I have seen several people use Foam Core Board to make their own quilting rulers, so I decided to give it a try.

I grabbed a “Dollar Tree” sheet of Foam core….(it wasn’t an expensive, top-of-the-line board)….. and cut a gentle curve….

As I started sewing, I was amazed at how well it worked!

I did have a few places where the tension was an issue, but I think those problems were more related to the fabric I was working on, rather than the “ruler”.

This tool has limited uses because you can’t see through it to line up the next stitching line, and unless you spend a lot of time planning it, it will never be perfectly symmetrical like a commercial one.

However, I did have fun playing with it to make this flower…..

Using the ruler made it easy to quilt the petals. I first stitched out from the center….

….moved the ruler over slightly and stitched back to the center…..

The result was thin petals with the same basic shape…

It was fun to try this “tool” and I am happy to have it in my Quilter’s Toolbox if I ever need it!!

When I am doing lots of string piecing, I have struggled to clip all the pieces apart. For many years, I used the “Sunflower Quilts” thread cutter….

And, while I liked it, I found that the blade eventually dulled, and I ended up breaking the thread rather than cutting it.

I even bought some tools to try to sharpen the blade, but it didn’t work.

Last August, our guild had a wonderful night where we shared our favorite tools, and the “Blade Saver” was presented.

It came in this small box….

…and contained all of these parts….

The thing that I truly like about this tool is that it uses OLD Rotary Blades, and I have a whole container of them!!

It was so easy to put it all together

….and it works like a dream…..

AND…..if one area gets dull, I can simply move the cutter to a different area or put in a new blade!!

I have definitely found a FAVORITE TOOL!!

Do you have a favorite tool…..PLEASE tell me about it!!

A few weeks ago, I talked about using a photo to help with fabric selections for a mystery quilt.

Today, let’s talk about another way that a photo can help you with fabric selection.

Sometimes, I put together a series of fabrics, and then I start second-guessing myself.

• Do these colors REALLY go together?
• Is there too much of one color?
• Would it be better with more (or fewer) fabrics?

When decisions start to feel uncertain, I take a photo.

Seeing fabrics on a screen immediately clarifies value and contrast in a way the cutting table sometimes doesn’t. What feels confusing in person often becomes evident in a photo.

It has been vital for me to learn that I don’t need perfect fabrics — I need a light, medium, and dark working together so the design can reveal itself.

Sometimes I’ll take the photo in black and white. Stripping away color makes it easier to see value, which is often the key to a successful quilt.

In this case, the finished quilt was this…..

So, next time you are in doubt about your fabric choices….

TAKE A PHOTO!!

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