After hundreds of years, quilting has evolved into such a specialized craft that had produced some of the most spectacular works of craftsmanship. Todays art of quilt-making has come a long way since needles, pins and hoops.
The following are some of the many tools that can help drastically reduce the time in quilt-making. It is important to learn how to be fluent in their use.
Fabric markers
Pencils with soft lead are the most commonly used in marking fabrics. They leave some faint marks that will fade later. Chalk is also a good alternative because it washes out easily. It is, however, not recommended for use in detailed drawing because it is blurry.
Todays fabric marker pens washes off in time and are better than pencils and chalks.
Long arm quilting machines
First, the bad news is that these machines are quite expensive. Unless you do enough quilting work or are into business, or have the money to burn, it is not recommended.
On the other hand, this sewing machine with a 12-foot wide frame is a quilters dream. Essentially, it can do intricate designs and does a months typical quilting work in a much shorter time.
Machine quilting needles
Modern technology had also given todays quilters the machines and needles designed solely for quilting. They allow the use of stippling and other techniques which used to be painstakingly slow in those days.
The most popular are Schmetz needles for both thin and thick quilts. They are compatible with a lot of different threads.
Pins and thimbles
Pins are for holding fabrics together for sewing, basting, pressing, or tacking. Safety pins provide quick solutions in holding quilt fabrics during quilting.
Thimbles had been around since the advent of sewing by hand. Traditionally, they are made of silver but there are china thimbles and those made of leather. The leather kind is popular because they are flexible and more comfortable on the finger.
Quilting hoops and frames
These wooden devices (which every quilter must have) are for holding fabrics together. They are badly needed when working on large projects. They keep the working material taut enough and easier to work on.
The four-sided quilting frames are for very large quilts. Round quilting hoops are for working on smaller areas.
Hand sewing quilting needles
Called betweens, traditional quilting needles are smaller and stronger than sewing needles. They have smaller eyes to make it easier to pass through layers of fabrics.
They can make very small stitches and help reduce puckering.
Rotary cutters and boards
Rotary cutters are very strong and very sharp instruments to cut precise and accurate blocks of quilting materials. It is a circular blade which is very strong and accurate for cutting and trimming.
It is used with a rotary board which resets any cut or tear done to it by the cutter. The board also prevents material slippage.
Templates
In creating patterns, a quilt-maker needs templates to work with. Made usually of acrylic, templates ensure all your pattern pieces are of the same size every time, whether they have curves, angles, and other intricate line.
Other tools
Threads, with the correct color and strength, are part of your needs in quilting. They should, of course, be closest to the fabrics color.
Scissors are also essentials in your work. Pin cushions are needed to temporarily store your needles while working. Happy quilting!