Monday, November 26, 2012

Gifts to Give For Quilters

November 27 2011,

Here are a list of things that quilter's will love to receive for Christmas in no particular order. All these products have been test driven (except for the Bernina sewing machine).

  • A Bernina sewing machine - a quilter's dream
  • Aurifil Thread - perfect for piecing (50 weight) and also quilting (50 or 40 weight)
  • Hera marker - great for marking quilts without using a marker
  • Sewline Fabric Pencil - great for marking quilts, make sure you buy refills at the same time
  • Gift certificate to a fabric store
  • Mini Iron II - perfect for pressing open seams and small fabrics
  • Gingher Scissors - the best scissors on the market
  • Olfa Rotary Tools - The Olfa Rotary tools are great. I really like the "Quick Change Rotary Cutters" (45 mm)
  • Olfa Mats - Olfa Mats are great, they come in different sizes. Quilter's will usualy have a small, medium and large ones. They only last a few years. So check and see the condition of the quilter's mat and maybe it is time for a new one.
  • Friskar's Cutting Mats - These come in different colors. I have one of this. The nice thing about this is that both sides are marked with lines. On the Olfa Mats, only one side is marked. The colors are yellow on one side and light green on the other side.
  • OmniEdge Ruler by Omni Grid - This ruler is so universal. Either the 5 x 24 or 5 x 18 is perfect for a quilter.
  • Rowenta Irons - makes ironing much easier and quicker
  • Plastic storage boxes - Of course these things are important for quilters, so that they can store and organize their fabrics. Make sure you buy them the correct size.
  • Batting - Batting are not that expensive when you buy them on sale, just know what specific type of batting your quilter uses. Most quilter's have a few brands that they will only use.

Things NOT to buy
  • Fabrics - Unless you know exactly the style and type of fabrics they use. For example, if somebody buys me a cotton jersey type of fabric, I would not know what to do with it.
  • Quilt Kits - Unless you know that it is the person's style. For example, if you buy an applique quilt kit, and the person does not applique, it will only go to waste.
  • Certain Threads - Avoid buying non-cotton thread (polyester). Some quilter's are very picky on their thread, so be very careful when buying threads. The safest is always cotton thread.
So there you have it.

What's on your wish list for this year?

Quilt & Bitch

4 comments:

p00lriah said...

man, those sewing machines are expensive. in pool parlance the machine is in the three-custom-cues range. :P

Quilt+Bitch said...

You did see how expensive a nice sewing machine can get. Yeah, I have been saving money for it, but the quilts have not really been moving. I guess, pool is still a cheaper hobby if you go to the pool hall. But a table is more expensive then a Bernina sewing machine.

p00lriah said...

actually . . . some of those bernina sewing machines are more expensive than a pool table!

Quilt+Bitch said...

everything is relative right? Pool tables can range from $500 - $10,000+... and sewing machine can range from $100 - $10,000+. :)