These are a few of my favorite things…

We all know the holiday song “My Favorite Things”, and today’s writing is all about my favorite tools in my studios. I am going to focus on the small tools or notions that stay close by my desk that I just can’t do without. These are the ones that get stuffed into my bag to head to classes. These are a few of my favorite quilting things…

1. Tula Pink Hardware

I absolutely love all my Tula Pink Hardware. They are gorgeous, functional, and are super sharp. The rotary cutter quickly became my favorite rotary cutter ever. It is very comfortable to hold, great weight, and very easy to manage. All the scissors are spot on with sharpness, fine-tipped, and cut perfectly every time. The smaller set on the left side is a must have with the serrated blades. Ahh, I can’t go on enough about how much I absolutely love my Tula Pink Hardware. The case at the top is not by Tula Pink, it’s actually a glitter encrusted makeup brush case that came otu during the 2018 holiday season by It! Cosmetics, but it holds my tools beautifully inside and matches the iridescent beauty of the hardware collection. Tula Pink Hardware can be purchased at your favorite quilt stores.

2. Custom-made wood and resin pin cushion container, seam ripper and stiletto tools by Dustin Buzbee Designs

Dustin Buzbee Designs does a beautiful job making custom sewing tools (and many other items) to your specifications. For my set I chose a light burl wood with a turquoise resin to compliment my sewing room. For the tool, one end pulls out and is a seam ripper, the other provides a stiletto for moving those small pieces along. The pin cushion top comes off the base to a small storage bowl area for those notions such as thimbles and needles. It is just a beautiful piece that I get to admire every time I am at my sewing desk . Dustin Buzbee Designs can be found on Facebook and will work with you to find just the right materials to make your custom piece perfect for you!

3. Quilting Rulers

This photo obviously doesn’t show how many sets of quilting rulers I have. I have only been involved with ruler work since this past spring, but I am so hooked. I love being able to use these templates in order to finish my work, whether it’s on the longarm or one of my domestic machines. There are many brands out there, but my preference is with the Westalee by Sew Steady templates. The collection to chose from is huge! It can take a little practice to get the technique down, but once you do, it is so much fun to watch your quilts come to the finishing stages with such beautiful designs on them! Also in the photo is the Free Motion Glider by Sew Steady…this is an absolute must to achieve your best in ruler work and free motion quilting! You can find these templates at all of your favorite quilting stores, and online at http://www.sewsteady.com. Be sure to purchase in the correct thickness that fit your machine.

4. Swan Amity Studio Gloves

I didn’t even know these gloves existed until I was at International Quilt Market in Houston. The company was gracious enough to send a pair home with me to try out, and I have been hooked ever since! The fabric of the gloves have a nice stretch to it to find your own comfortable size (there are multiple sizes available). Your thumb and first 2 fingers are covered, the ring and pinkie fingers exposed, padding on the bottoms, and an adjustable velcro around the wrist. The finger tips are also responsive with our machine and phone touch screens. These gloves are so comfortable to wear, help to keep your hands flattened during free motion, and are an absolute favorite of mine for free motion quilting. I actually need to order another set or two to keep at additional stations so I’m not always moving them from one area to another. These are a definite must-have! They can be purchased online at http://www.swanamity.com

5. Cutting Rulers

I cannot go on enough about the need to not only have a quality cutting ruler, but I also highly recommend to stay within the same brand of rulers. I personally am a huge fan of Omnigrid and Omnigrip rulers. This is the collection I keep here in “The Janome Room”. I have many more located in my full studio. I have found these rulers to always be consistent, they hold up greatly (don’t ask how many I have dropped them!). I also love the bright color on the Omnigrips. For someone who has to wear contacts or quite the thick glasses, being able to see the lines easily is a must have for me! They can be purchased at your favorite quilting stores in many, many sizes!

So there are my top 5 tools/notions. I would love to hear and see what your favorites are. If you have any questions on these tools, please feel free to ask me or look for them at your favorite local quilt store.