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What's In Your Tool Box?
Choosing The Right Tools For The Job
Tools for Cutting
I had my first rotary cutter for three years before I ever dared to open it in anger. This may well have been because it was a cheap, badly-made tool, and I think I was probably right to do that. Nowadays I can't imagine patchwork without a selection of these most useful instruments, but I have, meanwhile, taken to the more elegant, safe, and easy-to-use varieties. I had Fiskars types for ages, but discovered, much to my annoyance, that the central part which holds the blade on these is rather soft plastic and becomes "slotted" and they are then unfit to use. And I never found spare parts to buy.
I now preach the Gospel of Olfa, Safety Version, to all my students, and, although I have tried all the various "ergonomic" and "easy to hold" types, I haven't found anything else I like nearly so much. On the other hand, if your wrist likes a bent one, I am not about to tell you not to...
If you have only one rotary cutter, the type that takes 45mm blades is the most useful. I use my 28mm blade cutters a lot when working with one or two layers of fabric. I have the 60mm and 18mm types but I don't use them nearly as much. Also shown above - a Chenille cutter!
And, PLEASE buy new blades and replace them regularly. They don't "sharpen" and are dangerous and tiresome when blunt. I buy blades in packs of 10 and I'm never mean with them...
To go with your cutter, you need at least one Cutting Mat - any other surface used for cutting will destroy your blades almost at once and will make you cross. See notes below about Mats...
And, if I really had to choose between scissors and cutters, I would have to choose scissors, as there are lots and lots of things you really can't do without them, and that a cutter does not do as well, or as safely...
You need at least three sizes of scissors - a medium ("Craft size") pair for general in-your-hand work, a little pair with pointy tips for unravelling mistakes, and possibly a pair of shears for big cutting, for backings and such. I also find a pair of snips is useful by the machine, as I'm not a fan of automatic cutters, they leave ends too short. The cutters at the back of most machines are blunt when you get the machine...
Tools for Measuring
Rulers - if you are rotary cutting you MUST use the right rulers, anything else is both damaging to your cutter and dangerous to use. Rotary cutting rulers have a flat edge perpendicular to the mat, and are usually marked with all sorts of useful measurements to help you to cut accurately. Take a bit of time to get used to your rulers - it really pays off long-term when it comes to nice flat patchwork, and will save a deal of frustration. If you are planning to cut a lot of pieces in any kind of "odd" size, you can mark the top of the ruler with a little arrow made of masking tape to save looking for the right amount each time. And most rulers have all sorts of useful extra markings that you may not have noticed - lines at 45 and 60 degrees for cutting triangles, for instance, and maybe an extra line half-way across the width.
NOTE - it's a really good idea to stick to one brand of rulers - for various reasons HB and I both use Creative Grids brand, as we have a lot of them. We have compared with other makes, and they don't always quite match.
Other brands should match themselves, unless they are really cheap Chinese knock-offs. You have been warned!
If you have already bought several brands, try to stick to one brand in any one project to save aggravation
A variety of sizes is nice, but you can do most things with perhaps one long and one square ruler, I use an 8-1/2 by 24-1/2 inch long one and a 12-1/2 inch square most of all, but we both have a few smaller square rulers as they are useful when working quickly..
Don't forget you can cut a small square with a big ruler, but it's much harder to cut a big square with a small ruler...
DO NOT use your mat for measuring. It's inaccurate and inconsistent and will drive you batty. You can get away with a bit of squaring-up on the markings. I like to turn mats over and use the plain side, and you get twice as much life from them that way
I'm not a fan of those pieces of wood with slots for storing rulers which are available, having neatly snapped one off along the edge of the wood. We go for nails...
Cutting Mats
Buy the biggest mat you can comfortably put on your table and store it flat!
Keep them out of hot cars and off the floor or leaning on the sideboard.
Keep your teacup elsewhere
DO NOT use your mat for measuring. It's inaccurate and inconsistent and will drive you batty. You can get away with a bit of squaring-up on the markings. I like to turn mats over and use the plain side, and you get twice as much life from them that way. Yes, I now I've just said all this above...
I really dislike the green mats that so many of us use - they are visually intrusive and (if you like green fabrics) rather hard to use.
My earliest mats were old white ones discarded by graphic designers, and I still like a neutral colour. I discovered recently, much to my horror, that you can now buy mats in electric blue, fluorescent green, luminous yellow, hot pink, and safety-vest orange...
Aaargh!
We like grey, mushroom beige, and white ones...
Tools for Marking
In general, I don't mark much. Many of the recommended "air erasable" or "water removable" pens are expensive and dry out really quickly. Most of the other things you see proposed on the 'net are either a Bad Idea, or a Very Bad Idea, as they may be hard to wash out; impossible to erase; return when cold; etc. etc.
For Half-square Triangles, where I wish to mark a diagonal on the back of a square then sew either side, regular grey writing pencil is easy, cheap, and safe. (I do use white pencils on dark fabrics. )
For marking straight lines for walking-foot quilting, consider a Hera marker - this makes a dent as you draw it across the fabric against your ruler but leaves no "marking material" behind at all. You can use a big pin, too...
For marking for Free-motion Quilting, - well, sorry, that's a Bad Idea. Your brain will rebel, and it's much harder to follow the lines than you think.. Draw on paper first, then go for it!
Tools for Pressing
An iron, of course. We don't use steam, ever, as it makes for a damp atmosphere, will soggify your paper foundations, can distort your blocks, and (if you keep the iron on a lot) will kill the poor thing rather fast. The water here has rocks in, so irons clog up at a fantastic rate. We both have plain sole-plate irons of a vintage variety, and a spray bottle for when it's needed. You can still buy plain irons!
I really dislike the small "travel" irons sold in so many places - they aren't reliably hot, tend to fall over, and are not long-lived. As to those Clover things like a soldering iron - they are actually soldering irons with a flat end, will burn your fingers, and are not temperature-controlled. Sigh...
You can pay a small fortune for irons with all sorts of gadgets, that make them turn off by themselves and pop up in a most disconcerting way. I wouldn't...
For a much more low-tech approach, there's much to be said for "wooden irons" - actually like a paper-folder, small wooden rollers, and the back of your thumb...
However, you really do need to press (pick the iron up, don't slide it around) every block to make sure it's perfectly flat before you trim or join them together. I have taken a wobbly block to the iron for a student and returned it a good 1/2 inch bigger each way!
We both have ironing tables made from kitchen carts (Ikea!) as these are better for fabric pieces, and are a good height to work at (also quite cheap) - we both have black fabric on the tables as sometimes (more than sometimes) the cream ones get filthy and can be overcooked. We also both have wool pressing mats - jolly useful particularly when travelling or at workshops, but do make sure if you fancy one that it is actually wool, some of the cheaper ones melt, so, probably a bit polyester...
Tools for English Paper Piecing
Scissors, pins, papers (maybe a pre-cut set, maybe a punch and junk mail) Punch a hole in the middle of your papers for easy removal, they can be used many times...
Good quality hand-sewing needles. Old thread is OK for basting (oddments left on bobbins!) (I won't prescribe a method, but please don't use glue, it's just nasty). New thread in 50s weight or finer for joining together. I also find that a small see-through pencil case is useful for work-on-the-go...
Tools for Foundation Paper Piecing
The cheapest possible printer paper for making the template sheets. Or a light box to trace your designs. A wooden roller (see above with a rounded roller part - not the very flat kind sold for wallpapering), or a "wooden iron".
Good quality thin long pins
When it comes to putting the sections together, little binding clips or tiny bulldog clips distort the pieces much less...
An add-a-quarter ruler (either a skinny strip or one with a lip underneath) is very handy
Fine needles for your sewing machine, and don't forget to shorten your stitch! If you have an electronic machine it may well re-set to a default stitch when you turn it off...
Tools for Holding Things Down, and Together...
Oh, you really do need good pins! Modern pins are disappointing, if cheap, and have got somewhat pricy, if good. Buy good ones. Japanese, probably...
A nice pincushion is useful, or a tin with a secure lid, if you travel them about. I'm not a fan of pins with lumpy heads, the flat ones with flowers are lovely, and real, ordinary, plain steel ones are great when there's an iron in the room.
Binder clips (see above) are good for all sorts of little jobs - holding groups of blocks together, making sure the rows and columns are numbered (and, you can write on a flat-head pin with permanent pen) and keeping little groups of EPP papers in order.
If you plan to cut big pieces of fabric much, pattern weights are useful, and you can make your own bean-bag style (I use old Singer wheels, but that's just me)
And, for basting your layers, you really can't beat safety pins. See note above about cheap and good, and buy the bent ones. I use a teaspoon to help close the safety pins, this saves a lot of wear on my thumbs, so keep one in the safety-pin box. And, put them away open when you have removed them from the quilt. Please don't do what one student did to me, and return 300 borrowed pins carefully made into a chain!
Tools for Workspaces
You really do need a workspace. Constantly putting stuff away so people can eat is wearisome, and in any case your dining table probably isn't the best height to work on.
If you are the least bit serious as a sewist, try to make a space where you can leave your work out, then you will be more inclined to sew when you just have a few minutes, and will get much more done.
If you can, try to find a table big enough to support a quilt while you are quilting - if the table is a bit small, shove it firmly against a wall on the left and at the back so the work doesn't "drag".
If you need a bit more support, an ironing board set at the right height can be stuffed under your elbow and provides a very useful extra lift one one side
Ideally, you need a table with a cut-out for your machine, so that it sits level and you won't have to work nearly so hard
A really good comfortable chair of the right height is crucial. Back support, adjustable, nice cushions...
Storage - Transparent boxes are invaluable, as are sticky labels. Baskets are pretty. Cardboard boxes are cheap, but do label them well.
If all else fails, grip-seal bags can hold cut-out projects safely. Store your fabrics according to a system (we like to box ours by colour, you may want to put one collection together or store "by project")
Power and light are utterly crucial, and please, always, unplug everything when you leave it. Modern machines do not "run on" but the puppy may chew the wires and the cat sit on your pedal...
A little bit of a design wall is lovely, if you can't do anything permanent, pinning blocks to the curtains works well...
And Other Oddments...
In no particular order, I regard these things as ever-so-useful (not all items shown here...)
Stilletto or pokey-pokey. For poking things, holding stuff near the needle, picking out fluff
Large and small screwdrivers
Tweezers with fine points, see above, plus holding teeny curved seams
Lots and lots and lots of bobbins. You can't have too many!
Manual for your machine. Read it, please
Cleaning brushes and oil (when was the last time you oiled your machine?)
A jam-jar for discarded blades and needles
Decently stable coffee-mug
A calculator
The Internet. Full of stuff
Camera, so you can try layouts and ideas and compare later
Good quality chocolate
Companionable friends who understand, to bounce ideas off...
A really good vacuum cleaner
A bin
Scrap basket(s)
You will doubtless have your own list of essentials, and maybe things I have never seen, but do beware of "one-use" gadgets which will clutter your drawers and eat up fabric money
Happy Sewing!
4, The Raveningham Centre, Beccles Road, Raveningham, Norfolk, NR14 6NU. United Kingdom