I know the Christmas Holidays are past, but I'm still in the "Favorite Things" mode, so I thought I'd share some of my very favorite products and why I love them! I've used all of these things in my video tutorials, and (heads up!) next week I will be releasing a new video that will splash a few more nifty notions your way! By the way, I've linked each product description below to my shopping page where you can read more information about each one.
First up...Clover's Straight Awl. An awl is typically used for piercing holes in things like leather, paper, etc., but I use it at the sewing machine to help keep my fabric edges held together and to guide the fabric under the presser foot. The point is so sharp that it acts as well as a pin to hold things together. I keep it in my hand most of the time when I'm stitching!
2. Olfa's 28mm rotary cutter. This is the one to go to for precise trimming and cutting. Great for paper piecing or trimming quilt block units to size.
3. The Frixion's Iron-off Marker! I use this pen for all sewing applications from garments to quilts to accessories (bags, etc.) I even use it at the long arm quilting machine and keep my iron handy to remove the lines after I have quilted them!
4. Fons and Porter's Glue Stick. Keep your fabric where you want it until you stitch it in place. Enough said.
5. Applique´ Scissors by Havels help so much when I'm trimming the fabric away from applique´ pieces, or any time I need to trim layers.
6. One of my oldest and most useful notions in my sewing room is the Dritz Ezy Hem. See how I use it in the Sentimentalities video! (Posting first week of January.)
7. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love Monopoly thread! This versatile product shows up (well, not really, because it's invisible!) in so many of my quilting projects! I use it for applique´ and quilting. Because it becomes the color of the fabric it's stitched on, it lets your fabric be the star of the show! (Added advantage: mistakes don't show!) My machines love it so much, not like the old nylon threads we used to use.
8. The Point 2 Point turner by Clover is relatively new to the sewing scene, but it's a new love! Touted as the Swiss Army Knife of point turners, I still haven't discovered its many uses!
9. A wonderful addition to my ruler stash, the 9º Wedge Ruler by Marilyn Doheny has so many uses! I have made several quilts with this ruler and, again, I'll show you how easy it is to use in the upcoming Sentimentalities video!
10. Last, (for today) is the beautiful Hexagon Ruler from Marti Michell. Marti is a master of rulers, and this one is no exception.
Thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you in the new year! I'll be posting a new video tutorial for you right after New Year's Day! Don't want to miss a thing?? Sign up for my RSS feeds (email updates) at right and receive notices of each post! If you like this post, please share!
Love,
Maxie
