Tuesday, 26 July 2011

What Are Some Quilting Accessories That Can Save a Lot of Work?

By Jane Green


Each quilter has their essential tools, their iron, their scissors, rulers and so on. However for me it does not just stop there.

Over my years of quilting, I have also come across several cute accessories and tools that would simply make quilting so much harder without them. The funny part is they aren't even huge things, just tiny things here and there that save me a few minutes at a time.

Chaco Liners

Chaco liners look a lot like permanent markers, however they're completely different. Rather than permanently staining your fabric, these liners use a powder type tip that is designed to leave a mark, but not forever.

The basic idea behind these is that you can mark out the measurements as needed and then when its no longer needed, clean it off quickly and easily. Good for anybody working on a custom quilt pattern or patchwork quilt.

They also are refillable, so when you finish one, you can just unscrew the cartridge and swap it for a new one.

Thread Rack

This is an incredible easy to use gizmo which has saved me numerous minutes looking for the right thread. This is a rack divided up into a grid. Where each grid meets is a little dowl that sticks out, which you can put a spool of thread on.

I have prepared mine in a rainbow color order so I am able to quickly locate the color thread I need and begin sewing. No more rumaging around your sewing box for the right color spool.

You can also get ones that stand vertically and have a roatating base to help select your threads, like a greeting card rack.

5 in 1 Sliding Gauge

This looks similar to one of those T-squares your teacher used in maths class. The difference is this one has an adjustable slider.

It's a real wonder tool and is perfect for marking out button holes, seam allowances and hem length, just to name a couple!

Its these small things that assist me in saving minutes here and there. These minutes then start turning into hours and soon you will find you can't live without them either!




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