Quilting Tools and a Tip!

Have car and sewing machine, will quilt anywhere! I quilt weekly on Thursday nights and monthly on Sundays, so I keep my car packed with my quilting stuff, so I am always at the ready. My travel machine is a Janome Gem Platinum. It is lightweight and works like a champ. I have a duplicate set of my most used quilting tools (rotary cutter, scissors, marking pens, needles, thread, etc.) that is kept in my traveling tool bag, which lives in my car. I even keep a specific quilt project in the car along with a back-up in case I get bored. Right now my "car project" is my Bargello Scrap Wave. You can see my first complete panel here.

In addition to the "normal stuff," here are some non traditional items that I use frequently in my quilting endeavors. First, I keep all my quilting supplies in a laundry basket in my trunk. The laundry basket keeps everything together and it has handles so it is easy to transport.

Got power? Here is one of my favorite things, my electrical cord reel. I love this baby. The cord retracts and it's got six plugs. What more could a girl ask for?

Lose something? I also love my plastic box with dividers. This one came from the Container Store. I keep it with my sewing machine. It holds all of the machine accessories and tools so I always know where they are. Note that I've used an address label to mark it.

Does your back hurt? Bed risers will make your table the perfect height for cutting or layering.

Some other favorite non traditional quilting tools include:

• Post it notes (use for marking rows or remembering your place in a pattern)
• clear plastic tape (somehow I use this constantly)
• a calculator (because I can't do math)
• blue painters tape (use for layering a quilt or marking for straight line quilting)
• giant binder clips or clamps (use for layering a quilt)
• a pencil sharpener
• address labels (use for entering raffle quilt drawings or adding your name to a quilt shop mailing list as well as labeling everything you own)
• label maker (when address labels just don't cut it, I make name labels for all of my rulers, plus I use this to label the contents of my quilt project boxes)
• a cushion (because I'm usually too short for the table)

Here is a tip to keep you safe from harm. When you replace your rotary cutter blade, store it in the plastic case that the new one came in. Write "old blades" on it, so you don't use them the next time that you need one. I can fit several old blades in the package before it is full. You should never just throw your rotary blades in the trash, they are very sharp! I will tape the case shut before I throw it out.

I also used a Sharpie marker to write the date that I changed the blade, right on the blade. I do this on my refrigerator filter too. It's a great reminder!

I'm working on a couple of projects that I can't show you right now, so I hope that you enjoyed my quilting tool recommendations. Let me know what some of your favorite tools are.

Linking up on Friday to Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Richard and Tanya Quilts, and Crazy Mom Quilts. Linking up on Sunday to Sew Darn Crafty. Thanks for visiting! A special welcome to my new followers!

Happy Friday!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy