glue.  It wasn’t always this way.  When fabric glue was first introduced to the quilting world, a lot of us (including me) turned our collective noses up at it.  We worried about the long-term effects glue may have on our fabric.  However, as time went on and the adhesives became better and better, and we saw what a time saver those glues were, somehow, someway they found their way into our quilting spaces.

If I only need a very brief temporary glue – such as for hand applique, paper piecing, or English paper piecing – I use Elmer’s School Glue Sticks.  If you’re not purchasing an adhesive labeled as a “fabric glue” do make sure that somewhere on the label it mentions the glue will wash out with water.  Elmer’s School Glue does just that and I tend to purchase it in bulk at the beginning of the school year when it’s on sale.  This year, I happened to notice this was also sold alongside the glue:

This is a precision tip applicator.  It screws on top of the glue stick and allows you to distribute the glue in a fine line.  It seemed like a great idea, so I added that to my Amazon basket along with a box of glue sticks.  But I gotta be honest, it’s a love/hate relationship at this point.  Mine works well for a while but I do find I actually waste a lot of glue with it.  As the glue stick begins to run low, the tip is harder to fill with the glue, and I end up cleaning a lot of the glue out of the tip before putting it on a new glue stick.  So I guess it’s buyer beware with this gadget.  Some quilt stores are selling this tip, so those prices may vary.  Amazon has them for around $12.

As quilting consumers, it’s important to keep an open mind as we peruse different stores and website that aren’t quilting related.  There are a lot of great items you can use in your quilt room to make your world neater and more efficient.  Just keep your eyes and minds open!

Until next week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix