Things I'm glad I bought, and wish I had known about sooner

[Diane O.]

I just got the QuilTak, basting gun, and boy am I glad I did. It makes it so easy to baste quilts, I don't dread that part of quilting any more.
I'm also using it to hold my fabric together in the layers for my One Block Wonders instead of pins. With the tacks instead of pins, the ruler is much easier to move across the fabric, and if one of the tacks should happen to be where I need to cut, it doesn't destroy the rotary blade like running into a pin would.

Diane

[Diane O.]

#10 foot for my Bernina. If there's an edgestitch foot for your machine, grab one! Great for really clean stitch-in-the-ditch, easy satin stitch applique, and piped binding.

Small turntable-style Olfa mat, so I don't have to move stacks of cut pieces around to cut them.

Using a trolley needle as a stilleto. Stays on my finger so I don't have to reach for it when I need it. (Just remember it is there so you don't poke yourself in the eye!)

Making my own pressing surface for really sharp pressing of paper-pieced or tiny blocks. I just bought a legal-size clipboard at the offic supply store, wrapped it in foil and made a fabric sleeve for it. Much better pressing!

[Diane O.]

I love my 1/4 inch edge guide foot, I use that for stitching my pieces together and always get an accurate seam.

You know, I have one of those rotating Olfa cutting mats, and forget to use it. That would work great when cutting smaller blocks or what not.

I also forget to use my trolley needle, and I got it to USE AS a stilleto, will have to dig that one out and start using it again.

I love the idea of your pressing board... will have to remember that the next time I need something a bit more firm than the one I use now.

Diane, who always seems to be saying DUH, why didn't I think of that earlier when someone posts simple tips or tricks.

[Diane O.]

Diane, that's a great idea! I have one of those tack guns. I think I'll use that on my next OBW!

Thanks,
Chelley

[Diane O.]

The Block Maker Square up ruler and the Rule Steady. They are excellent products.

[Margo C.]

One of the things I can't imagine working without any more is my large pressing board. (See the photo of my "studio" :wink: on my profile page!) I bought a professional pad that is really firm (let me know if you want the source) and covered it with canvas weight duck fabric. I starch a lot of stuff, so sometimes I have to take the cover off and launder it, but I love having the room to iron a whole width of fabric at once!
SEW LONG!
Margo in SE Tennessee

[Diane O.]

Margo,

I like your studio.. I just wish I had more room to put up a larger ironing surface. I have started using starch on all my fabric now, and with the OBWs it is a life saver. (I buy my starch at Big Lots for 90 cents a can, instead of the grocery store). My ironing board is going to need to be washed soon, from all the starch on it, and I may have to consider covering it with something when ever I will be starching.

Diane

[Margo C.]

Hey Diane! You can save even more on starch if you get the liquid starch and mix it yourself! I prefer the Sta Flo brand in the blue bottle, and look for it at the local Dollar General store. I keep a spray bottle mixed up all the time.
You can mix it to whatever strength you want...I just use tap water and usually mix mine half and half, but you can add more or less water depending on how stiff you want your fabric.
If you wait a few minutes for the starch to completely soak into the fibers you won't get the nasty flaky stuff when you iron it, and, of course, iron from the back of the fabric.
Margo

[Margo C.]

Margo, I definitely want to know more about your ironing surface. Where did you get it? Does it fit on an ironing board or a table? I have really considered buying a "big board", but the shipping costs are prohibitive.

I'm your neighbor to the north, btw ... *HI!* from Franklin!

Chelley

[Joy L.]

one of my very favorite tools, that I'd replace in a heartbeat if lost, is the June Tailor Shape Cut with the 1/2" slots. I really want to get the bigger one - I think it is 18" long...

JOY

[Joy L.]

My DH cut a piece of 1/2" plywood 24" wide by 54" long, and put 1X1s on the bottom in the shape of my ironing board to keep it from sliding off. I used WnN batting to pad the board. I had a purchased heavy cotton duck top for it, with 1" lines on it, but after washing a couple of times to remove the spray sizing, it's no longer anywhere near accurate, so don't use the lines. When it gets a little more ratty in appearance, I'll probably purchase some new cotton duck to recover it. It's really so much easier to press yardage with this, and it can be taken off and propped up against the wall behind furniture when not in use.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[Joy L.]

Pat, do you rent out your DH?

Chelley

[Joy L.]

Well, I haven't up to now, but might think of swapping some of his time for the right antique sewing machine.

[Joy L.]

I use the StaFlow blue liquid starch that can be diluted with water but I use it full strength in a spray bottle. To keep the flakes off the fabric when ironing be sure to let the starch settle in the fabric before toching it with an iron.
My mother use to dip her clothes in liquid starch that she made from the powder starch, roll them up and put in the fridge to be ironed the next day. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing day, every week. Seeing pile of rolled up damp clothes in the fridge was a common sight on Monday. When she was ready to iron, a soda bottle with a sprinkle top was always on the ironing board to sprinkle the clothes before ironing. Clothes were really ironed and starched stiff. You never saw anyone in non ironed clothes. Work and play clothes never got really dirty, the starch repelled the dirt.

[Joy L.]

Sewbug--that sounds like my house when I was growing up. Loved that Pepsi bottle with the sprinkler top! ritzy