Sew Helpful
Portable Pouch
Corral your quilting supplies in Omnigrid’s Mesh Project Pouch. At 9½” x 13″, it is large enough to hold your rotary cutter, several rulers, thread, and other supplies you may need. This handy, portable case is ideal for take-along work or keeping your sewing space tidy. We like the fact that it zips shut at the top, and the outer pocket has a hook-and-loop closure to keep your items secure. The fabric pouch also coordinates with other Omnigrid storage gear. For more information, visit handicraft.com.
Like Having an Extra Hand
Although they’ve been in the marketplace for a while, we love Wonder Clips from Clover. They are well made and come in such pretty colors. If you are new to quilting, they’re especially helpful when stitching your binding to your quilt. After you machine-sew the binding to the front of your quilt sandwich, these clips hold the binding in place so you can whipstitch the binding by hand to the back. If you’ve ever bound a large quilt, no doubt you’ve experienced sore thumbs. Wonder Clips relieve that pressure on your thumbs by holding the binding securely in place. They are also invaluable when holding excess bulk out of the way when joining binding ends and for preparing English Paper Pieces and keeping them organized into groups. Visit clover-usa.com or find the 50-piece pack in our store at quiltstreet.com/shop.
A Cut Above
Use the Quilters Select Rotary Cutter for cutting fabric, paper, leather, vinyl, wallpaper, and more. This rotary cutter features an ambidextrous design, a magnetic blade replacement, an ergonomic grip, and an anti-slip handle. We offer both the 45mm and 60mm size in our store at quiltstreet.com/shop. The larger size allows you to cut more layers of fabric at one time.
A Nod to the Past
From Marcus Fabrics comes the latest collection by Judie Rothermel, Indigo and Cheddar. Celebrating 35 years as a fabric designer, Judie creates classic fabrics inspired by her vast collection of antique quilts. Subtle variations give the fabrics an updated look. The collection is ideal for quilters who seek historical accuracy in addition to visual appeal. Ask for the collection at your local quilt shop or visit marcusfabrics.com for more information.
Explore a Rich Tradition
In this book from C&T Publishing, Betty Ford-Smith shares a rich quilting legacy in Pinecone Quilts: Keeping Tradition Alive. Part narrative and part how-to, the author shares her journey of discovery of Pinecone quilts (also known as Pine Burr) under the tutelage of Miss Sue, who not only taught her how to make these unique quilts, but also their place in Southern and African American history. The book also contains a gallery of quilts and five projects. Ask for it at your local quilt shop or online. For more details, visit ctpub.com.
Rack ’Em Up!
Keep your workspace tidy with these pretty and practical white-washed, solid wood ruler racks from Quilters Select. They come in two sizes: The 3mm-thick grooves accommodate regular quilting rulers, while the 6mm grooves accommodate the thicker Precision Machine Quilting Rulers. Each of the eight grooves is open on either side, allowing rulers wider than 10″ to fit. We particularly like the two open trays that are large enough to hold your rotary cutter, thread, and other small notions, keeping everything corralled and within easy reach. Ask for the Quilting Ruler Rack & Organizer at your local quilt shop or from quiltstreet.com. For product information visit quiltersselect.com.
One Good Turn
Omnigrid provides everything you need to measure and cut with this handy 360º Rotating Mat Set, which includes a rotating cutting mat, a 28mm rotary cutter, and a 2½” x 8″ ruler. The mat is also available separately. The set comes in two sizes, 8″ and 14″. We like it for trimming blocks to size, especially half-square triangle units, as you can easily rotate the mat without repositioning the fabric. Ask for the 360º Rotating Mat Set at your local quilt shop or online. For product information visit handicraft.com.
At Your Fingertips
This charming Novelty Ceramic Thimble Container from Dritz is the perfect gift for a quilting friend—or for yourself. It is 4″ tall with a 3½” opening, just the right size for storing pens, pencils, seam rippers, scissors, and other essential tools that can clutter your sewing space. The white ceramic thimble is available with interior colors of coral, aqua, and yellow, adding a cheerful pop of color to your office or sewing room. It comes in a decorative box, making it ideal for gift-giving. Ask for it at your local quilt shop. For product information visit handicraft.com.
Enchanting Cats
Timeless Treasures just released this fabric collection for cat lovers, Bijoux. The bright blue motifs with metallic accents seem to paw-sitively glow. Designer Chong-A Hwang created a panel to anchor the collection, which also includes a print showing multiple cats, a purple-and-teal leopard print, paw prints, stripes, dots, and marbled blenders. Ask for the Bijoux fabric collection at your local quilt shop or visit ttfabrics.com for more information and a list of retailers.
Contemporary Curves
In this new release from C&T Publishing, Daisy Aschehoug shows how exciting (and easy) it is to sew curves in your patchwork projects with 20 geometric-patterned quilts in her new book, Quilting with Curves. Sew basic to complex curves in small and large quilts. This is an essential book for those who wish to experiment with both curved piecing and modern quilt design. Projects range in difficulty level and are doable for quilters of all skill levels. Ask for it at your local quilt shop or online. For more details visit ctpub.com.