There’s so many things in our quilting tool kit that are far from essential, but make our quilting experience a little bit easier and more fun. We shared some of our favorites in Part 1, but we have so many, we just had to add a few more to the list! Here are some gadgets that are ‘nice to have’ and would make a great gift for a quilting-loving friend too.
1) Binding Baby
This super cute doll, known as a ‘binding baby’ is a great way to wrap your binding around, without it getting twisted, in readiness for stitching to your quilt. Apart from being useful, she’s adorable and looks super cute in your sewing space!
2) 28mm Rotary Cutter
The 45mm rotary cutter is the standard size rotary cutter that all us quilters tend to use, but the 28mm rotary cutter is an excellent option to have next to your cutting mat. Being smaller, it means that you can cut small pieces with more precision and accuracy. It gives you more control, which also means that it’s safer too. You may end up finding that this size becomes your ‘go-to’ rotary cutter to use, as it’s also great for trimming units and blocks.
3) Spray Baste
Opinion is divided on spray baste, but it can’t be denied that using spray baste significantly speeds up the process of basting. Not only that, it also means that when it comes to quilting, you don’t have to spend time removing basting pins from the quilt before you get to the machine needle. Just bear in mind that you should only spray in a well-ventilated room, and press on the front and back once you’ve adhered the fabric to help activate the glue.
4) Acrylic Templates
Acrylic rulers are a staple in every quilter’s repertoire, as we love their accuracy and ease-of-use with a rotary cutter. Acrylic templates are also a great idea, and these Sew Easy templates come in a range of sizes on a keychain, so you can find the perfect-sized shape for your project. They come in all different shapes too, from circles, diamonds, hexagons and more.
5) Thread Cutter
This cute little gadget is perfect for trimming off all those lose threads. Or when you’ve chain pieced a string of squares, you can simply cut the threads with the thread cutter easily and quickly. Turn the dial to turn the blade once it’s started to dull. It’s pretty as well as practical, and would make a lovely gift. We love that pretty shade of pink!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of quilting gadgets. As the saying goes, quilting and collecting fabric and notions are two separate hobbies!
Need help tracking all your quilt gadgets? Our Quilter’s Planner Design Book has a quilting tools inventory!
The beautiful fabric collection shown in the photos is called Tiny and Wild by Sue Gibbins for Cloud9 Fabrics.
