Tools of the Trade
No Comments Quilting Tools of the Trade
Are you new to quilting? Always wanted to quilt but just haven’t taken the plunge yet? Not sure what you need to get started? Here’s a start on the tools of the trade. While you don’t HAVE to have these items, they sure make the job easier. Rather like a carpenter who can do the job with a hand saw, a screw driver and a hammer. But he will have a much easier time of it if he has access to a power saw, power drill, and power nail driver. The right tools make any job easier.
The only “power” tools you’ll need are the sewing machine and an iron. Beyond that, three additional items will really help.
First, you need to cut, so you need a Rotary Cutter. There are a few different styles available. This one is comfortable if you do a lot of cutting. It can be locked in the safety position, but the safety position is the default. Squeeze the handle and the blade is out and ready to cut; let go of the handle and the blade retracts.
Next, you need a ruler to guide your rotary cutter. The Creative Grids 6.5″ x 24.5″ is an excellent all purpose ruler. It has grippers on the bottom to help prevent sliding, and has plenty of clear markings for inch, half-inch and more (or should I say less
). It even has angle markings that you can use until you start collecting specialty rulers.
Third, you need something to cut on, so you need a mat. Mats come in a few different sizes. If you plan to make more than one quilt (and who wouldn’t?! – you’ll catch the bug!), the large 24″ x 36″ mat is well worth the investment. It’s so much easier to cut your fabric if you can cut it the same way it comes off the bolt, instead of folding more to fit your mat.
That’s it. These three important tools will prove to be invaluable to you in your quilting endeavors. So start here. You’ll discover many more tools that will help along the way, but you will always use these.
Happy quilting!













They have square up rulers in sizes from 4.5″ to 20.5″. The smaller ones are handy for taking along to sewing retreats or sewing days with your guild….and invaluable for squaring Half Square Triangles. The larger ones are great for those large log cabin blocks or Baltimore Album blocks. The large ones are also helpful if you need to cut a long strip of very wide fabric….. use your long 6.5″ ruler for the cutting edge and add how ever many inches you need from the square up ruler, and line that up with the edge of your fabric. With a 16.5″ square and a 6.5″ ruler, if your fabric is folded you can easily cut your fabric 40″ wide for backing. You’ll find that it’s much more square than trying to cut evenly from the selvedges.


Well, no more! 









Another popular 6.5 x 24.5 ruler has pink around the 1.2″ edges. This helps to remind you that you have ruler facing the 1/2″ side as opposed to the whole inch side. It saves on fabric wasted due to incorrect measuring.

Tri-Recs Tools are THE tools for cutting triangles. They take the mind-numbing hassle out of figuring the angles and sizes… it’s all right there on the rulers. An instruction booklet is included.
