Originally posted July 14, 2021
When I started quilting so many years ago, there weren’t as many fancy tools to use as there are now. And I will admit, I wanted to try each and every new thing as soon as it came out. I have gone through a lot of things over the years and have found that I always come back to the basics.
If I were starting over tomorrow, I would still buy the following items as I use them all the time.
1. A good sewing machine. This should go without saying, but you should have a sewing machine that is reliable and makes sewing the things you want to sew easy. The first sewing machine I bought for myself was a little Brother machine. It didn’t need much space because at the time I lived in an apartment and had no space to spare! It was reliable, but not big at all and there were not a lot of options. I think I used it for about 10-12 years. About 5-6 years ago, I bought a Singer. It was a little bit larger, and I was able to quilt on it… but it still didn’t have the space I wanted for quilting larger quilts myself. At the beginning of this year, I was able to splurge a bit on myself and I got a Janome. I love this machine more than anything, but the other’s served me well when I had them. I know that not everyone can afford to go all out on their machine, but my suggestion here would be to get the best machine that you can afford. As long as it is reliable and has a good straight stitch, you will have a good foundation to get started.
2. A rotary cutter, cutting mat, and a couple good rulers. I know this is 3 things, but the kind of all go together. Most patterns can be cut using a rotary cutter and cutting this way will save you so much time. The mat here is from Havel’s Sewing and I love it because it is pink! It is also really thick compared to some others so it is less likely to warp. Any good self healing mat will work though. Try to stay away from the one’s that aren’t self healing as the little cuts soon become grooves and make accurate cutting difficult. I have several rotary cutters, but the one I always come back to is this Olfa Splash. The open/close function is easy to use with just one hand and I just like the way it feels when using it. My second favorite one is also from Havel’s and it opens/closes with the pressure you use to cut, which is very convenient, but doesn’t play well with my Stripology ruler. And as far as rulers go, there are so many to choose from! If I could only have 2, I would get this 6 1/2 inch square and the 8 1/2 x 24 inch ruler. Outside of those, there are so many that you can choose from, it would be best to get the ones that match your quilting style. I probably have 20 rulers, but some are so specific in use that they don’t get used a lot.
3. Snips, Shears, and a seam ripper. Snips for thread. Shears for fabric. Seam ripper… well, we all know what they are for and nobody wants to talk about it! Mistakes will happen and it is a lot easier to take seams out with a seam ripper than anything else.
4. A good iron, ironing board and starch. I currently have a Shark iron, because my last iron died. It works well, but I think I’ll get a Chi next time… I have heard a lot of quilters recommend that one and it is a little bit more powerful. I have an ironing board for big stuff, but at this point I do most of my pressing on a wool mat. I jumped on that bandwagon last year during lockdown and now I just wonder what took me so long! It helps getting those seams super flat. As for starch, it just helps give everything a little bit of stiffness which makes it easier to keep things from shifting about. I have used Best Press and Flatter, and though I like Flatter better, Best Press is a bit more economical.
5. Pins or clips. I don’t usually use these anymore, and I was never great at using them consistently, but there will be times where they are necessary so it is good to have them on hand.
Now for my personal little splurges. These are a few items that just make quilting a little easier.
A seam roller. The one here from Violet Craft. It presses seams right at the machine and saves me so many trips to the iron. I always have it nearby when piecing as it is a personal favorite.
A Hera Marker. This little item “marks” lines or whatever you need to mark on your quilt by leaving a crease where you mark. And since it is a crease, you never have to worry that it won’t wash out later.
Machine quilting gloves. This is another item that I did without for many years and then when I bought some, I wondered how I ever quilted without them! They make it so much easier to get a quilt top moving through your machine when quilting and binding.
So, these are just a few of my favorites. Do you have any necessities or favorites that I have missed here?