Quilting Supplies
July 11, 2008 Quilting Material
As with any endeavor, crafts in particular, there will be many needed tools and supplies, without which the project cannot be completed. Quilting is just such a craft. For the advanced quilter, this is no big problem. Most of them have been collecting and adding their supplies for many years. The novice, however, will need to learn and understand exactly what is needed for project completion. Then to take the necessary steps to purchase all that is needed and keep them close at hand in an organized fashion. Or that newbie will learn the hard way that it’s no fun to be well into a project and have to stop to make a run to the store to purchase a needed supply item.
Quilting Supplies – The Foundation
When undertaking a quilting project, the quilting supplies and tools are the most important things you will need to create beautiful quilts. It has been said that, your work is only as good as the tools you work with. This saying is quite true when talking about quilting supplies. There are a number of different supplies that you will most certainly not want to be without. These include the rotary cutter, rotary mat and rulers, sewing machine, iron and ironing board, fabric and paper scissors, cotton thread and fabric, design wall, seam ripper, and pins and needles. Without any of these quilting supplies, you will be totally unable to complete your project.
Understanding the Uses
Now that you have gathered together all of your quilting supplies, you must understand what each one does. We will begin with the rotary cutter. The rotary cutter will be your most important tool of all your quilting supplies. Using this tool will help you learn how to get your quilting blocks cut quickly. The rotary mat and rulers are equally important because they help the rotary cutter. The mat prevents your cutting into another surface and of course the rulers allow you to get your pieces cut straight and uniform. If you are not stitching the pieces by hand, then a sewing machine will be the fastest way to fit them together. This will be used for straight stitches that allow for a ¼” seam. Once you have stitched the pieces together, next you will want to iron them. This is where the ironing board and iron fit into your list of quilting supplies.
The last quilting supplies listed are also important. The fabric scissors and the paper scissors will not be used as much. It’s a good idea to color code each one so you can tell which is which. Cotton thread in shades of gray will be all that you will need to begin sewing. These shades of gray will match nearly any fabric. High quality cotton fabrics are definitely a necessary quilting supply. Cotton is the best fabric for the beginning quilter to start out with. It is easy to work with and durable. The patterns are also beautiful and varied. A design wall will be a great place to hold your pieces. Once you have sewn them together, you can pin them on a corkboard and this will keep them wrinkle free. Seam rippers are not very necessary as quilting supplies; however it may be needed every once in awhile for pulling out messed up stitches. Finally the pins and needles will hold everything together while you are sewing it all together.
Organization
When you are thinking about quilting supplies, it will be essential to have all of the ones listed above on hand. As you can easily see, you will, at some time or other need any one of them. It would be such a waste of time to be in the middle of your project and then have to stop and made a dash for the craft store for missing quilting supplies. Make sure you are organized before beginning your project and keep all your quilting supplies nearby.