Today we are excited to share 15 of our favorite notions and needs for the modern quilter (and sewing enthusiast)!
Soooo here they are, in no particular order, a few of our current favorite things:
Recently Elizabeth has gotten addicted to these embroidery snips. She keeps them next to her sewing machine and sometimes even uses them as a seam ripper! You can find these snips HERE.
I’m not a big novelty/one project ruler kind of girl but I LOVE this ruler! LOVE IT. It lets you square up your half square triangles before opening and pressing them. It is genius and I love it and I use it ALL THE TIME. You can find it HERE.
I buy Puffs in bulk this time of year. It is cold and flu season and these by far are my favorite. They are soft, not scratchy at all, and don’t leave any residue behind like some of the lotioned kind. I always have a box of them next to my sewing machine and have a box of them next to me right now as I’m typing this. You can find Puffs HERE.
Elizabeth is a huge fan of hand binding her quilts…and currently #11 milliners needles are her go to for hand binding! You can find them HERE.
My favorite thing to do write now is to quilt while listening to a podcast or an audio book. I can’t recommend this enough…sewing along and listening to something enjoyable…it’s so great. You can get audio books from most local libraries (just go ask the nice ladies that work at the desk) and they can hook you up to a giant audio book library that is available right from your phone!
And then of course there are the podcasts. Apple Podcasts and ITunes are my favorite places to find podcasts. Currently my favorites are “That’s the Way I Heard It”, “Cabinet of Curiosities”, “99% Invisible”, and of course, our own quilting podcast “Stitched”.
And…if I could suggest a book that is perfect for this time of year either to read (because the illustrations are lovely) or to listen to while you sew (because the author himself reads the book in a wonderfully dreamy danish voice) it would be this one “The Little Book of Hygge“. It’s one of my very favorites and you can find it HERE.
Best Press! We both love Best Press. The kind I am showing here is clear and odorless (which is what I use a lot…just to be safe) but they have some that smell delicious!!! (Lavender, Tea Rose, Linen, etc…..) You can find it HERE. And you can also order refills as well (which saves $).
Ok, to be honest…I didn’t buy myself this. My brother bought me one. And I was like you paid how much for this tumbler??? Then I started using it and I love it! I ALWAYS bring it with me to the sewing table. It keeps my drinks cold (or hot depending on the drink) and I can slide the drink hole shut so even if I knock it over…NO SPILLS. I love my Yeti tumbler. And they come like a zillion colors….and you can find them HERE.
Sometimes you need help with your quilting…questions, need advice, new patterns, inspiration, getting you out of a creative funk, etc. So…we started a group almost a year ago called “The Stash“. It’s a private FB group that gets a new quilt pattern each month, has giveaways, recipes, and book reviews. It’s a lot of fun…and you can find out more about THE STASH HERE.
If you have ever talked to Elizabeth about sewing you know she loves her Wonder Clips. (Really, she LOVES them.) She uses them for binding and while sewing and for pretty much everything…and she’s even got me using them now. (They are pretty great.) And you can find them HERE.
Would it be too much to say that this rotating mat is life changing? I don’t think so….because IT IS! Holy canoli I love this mat. It makes trimming and squaring up blocks a breeze and I will love it forever. There are several different kinds on the market but I have the Fiskars one and it has never let me down. You can find it HERE
Yes, indeed, I do consider my slow cooker a necessary quilting tool. I’m not even joking. I would be lost without my trusty crock pot. (This week 4 of our 5 weeknight meals were made in my crock pot.)
Here’s the deal. After I get the kids off to school, and sometimes before we leave for school, I throw all of the ingredients for dinner into the crockpot and then I can get down to the business of sewing or quilting. Hours later I return to the kitchen, which smells lovely and wha-la! Dinner is ready. It is magic…and delicious.
I make things like Swiss Steak, Chicken and Dumplings, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, Pork Chops with Apples, Teriyaki Chicken, Pot Roast and Potatoes, ect. etc. etc. Slow Cookers are the best and you can find this one HERE.
Chalk pencils are so darn handy! I use them and like them even better than things like frixion pens. They go on lightly and wash out. The white is by far my favorite and most often used. And you can find them HERE.
So I don’t ever wear shoes to sew but in the fall and winter my feet get cold so socks are a must…and for me it’s not just socks but novelty, ankle socks. I even keep a pile of them in my sewing desk drawer just in case I forget to put some on before I sit down to sew.
I particularly like these Disney villain ankle socks…which you can find HERE.
I just bought myself one of these wool ironing mats and liked it so much that I got one for Elizabeth as well! It makes pressing all your little pieces somehow easier! You can find this mat HERE.
SOoooo there you have it 15 of our current, favorite, quilting “needs”.
What are you favorite quilting must haves?
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I always need at least one of my many Creative Grids rulers. I absolutely love them. And I use my 2 1/2″ c 6″ MSQC ruler for trimming Jelly Rolls and of course my Janome 1 /4″ foot.
Jeri in South Texas
I love your list, but… it’s not a word… “wha-la” – I think you mean voila – it’s a French word, So I get how you might not know how to spell it. Or maybe you just don’t know. When writing, I feel like things like this are important. (And yes I AM a blast at parties!)
Also, have you tried making your self some simple cloth napkins / wipes / handkerchiefs? They are more eco friendly, no waste (can be made from scraps), can be washed with your regular laundry, and last forever (mine have been in use 8y+) Did I mention they dont break your skin like Kleenex etc. does? Even the sensitive skin brand ones are rough through winter months. I highly encourage you to try some =)