must have tools? Not to be missed books?? help me shop!

[wendy w.]

A clear sheet for doing applique you wonderweb the pieces cut them out and place the sheet on your pattern, you place your pieces on looking at the pattern underneath and iron them together. Then they lift off together and you place on your background fabric and ta dah perfect placement

[Margo C.]

The applique sheet is a teflon sheet that stuff (like fusible web adhesives) doesn't stick to.
You can do the same thing with parchment paper that is used for baking and found in the grocery store near waxed paper and aluminum foil.

[Pamela O.]

I have the Supreme Slider and the Machinger gloves and used them when I was more of a beginner than I am now. My hands get very warm with the gloves and I couldn't handle needles and snippers very well with them, so now I have two pieces of anti slip mat that I just move around when I move my hands. It is cheap and works for me much better. The Slider is not in use any more.
I guess that the anti slip mat is available in Brazil, but if you don't know what it is, I can post a photo later

I used the original slider until it slipped and I quilted in the quilt. Now I use it for my version of bobbin genies cut to size for my bobbin well. I use Alex's buddy Paula Reid's Batt Scooters instead of gloves-too cumbersome and hot. A hard pressing service is a must. I'm amazed at quilters that use a heavily padded pressing surface.
Bottom line is that you have to find what is comfortable for you. We all have our little idiosyncrisocies.
Good luck.

[Rita C.]

I use a silicone baking sheet instead - about 1/3 of the price from the supermarket.

[Rita C.]

One I just thought of and don't know if it has been mentioned is parchment paper (used for baking); keeps fusible off of your iron and pressing area. Oh, and instead of the quilting gloves for machine quilting, I use a very light-weight glove that has a rubber coating but breathes on the top and sides so your hands are not so warm. They cost less than $5.00.

[Renata L.]

One I just thought of and don't know if it has been mentioned is parchment paper (used for baking); keeps fusible off of your iron and pressing area.

Ritzy, I ALWAYS have parchment paper in the house for baking... are you saying you use it in lieu of a teflon sheet? Can you tell me exactly what you do with it? I just want to make sure I understand. Thanks! ops:

[Renata L.]

Well, I am kinda skimpy with it--so, if I am fusing a small piece and I want to put the fusible web on my fabric, I will fold the piece of parchment in half, lay the fabric with the right side down on top of the parchment, then lay the fusible on top of that. I would then fold the parchment over and press. The fusible will not stick to the parchment. You can see through the parchment and so if you have a pattern with several pieces that need to be fused together, you can lay the parchment on top of the pattern, lay the piece of fabric that has fusible on it on the parchment in place over the pattern, then start layering until the whole thing is together. Since the fusible doesn't stick to the parchment you can just lift the whole thing off and put it on you backing fabric. Does that help?

[Renata L.]

Thanks, Ritzy, it makes total sense--I would have never thought of using parchment that way basically because I've not done any real applique and fusing, just one attempt at it... and did not use parchment paper. That's a great idea!

[Norma H.]

I want to add again. The hard pressing surface is a must but you can use anything from an unused cupboard door (flat of course ) to a cheap table top (I bought a very cheap one in Ikea) Then you put a layer of cotton batting on it and a layer of cotton fabric (I have a roll of muslin and cut several pieces to fit) on top. Mine is placed on top of my ironing board and it works great. The top fabric is changed when needed and can be washed and used for many years.

Another thing you can't get too much of is thread. I don't know what you can get in Brazil but I have the feeling that it is as expensive as here in DK. So sneak in as much as you can afford.

[Norma H.]

My pressing surface is an old wool blanket, folded into 4 layers on top of my work table, yes the worktable is showing signs of the affect of the steam & heat after 10 years, but since we got it for nothing, we are not desparately bothered. It is a tip I got from the tailors I worked with - multiple layers of heavy wool cloth is all you need.

[Norma H.]

Speaking of pressing... I LOVE Best Press! Now, it is quite expensive for starch and they wouldn't let you take it on the plane anyway. But I wish I had known, as a new quilter, that starching my fabric would help immensely with accurate cutting and sewing.

Margo has a make-it-yourself starch formula that she uses that is less costly than Best Press. Can't remember her exact formula, but I am sure she'll chime in! Hopefully, you can get starch in Brazil.

[Margo C.]

Yes!! I luv using StaFlo starch mixed in a spray bottle half/half with water. I prestarch my fabric before I cut the shapes for piecing, and also starch my background and applique shapes for machine applique. http://www.staflostarch.com/

The video in this link explains why you can even use a plain graphite pencil to mark your quilting on starched fabrics, and the marks will wash away when you wash the final project.

It also explains why I do NOT recommend starching your fabric before running it through a printer to make computer generated labels!!

[Margo C.]

Yes!! I luv using StaFlo starch mixed in a spray bottle half/half with water. I prestarch my fabric before I cut the shapes for piecing, and also starch my background and applique shapes for machine applique. http://www.staflostarch.com/

The video in this link explains why you can even use a plain graphite pencil to mark your quilting on starched fabrics, and the marks will wash away when you wash the final project.

It also explains why I do NOT recommend starching your fabric before running it through a printer to make computer generated labels!!

But it does work nicely if you are using Inklingo :wink:

[Margo C.]

Ok, these are great tips! I do have a hard surface where I can do my pressing, so that is good. I've gotten fairly lazy about it, but was looking at some blocks I did early on when I pressed at every completed section, and the difference is astounding! Yikes! Must get back in that habit...

Margo, thank you for the starch suggestion! I looked at that best press stuff last trip, but man it's expensive! A cheaper alternative is much appreciated, thank you! And thank you, all, for the other money saving tips as far as parchment vs. specific appliqué pressing sheets, or silicone baking mat instead of super slide thing, etc.

I organized my many quilt ideas into a "by deadline" list so I could see what I need to be working on between this trip and next, and so I can focus my fabric/thread spending accordingly. Norma is quite right, the thread I can get here is either low quality but affordable, or high quality and not very affordable. On that note, with a horizontal thread older thing on my new machine, can I use big spools? Or just the normal sized ones?

Thanks again!

[Betty J.]

Interesting reaction to the supreme slider. :shock: I love it. It's $27 from Amazon.com, which I guess is more expensive than the baking mat, but if I wash it regularly, it doesn't slip. If it gets thread buildup on the back, then it does, but it rinses right off. I've never tried the baking mat. Sharon Schamber tapes hers down to the table, but I've never had to do that. Anyway, interesting suggestions. I simply use the backing paper to the fusible web for my pressing sheets. Free.