Category: Product Review

Update on Sunflower cutter

Last week I did a review of this thread cutter from sunflower-quilts.com……

Several people mentioned that it wasn’t sharp enough and that they were disappointed with it.

My original thought for today was that I would try to sharpen it with a bead reamer.

BUT….as I looked at the design of the tool, I realized what the problem was!!

If you look at the blade really closely, you see that it slants from one side to the other…..

IF you hold the pieces so that the thread falls on the lower side of the slant, there is not much cutting surface that will ever touch the threads…..

This positioning would make you feel that it was dull.

However, if you place the tool so that your threads are starting at the upper side of the blade and sliding all the way down it, there is PLENTY of cutting surface……..

….and the threads cut like butter!!

I did several tests on this and it made SO MUCH DIFFERENCE!!!!

If you have had trouble with it before, I HIGHLY urge you to try again but, this time, be cognizant of where the thread is traveling inside the cutter.

HAPPY CHAIN PIECING!!!

Thread cutter review

It has been a while since I reviewed a product and, since I found myself using this one so much, I decided that we needed to take a look at it.

It is the Thread Cutter from Sunflower-quilts.com ….

….and it made my recent piecing adventure much faster and easier!!

Here is a video demonstrating this fun tool……

If you do a lot of chain-piecing, this might be JUST the tool that you need!!!

UPDATE…..

After this was posted, several people mentioned that the tool was dull and that they were disappointed in it. Check out this post to learn more about how to best take advantage of the cutting surface!!

Swivel Mat Review

I have been looking for a good swivel cutting mat and enjoyed meeting the owners of “Cutterpillar” at their booth at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. They spent a lot of time showing me their newest creation and I ended up purchasing one….actually, the LAST one in their stall!!!

I got it home, started using it, and absolutely LOVE it.

Please check out this review…..

It has transformed making 1/2-square and 1/4-square triangles!!!

Cutterpillar makes other products for crafters, including light boards, trimmers, and lots more. Be sure to check them out!!!

Why is this happening…..

As I was happily sewing along on my brown stripe quilt, I started noticing that some of the stitching tension wasn’t great……

I worked thru the list of all of the usual suspects….

  • re-threaded the top
  • re-threaded the bobbin
  • adjusted the tension dial
  • cleaned out the bobbin area
  • put a few extra drops of oil in the proper areas

But it did not improve!!

I finally decided that it had to be the needle. For the last two years I have been using Superior brand Titanium coated needles…..

Because of their durability, I do not change the needle nearly as often as I used to. Here is what Superior has to say about them……

“With Superior’s Titanium-coated needles, you will hear a different sound when sewing (a soft, constant thud, thud, thud) when the needle is getting dull. This is because the thin layer of titanium-nitride coating is wearing off. Every time the needle penetrates fabric, there is a microscopic amount of wear on a needle, no matter what it is coated with (nickel, chrome, or titanium).

There are many other cues of a dulling or dull needle that are more recognizable, such as skipped stitches, the top thread shredding, and/or puckering while stitching. If your thread starts to behave strangely and you are experiencing these types of problems whereas you weren’t before, chances are that your needle should be replaced.

So, I replaced the needle and….magically…..the tension issues went away!!!

AH…..much better…..

Now…back to sewing!!!