The quilting world is full of tools
to help you sew easier, faster, and more accurately,
but which ones are the best to use?
Today I'm inviting you into my sewing room
to show you the tools that I've not only tried and tested,
but more importantly,
why they make my top 10 favourite tool list.
And best of all, some of them are free.
So stick with me and I'll show you how to do it.
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Hi, I'm Karen Brown of "Just Get It Done Quilts."
I give you tips, tricks, and strategies
to help you make the quilt that you want to make.
And if you like what you see,
please hit that subscribe button.
This video is about my favourite tools.
I'm not talking about your sewing machine,
or your cutting board and tools, or your iron,
because I have covered them in other videos.
I am talking about the accessory tools
that you accumulate over time
that make a real difference in your sewing,
so it's either easier, faster, or more accurate.
To help keep your space organised,
you should only have close at hand
those tools that you use either daily or weekly.
And I talked about this in my
"Organise Your Space" video, part three.
And these 10 tools have passed the test
and are worthy of zone one and two.
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The key to piecing is an accurate quarter inch seam,
and it took me years of experimenting with specialised feet,
marking tape, and plastic ledges
to find out that the best solution for me
was making a ledge out of masking tape.
I make a practise piece,
and then I adjust the ledge as necessary.
But I also use it for so much more.
I add ledges to my rulers so I cut more accurately,
like HSTs and flying geese,
and I add it to my cutting board
so that I can align my fabric.
I also use it to baste my quilts on the wall,
label my batting, pick up threads, and so much more.
So I always keep several rolls in several different sizes
beside my sewing table,
as well as its cousin, washi tape.
Several years ago,
after making a video about batting scraps,
I was stuck with all this fluff on my mat,
and I went on a mission to find a better way
to clean it all up.
I experimented with a lot of different products
until I found this miracle piece of foam
that I upcycled from an electronics purchase.
Here it is in black, here it is in white.
And without a lot of effort,
it traps threads and fibres on my cutting mat.
So anytime that I'm cutting blocks or trimming up,
I keep it on my board and clean as I go.
I've had this piece of foam for about two years now,
so it lasts for a while.
Recently, I also found that it's amazing
at removing threads from a ripped seam
without a lot of effort as well.
So keep an eye out for this foam.
It has layers of large, firm air pockets
that are hard to compress and spring back when you do.
And when it's not on my cutting board,
I keep it on the right side of my sewing machine.
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When I first started sewing,
I thought all stitch rippers were the same.
Then I found a really sharp one.
This Clover brand has been my favourite ever since.
I have tested other brands and some custom ones,
but I really like the way this fits in my hand.
It's light with a grippy spot on the handle.
I point the red dot below the seam
and the pointy side is in the seam allowance,
and it just slides through like butter.
Though I've purchased another for my travel bag
and one for my studio,
this one is the original one that I purchased back in 2017.
I've heard people say
that you need to buy a new one every year,
but I find this one is still quite sharp.
And if I need it, it is right here beside me on the right.
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Yes, this is a wallpaper seam roller.
I took a class with Violet Craft,
and she said that she had to talk the manufacturer
into selling it to her
because he couldn't see quilters using it.
It has been on my top tool list from the day I purchased it.
This is what I use to press my seams open
when I don't have an iron
or I want to save myself a trip to the ironing board.
It is also super useful for paper piecing
with all that rolling and folding of paper and fabric.
But I also use it when I'm working with anything tacky,
like a glue or other adhesive.
And occasionally I do actually use it for wallpaper seams.
And this tool goes in the top left side drawer,
and goes to every retreat with me.
I should buy a second one for my travel kit.
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Now you might be thinking that this high header
is just a mini charm square folded in four, and it is.
But it's a simple solution to a common problem.
I use it any time I have eight or more layers
going through my machine.
As I approach the bump, I lift my foot,
slide it underneath,
then my presser foot is at the right level
for all the layers,
and my stitches and seams are straight.
Without the high header,
my foot would just ram into my fabric,
my stitches would shorten and skew
until there was enough pressure to get over the hump.
Occasionally I have even folded it into eight
when the situation has been thicker.
Not bad for a little square of fabric.
And I keep it tacked to my pincushion
on the right side of my sewing machine,
because it has a tendency to go wandering
when I'm not looking.
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This is not on the list for the reason you think it is.
The product says stiletto, but for that purpose
there are a number of products that will work just as well.
I used a cuticle stick for years.
I still use these tweezers a lot,
and you can even use the tip of a stitch ripper.
But this weird plastic hook is on my list
because I have found nothing better
to remove paper piecing than this.
I found out about it accidentally
when my friend Laura, of Commonwealth Quilts,
brought it with her when she came to my studio
to make her Deco Hills quilt.
And as we were removing the papers,
I went, "What is this amazing tool you have?"
Honestly, I have removed a lot of papers in my time,
and this is by far the best tool.
Because it's plastic, it breaks through the paper,
but not through the fabric.
And this silicone tip here
helps pull out those small stubborn pieces.
And I keep it in my pencil cup to the right of my machine.
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If you've seen my video on sewing small,
then you've seen this pencil before.
It is such a great marking tool, as it has three leads.
And as I'm working, I can choose the one
that shows best on the fabric.
Sometimes on projects, I'm using all three,
and since one of them is graphite,
it can also be used as a pencil
if I have to jot down a quick note.
If you are marking sew lines, cutting lines, or midpoints,
You know they say to bury your threads as you go.
And though I wasn't very good at doing it
when I started quilting,
I am very diligent about doing it now,
and keeping a self threading needle nearby
makes the job so much faster and easier.
What is a self threading needle?
It has this double eye with a slot at the top
so that you can just slip in your thread.
So when you can just grab it quickly with your right hand,
your thread can be buried in seconds.
I also use it occasionally
for a seam that I didn't realise was open
or tucking in a seam when there's too much bulk.
Again, easy access
makes it easy to take care of the problem.
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Having a grippy glove on your hand can help you so much
in managing the weight of your project,
easing the need for you to use your fingers
or your shoulders.
You can use the official quilting gloves
or you can use a pair like these,
which are from my original
"Sewing Hacks From the Dollar Store" video.
So beyond the obvious use that you use them for quilting,
they are also great for any time you're handling bulk.
So I always have one on my left hand
when I am binding a quilt.
I also use it on my left hand
when I'm assembling the quilt top,
and feeding through those long strips of fabric.
I even use them when I'm doing finicky sewing,
like applique, to give me some extra control.
And I keep them in my left hand drawers, third from the top.
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This is such a great tool, and it's also free.
And I showed you how to make it in my video,
"10 Sewing Hacks With Templates,"
and I showed you how to use it in my video,
"Binding The Basics."
By popular demand,
I now have a free download with the dimensions
on my website.
To make crisp corners on your binding,
you need to manage both the top and bottom layers of fabric,
and this tool helps you do that,
both on the inner and outer folds.
It also gives you an edge
to mark your sew line on your binding strips,
and accurately measure your strips at the end
for a perfect join.
I also use it when I'm paper piecing
to help fold the papers on the line.
Now I know that I've mentioned a lot of videos here,
and I'll leave a link to them in the notes
if you want to know more.
Some of these items are free,
some of them are available online,
and some of them are only available through quilt stores.
I'll leave the information below where I can.
If you want to know more about binding,
not only about how to make the perfect corner,
but how to make them scrappy, narrow, or wide,
or just use your sewing machine,
I'll leave a link to that series right here.
And if you've missed my "Sewing Hack" series,
I'll leave a link to that playlist too.
Take care, and I'll see you next time.