There is nothing more empowering than an idea whose time has come.
My Quilting Tools
I have set up a nice comfortable spot to work on my hand quilting and stitchery. Being a very early riser (usually 5 am) it is a quiet area so that those who are still sleeping are not disturbed. The side table has a nice size surface for all the special items that I need. It also has three drawers on the front for supplies. The rolling thread holder that keeps the thread handy and steady so that I can easily pull out the length that is needed. It also has spots for scissors, thimble, pins and needles with a magnet on the side. Next are my little sharp scissors. Just having a regular pair is good but the decorative ones make me happy. A coaster that someone made with a nice size mug with hot morning coffee. This is one of my favorites picked up at Sagamore Hill. It lists all the National Parks and looks like a flag. A needle keeper for the quilting needles. This one I made myself. I have another for embroidery needles too. The little Altoid can holds 1/2 inch applique needles which help so much because the needle thread doesn’t get tangled on the pins. The fabric petals that I will be appliqueing onto the quilt. Here you can see the tiny little pins that hold the petals securely in place. I put a pillow on my lap for many reasons; it is nice to have the working surface higher to rest my wrists when sewing. It is also nice to hold the needle when I have to get more thread. Here I am getting the petal ready to applique by basting under the edge . My Mom made this pillow for me along with another I have on my chair, right after I got married 40 years ago. Some of the fabric is wearing and I love that I have found the perfect use for them. This pillow is also perfect to prop my Ipad on to make it eye level. Also learning from experience is perfect if you have a sore neck. This is my scrap and thread disposal container. Margaret, a friend made this handy little flannel container. It is perfect because everything stays put till I clear it out and throw it away. My sewing basket with a divided shelf on top and a deeper area underneath. A favorite Longaberger basket. It has a handle and lid. Many of us quilters and hand stitchers have cats. I feel that this is definitely a quilting tool. This is Mama and she is thinking hard about getting under the blinds and causing some kind of havoc. Pavel comes in every morning, looks out the door window and then proceeds to lick the window. If I don’t have the quilt out yet to work on, he will look at that area then look at me and walk out. He then will come back in and start the whole process again and settles in if I have the quilt out. Some days I have to sadly disturb his slumber to give me more fabric to make it easier to work with. He takes it all in stride. You need a comfy chair. I recently got this glider rocker with the padding. I love it so much. Good lighting is a requirement that is right over the top of my shoulder and a smaller table lamp for more lighting. Hinterberg floor hoop that will just be the perfect thing to use to quilt from my chair. The height can be adjusted. Unfortunately this company no longer exists but can probably be found on eBay. Finished up the flower, snipped the threads and disposed of them properly instead of throwing on the floor. I have approximately 10 more of the flowers to sew onto this border. This table is my tall studio table. It has a cutting mat on it. I recently had to cut out more of the petals. The cat on the chair is Mama , the one that had her back to us above. I do have to fight the cats to be able to use this chair. This is my new taller chair that helped immensely when cutting out the petals. I believe it is 29 inches and the other is 24. With the shorter chair I felt like a little kid at dinner time and usually ended up standing. The shorter chair I sit to paint with, watch tv with and my Ipad is eyelevel too. The stool you see if for the cats to jump up to the top of the table. They have a comfy blanket so they can be with me and look out the window. If not they will find a spot on whatever I am working on. I hope you enjoyed my tour and if you have any questions drop me a line. Happy Stitching!
