Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Some Of My Favorite Things


Geta asked bloggers to join her in sharing some of our favorite things we love for quilting.  I instantly thought of two things I learned about in the last machine quilting class I took.  I use my home sewing machine to quilt my quilts, and although I still have a long way to go in having something look "picture perfect," I have noticed a great improvement using these two items.


The first are these Machingers quilting gloves.  I have tried a lot of different gloves for quilting, but these are by far the best I've found.  I can change bobbins and rethread the machine without taking them off.  They also have the grips on the fingertips which make moving the fabric while quilting a lot easier.  The best part, they are not that expensive.



My second favorite product for machine quilting is the Quilt Halo from Sharon Schamber.  I do not understand why it works, but it does.  I think maybe when a quilter is beginning to free motion quilt we sometimes become overwhelmed with the whole project rather than just focusing on working in a smaller area.


You can see in these photos how I move the quilt with the hoop while quilting (it has grips on the bottom of it).  This is just a small practice piece, but honestly, it works on bigger projects too.


I will usually start out with the hoop on a project and then as I become more accustomed to the project I'm working on I will eventually put it aside and work without it.  I have found when I start with it I do tend to work in smaller areas even after I stop using it.  I'm actually much happier with my quilting than ever before.  Like I said though, I still have a long way to go.


Don't forget to visit Geta's blog for all the helpful tips, tricks, and products that others have shown.  And thanks to my 12-year-old son who so happily took these photos for me.  :)  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

6 comments:

Jamie P said...

I like the tutorial!! Keep them coming! :-)

Karen in Breezy Point said...

I love the gloves too, but haven't tried the halo--I'll have to check it out!

Geta Grama said...

Thank you for sharing your favorites, Kristen.

Wendy said...

Great tips, your son did well with the photography!!

Pieced Brain Quilt Designs said...

Thanks for the tips! Yes, I cannot quilt without gloves - they rock!

Claire said...

I have been wondering about those hoops for ages and now, thanks to your post I think I will get one. I too have machingers and L.O.V.E. them and wouldn't be without them.