Quilting Supplies & Tools I use (and Love)!

These are the quilting tools and supplies I use. Over the years I've tried so many new "gadgets", only to abandon them over the long term. These are the products I've always come back to and have been most happy with! 

My other machine is a Bernina 770 (Tula Pink Special Edition). I use this machine for any decorative or zig-zag stitching, for sewing on quilt binding or for anything where I feel the even-feed foot would be beneficial:

For quilting I use a Bernina Q20 longarm on an 8 foot frame. I didn't have the space for a longer frame and luckily you can get a Bernina frame in 12, 10 or 8 foot lengths!

I love Martelli cutting mats! I have several. I use the largest size (30" X 60") on my cutting table. It makes a fabulous work space as well as a place to accurately cut fabric. Martelli Mats come in many sizes and can be found at Martelli Enterprises. 

I also use a round cutting mat that rotates. This makes it easier to trim blocks, half square triangles and flying geese. The one I use is also from Martelli and can be found here.

When cutting fabric from the bolt for my shop, I prefer to use the Fiskars Rotary Ruler Combo. This is a wonderful invention! There is almost no pressure needed to cut through the fabric, which makes it really easy on the hands and wrists if you have a lot of fabric to cut at once. 

For squaring up quilt blocks I like the Omnigrid square rulers. I have them in most of the standard quilt block sizes.

For Flying Geese I like the Block Loc Flying Geese Rulers. These come in various sizes and make trimming effortless and very accurate. The drawback is you need a different ruler for each size flying geese unit, which can be expensive. There are sets available with the most-used sizes, which is the most economical way to go. If you are going to be making a lot of flying geese units, these rulers are definitely worth the investment. Tutorial available here: Flying Geese Tutorial with Cutting Chart.

For piecing I use Aurifil cotton 50wt thread. I love Aurifil because it is strong and beautiful with very little lint. On the longarm I use Glide trilobal polyester thread from Fil-Tec. I use the large cones as well as the pre-wound bobbins. This thread has zero lint and is very strong, perfect for longarm quilting. The pre-wound bobbins are a plus for the longarm as they save time and the tension is always perfect. I find that by using the same thread on my longarm, I never have tension problems.

Mary Ellen's Best Press is a must for all my piecing. I like it so much better than regular spray starch because there is no flaking or white residue left on dark fabrics. Best Press gives body to the fabric, making your fabric edges crisper and easier to piece accurately. For most applications, I use a light spraying on one or sometimes both sides of the fabric, followed by ironing. If I'm working with fabric cut on the bias (like my Christmas Tree Lane Runner Pattern), I will apply a 2nd spraying to ensure the edges do not stretch or distort. 

Fabric Glue Pens

Fabric Glue Pens are the best friend of accurate piecing and matching seams! How many times have you lined up your seams perfectly, pinned them carefully and proceeded to sew them, only to find the seam shifted while sewing? This used to happen to me all the time. Now, I use these awesome little pens, put just a dab of glue on the seams I am matching and pin as usual. No more shifting and MUCH more accuracy. They work well for regular piecing as well, in lieu of pins.

The pens shown above are from Sewline, but there are several other brands available. The colored glue dries clear and is water soluble. Refills are available (these are a must!). I have them all over my studio, one at each machine and also at my cutting table.

Wool Pressing Mat

It took me a while to warm up to wool pressing mats, but once I used one routinely, I fell in love with them. I have a large mat that covers my entire ironing board, see below:

This mat is one of my favorite things in my sewing room! You will need to decide what size will work best for you as they are available in many sizes. Consider how you will use it, where you will put it and what size will fit in your budget. Be sure to buy a high quality mat that is made of 100% wool and is at least 1/2" thick. More information is available here: The Skinny on Wool Pressing Mats.

Clover Wonder Clips

Clover Wonder Clips are so versatile! I am continually finding new things to do with them! They are a great alternative to pins, especially when working with heavier fabrics. They are often used by quilters to hold quilt binding while sewing. Because they are flat on the bottom, your fabric lays flat as it feeds toward the machine. When cutting fabric pieces for a quilt, I will often use them to attach a note to a stack of squares (or whatever) noting they are for "section A", or "row B". If I need to clear off my cutting table for another use, I can easily move my quilt pieces without getting them messed up or out of place. 

Wonder clips come in packages of 10, 50 or 100. They are also available in various colors. The 50 or 100 quantity packages come in a plastic storage case as shown above. There are three sizes of Wonder clips - regular (shown above), mini and jumbo. 

Batting

My favorite batting is Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20. This batting is 80% cotton and 20% polyester. There is minimal shrinkage and it has a fairly good loft to it. For table runners I prefer the lower loft of Quilter's Dream cotton in Select loft, but for quilts I always choose Hobbs. 

Storage Boxes

I could not live without these handy storage boxes! They are usually sold as scrapbooking supplies, but they are perfect for sewing & quilting. I use the 12" X 12" size. When cutting fabric for a quilt, I use them to store the fabric pieces which; 1) Keeps the fabric pieces of the same size together; 2) Makes it easy to clear off my cutting table in case I need to use it quickly for something else and; 3) Keeps my cats from laying on my fabric pieces! These boxes available at Amazon, but they can also be found wherever scrapbook supplies are sold.

Design Software

Electric Quilt 8

For designing quilts I use Electric Quilt 8. I love the versatility of this program! It allows you to try out different quilt layouts and allows you to "audition" different color schemes and fabric choices. In addition, it gives you the necessary yardage for your quilt as well as rotary cutting instructions for your blocks.

Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator