Category: Product Review

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

Like many women/moms, I am in charge of Christmas presents….from the big ones under the tree to the little ones in our stockings.

So….I always buy a few things for myself in my stocking. Check out the video or keep reading for a few of my favorites…..

Here is my list…..

I keep a supply of Water Erasable Marking pens on hand and these are my favorites….

And yes, I buy 10 at a time. These are a great price and work super well!!

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I also keep a supply of Machingers Quilting gloves on hand….

These simple gloves make my FMQ so much easier…..

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If you don’t already have one I can’t tell you how much I love my “Bloc-Loc” ruler…..

It is a go-to tool anytime I am making 1/2-square triangles

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Each Christmas I treat myself to a new seam ripper. The Clover brand is my favorite….

I was amazed to realize how dull they become over time and a new one was life changing!!

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Finally, treat yourself to a new set of thread snips……

Buy them in a three pack and have one at each machine or ironing area!!

I have used more expensive brands, but I find these wonderfully sharp and useful!!

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So those are my five favorites. Order them quickly so they will be in YOUR stocking on Christmas morning!!

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Thank you…….

This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I may earn a small commission if you purchase thru the links provided here. It does NOT change the price that you pay for any items you buy.

No More Slipping Rulers

I HATE it when my rulers slip….whether I am using them to cut fabrics or to quilt tops!!

My GO-TO cutting ruler is the “Quilters’ Rule”

Each of those lines is actually a ridge on the back of the ruler. They help keep the ruler secure when I am cutting.

BUT, when I purchased my new Mariner’s Compass Ruler set (see this post for more about those)..

Fun New Tool

…..the rulers were both smooth on the back and, as I started cutting my challenge quilt, they were slipping all over the place.

Then I remembered that I had a roll of “InvisiGrip” from Omnigrid…..

It can be purchased HERE at Amazon.

It is super easy to use. The clear “Grip” portion is stuck to a backing paper making it easy to cut.

The first step was to place the ruler on top of the Invisigrip roll……

…..and cut it just a bit smaller than the ruler size……

I then peeled off one corner of the clear grip, sticking it to the corner of my ruler……

Once the side was in place, I peeled the rest of the paper off…..

….and smoothed it in place…..

Now, the ruler was not going ANYWHERE…..except where I put it!!!

The great thing about this product is that it does not permanently adhere to the ruler, so you can remove it anytime. It simply “clings” to the back of the ruler.

This simple product made SO much difference to my cutting, especially with the Mariner’s Compass rulers that required detailed and accurate cuts.

If you haven’t tried it before, be sure to add it to you Christmas List!!

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On Tuesdays, I provide a tip, technique, or product review. Please subscribe to the blog to ensure that you don’t miss ANY of them!!

This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I may earn a small commission if you purchase thru the links provided here. It does NOT change the price that you pay for any items you buy.

Fun New Tool

When I am at Houston, I am always looking for something new, and this year it was in the Robin Ruth Designs booth.

She has tools for strip piecing a Mariner’s Compass block….no paper-piecing required!!! And, THAT is a big deal for me!!

Linda and I were both impressed with the videos and other visuals that she had available to teach how to use the rulers.

I watched several of the videos and then bit the bullet and bought one…..

Yes, it looks a bit weird!!

She had a special going, so I purchased her angle ruler as well…..

Now……fast forward to a quiet day in my studio. It was time to give it a try!!

I picked four strips from my scrap bin

….and started following the detailed instructions!!

She even suggests things like how far to offset the strips so that you don’t waste fabric…..

The process is something like this…..

Sew two strips together and make a series of cuts…..

It took me a while to determine which lines and points to use, but once I did, it went together pretty easily.

After you get the new unit sewn together (the “pie” as she calls it), you sew the pies onto the next strip…..

….perform more cuts and sew onto the next strip…..

Are you getting the picture here?

Before long, I had a Mariner’s Compass block pieced…..

The design leaves a hole in the center that is covered with an appliqued circle….

For my sample practice, I chose to cut the design into a circle…..

….and inset it into a square…..

The entire process took about 2 hours, and that included a fair amount of time reading, and re-reading, and re-reading, and re-reading the instructions!!

I am excited about this ruler and have a project in mind.

STAY TUNED!!

If you are interested in piecing Mariner’s Compass blocks, I highly recommend any of Robin’s patterns. This is the one that I purchased…..

This pattern can be purchased on Amazon

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Subscribe to my mailing list and receive this free pattern for “Dancing Squares”…..

You can sign up HERE……

This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I may earn a small commission if you purchase thru the links provided here. It does NOT change the price that you pay for any items you buy.

Suggestions please!!

I leave for Houston tomorrow and will spend 3-1/2 days at the fantastic International Quilt Festival!!

I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing the wonderful quilts and catching up with quilters from all over the world.

I am also excited about doing some shopping and my list is growing, including thread, quilting rulers, Cherrywood Fabrics and a GOOD, cordless steam iron.

That is where I need your help.

I have a cordless steam iron that has served me for the last several years; however, it has some limitations…..

  • It takes a long time to warm up.
  • It doesn’t get very hot.
  • It doesn’t produce a lot of steam.

So….it is time to shop for a new one!!

There seem to be a number of choices from Panasonic…..

….and a couple of upright designs that I haven’t seen before…

I am hoping to view and try several different types in the vendor center, but was wondering…..

Do you have a favorite Cordless Steam Iron?

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….

Product Review – Easy Knit Tape

I was recently given a box of “Easy Knit Tape” from Pellon…..

While this tape has many uses in the sewing realm, I was interested in making “Franken-batting”!!

Since I was working on my small practice piece, I decided that it was time to give it a try!!

My first step was to straighten both pieces of batting…..

I pulled out a length of tape…..

The tape is a soft knit fabric with one fusible side.

It was easy to line up the batting and iron the tape in place…..

When I turned it over, things looked good…….

I don’t know if it was necessary, but I put a second piece on the other side….

It was perfectly secure and I didn’t notice any difference when I was quilting.

You can purchase it on Amazon HERE

So, I give this product a BIG THUMBS UP!!!

I will definitely use it again!!

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On Tuesdays, I provide a tip, technique, or product review. Please subscribe to the blog to ensure that you don’t miss ANY of them!!

This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I may earn a small commission if you purchase thru the links provided here. It does NOT change the price that you pay for any items you buy.