Basic sewing tools, yes, tools. Without these (and a handful of rulers) quilting would no be as enjoyable as it is now.
I love Ginger scissors. The pattern on the handle of both the embroidery and 8 inch dressmakers shears, is the American Flag.
There is a new style Olfa cutter with the easy release blade feature (nice!)
The precision Trimmer 6 inch by Marsha mcCloskey is really a 6 1/2 square, perfect for the FW blocks and the rotary cutting mat, wouldn't quilt without it!
My favorite stiletto and seam ripper. The handles are turned acrylic by a man that I found at one of the sewing shows I went to earlier this year. Bought the one on the right a year ago and even though the ends are interchangeable, it was bothersome as I use both tools, the ripper to cut the threads in-between chain pieced parts and the stiletto to guide the fabric under the presser foot.
You say you don't use a stiletto? Why not? Do you use the point of your seam ripper? Not good. Do you use your fingers? Not good. Simply stated, a stiletto will help hold those little ends straight when you feed them into the needle are where your fingers can't and shouldn't go.
OMG, I have been digging out notions that I had forgoten that I had. You know when something new comes out and you just have to have it? Well, this is what I said when this Mini Iron II came out. I already had the first version, why have the second? Well look at all of the tools it comes with! The one that I am finding the most handy is the large end. It gets hot enough to do a basic press, like pressing blocks open before the next step, and it saves me getting up and down to go to my steam iron (which I do use as the final press)
Look at the picture of my machine. It is sitting on a custom made table. My DH made it for me and I covered it in two layers of warm and natural and one layer of pretty duck canvas. I did that so I could iron on, smart huh?
Do you use a Startie/Stopie? A what you say?
This is a little piece of scrap fabric that you feed under your presser foot, take a few stitches to secure the thread and then start sewing on your block. This helps keep the thread from pulling back, keeps the little ends from ending up as lint in the bobbin area and in general, helps feed things smoothly into your machine. I use them till I cant stand them any more and start another one. These are just a few from the first 20 FW blocks.
So what have I learned today? I really don't like 6 inch blocks, or at least the 6 inch blocks that have 1 1/2 inch pieces. The seam allowance is almost as big as the piece you are working on, thank goodness, I am thinking about sending this one out to be quilted. I can only imagine what it would be like to quilt over all of these little seams!
So here is my progress for today, the next 10 Farmers Wife Blocks:
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Happy Farming!
