There are so many great products in the quilting world that it can sometimes seem a little overwhelming! Well, stress no longer about which glue to buy or what scissors to use, because I have narrowed it down to the best of the best! Here are my all time favorite products and why I love them...
Karen Kay Buckley 6-Inch Perfect Scissors. You may have seen these around on my site or heard me talk about them before, and its because I love them! They are by far my preferred pair of scissors. They cut incredibly smooth, with a nice little serrated edge. The size is perfect for cutting small scraps of fabric. And the grip is nice and comfortable (and cute too!).
Purchase them HERE
Aleene's Fabric Fusion. Aleene's Fabric Fusion is a permanent fabric glue that does not require smearing with your fingers, which is why I like it! For a while I used tacky glue to adhere my fabric, but I was so tired of constantly having gunk on my fingers from spreading the glue! So when I discovered Aleene's Fabric Fusion, it was game changing! I apply just a thin bead of the glue around my piece of fabric and it works perfect. Be careful when applying it though, if it gets on your clothes it can ruin them! You can buy it by the bottle or in a convenient glue pen.
Lite Steam a Seam 2. When it comes to fusible, I have tried so many different variations and brands and have come to the conclusion that Lite Steam a Seam 2 is the very best! I like it because it reduces fraying and keeps the design uniform, so the overall result is a nice flat collage. I also recommend this specific type of fusible because it is permanent fusible and its a good light weight, it won't make your quilts too stiff.
Fabric Organizing Drawers. No, this isn't some revolutionary fabric organizing system that magically organizes all of your scraps for you, these are just drawers that I have been using to organize my fabric by size and color. I have several different sizes of drawers that correspond to the different sizes of fabric, ranging from mini drawers (that in-between size that could be thrown away but you just can't bring yourself to throw away beautiful fabric), medium drawers (about the size of your hand), and large (you get the idea). I especially like drawers that have wheels so I can easily move my fabric around with me. Everyone has their own method of organization and this is mine!
Drafting Table. I have gotten so many questions about my drafting table, so here you go! I love working on mine because it allows me to set the height and angle I want to work at and acts as my artist's easel. I also have set a large piece of foam core wrapped in felt on my drafting table to pin what I am working on in place. The felt is nice too because it holds scraps of fabric in place when I'm not using them.
Light Box. Because sometimes your arms get tired of holding things up to the window to trace! A light box is so nice to have for tracing templates and patterns. I have the 20" x 13" Huion Light Box, which I love and think is a great size. There are multiple sizes to choose from if you want something a little smaller.
Wool Pressing Mat and Oliso Mini Iron. When I'm working on a project and need to quickly iron a small scrap of fabric or steam my fusible on, having a small wool mat and mini iron sure has made things efficient! The small size allows for me to keep the mat and iron at my workspace and saves me all those trips to the ironing board!
Purchase Wool Pressing Mat HERE:
Parchment Paper. A must have for my new "Parchment Pressing Method." You can learn all about this method and why its the best in my 'Methods' video tutorial, found HERE
Inktense Pencils. This fun new method to add a bit more detail to my quilts has been a game changer! These pencils go on like a regular colored pencil, but upon contact with water, they become permanent ink. I've loved adding shadows and highlights to my recent creations with these.
Heidi Proffetty's Precision Tweezers. The best tweezers for dealing with small pieces of fabric, I use these daily!
Purchase them HERE:
Clover Mini Iron. This handy little iron is perfect for pressing my pieces as I work when I use Lite Steam a Seam 2. If I'm working on my drafting table, I especially love to be able to press down each piece as I go without having to move my whole project to my ironing board.
Purchase it HERE:
Sew Hot Iron Rest. I love using a heat resistant silicon mat for my little Clover Iron, it allows me to quickly set down my iron as needed and not burn a hole through my table!
Purchase Sew Hot Iron Rest HERE:
