Over the last couple years of quilting, I’ve learned that there are a few things that help make the process go smoother.
First up, clover wonder clips. These really make a difference for me in binding! My favorite part of a quilt is the binding, and so why not make it as enjoyable as possible? It’s nice to not have to adjust your binding every few stitches. Love these.
While I’m on binding, I’ll discuss my next two loves. Straw needles. What the heck are straw needles? They are also called milliners needles and they are described as needles that “have a narrow shank that glides easily through several layers of fabric. Since the eye of the needle is punched within the existing shank, it does not hesitate at the eye when pulled through fabric.” They are flexible, so it takes a minute to get used to these when binding, but man do I like them.
I use this thread for binding because it glides so beautifully through my quilts. It’s thicker so I only use one strand. But it’s nice. Doesn’t break easily and doesn’t knot as easily. Use this if you like 100% cotton for binding.
Where would our poor fingers be without a great thimble? Not quilting, I can tell you that much! I like this one, a lot. I’ve not tried a leather kind but this one works just great. I love how it fits my finger and won’t fall off. It also grips the needle if it’s having a hard time getting through the fabric, so I can easily pull the needle through with this thimble.
We’re working backwards here ;). I normally spray baste my quilts for machine quilting, but on my last quilt that I hand quilted so much on, I didn’t want to risk getting a sticky needle which may make it harder to quilt, so used these curved safety pins.
For the lines on quilting, I use two different methods, depending on where I am. If I’m on a flat surface, the clover hera marker is awesome! The lines stay on perfectly long enough to get my quilting finished on that section, and no risks of staining your fabric! If I’m somewhere quilting without a flat surface, good ol’ masking tape comes to the rescue.
For the hand quilting, I have had no problems with regular embroidery needles. I like this pack because you can get a feel for what you prefer. You may want to get a needle threader, depending on how thick your thread is. I felt I needed one as it took some time to thread the thick thread I was using.
Speaking of thread, this DMC thread (in size 8) is the best stuff with so many wonderful colors! You can find it on Amazon HERE. I have found some colors on ebay as well which ended up being a better deal at the time. I’m totally going to buy one of these packs next time I need thread. Doesn’t look like DMC thread, but the reviews are great so I’d totally try it!
A pretty, small pair of sharp scissors is something I always keep handing while hand quilting. THIS pair is beautiful.
Starch. Always a good idea when quilting. It keeps things (especially those cut on the bias) from stretching too much. THIS starch has been great. The only thing I don’t like about that starch is that sometimes part of the top of the can can rust, which means when you spray you have to be careful not to get the rust and iron it onto your fabric.
I will add to this list if I think of more! Happy quilting!
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Tina Wagner
You’re so good at designs, makes me jealous! Love your tutorials. Can you make Embroidery Machines tutorials??
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A chaque nouvel article, toujours autant de choses intéressantes à découvrir et normalement à mettre en pratique.