Wednesday 4 March 2009

Tools of the trade and Sinclair's sabotage

I've been asked a few questions over the last few weeks and here are a few of my essentials.
Neutrogenia anti ageing hand cream. Their normal one is good but this one is a little less thick. This gives me a nice grip on the fabric.

Friskars scissor sharpener. This one sharpens all but the smallest scissors really well, so much so I don't have to worry about using my best scissors to cut paper.

The red ergonomic rotary cutter (Martelli?). Fantastic much much easier on my poor hands, the next best one is this Olfa one.

On this quilt I'm using Masterpiece thread. Not good if you quilt with wide open spaces but lovely for any machine quilting ½" or less apart.

This Clover unpicker is worth the extra price. The end is fine, it's nice to hold and it makes life easier for that dreaded task.

A pair of curved tipped small scissors is for clipping threads exactly on the fabric without risking cutting the top. I've used them on this quilt as it stands no chance of winning a machine quilting award. I've just used tiny stitches to end off rather than burying the threads.

Machine needles by the hundred. I change mine often.

And the pen I use for drawing on the fabric. It's a Berol Handwriting roller ball, Find out what you can use in your country here
It doesn't rinse out but it does wash out in the machine.



And my cat. This is how I found him this morning, he knows a good thing. He was on it yesterday morning when I woke up as well. I had to vacuum the quilt heavily to remove all the hairs and dust and then again this morning.
I do love him, I really do but sometimes he tries my patience.......
Just a little.....

3 comments:

  1. I have a friend whose cat likes red with white dotted fabric. she can turn the quillt over and the cat ignores it but when that side is up the cat lays on it. Maybe it's the dots....but probably just because it is soft.

    I have the same seam ripper and curved scissors. I see you like fine needles sz. 70 like I do. I've never tried the ergonomic rotary cutter. Maybe I will at the next quilt show. I have the Olfa you showed.

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  2. good advise on the tools.

    As for the cat..... I have two that claim any quilt in the house...they think they're all made just for them...lol, so I'm always vacuuming fur bits off quilts; and floors, and furniture, and clothes,etc,etc,etc.

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  3. OK, so what do you want from the states that I can send you in trade for a box of berol pens? They seem to be a UK thing.

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