I am in the market for a new cutting matt--18x24 to replace the one I have on the table next to my machine.. Don't like the Fiskars that I have. Sometimes I think the matt is more important then the blade.
I just bought what was top on my wish list a little while ago-the true cut blade sharpener.
Other then a new 7700 Janome I don't have many wishes

I've been thinking about getting the very large rotary cutter. JoAnns isn't close by to take advantage of sales and coupons, so it's hit and miss for me.

Jayne, Do you like the blade sharpener?

SharonG/FL

I suppose I keep saying I want that large rotary cutter, too. But when I'm looking to spend money, that never crosses my mind. :(

I also want a thread stand to go on the table behind my machine. Tonight I was actually shopping online, and thought of it... then forgot to look for them.

Guess I have too much on my mind...

I'd like to know if rotary blade sharpeners work too. Blades are so expensive, but dull ones make my shoulders hurt.

Been thinking about a new ergonomic rotary cutter, but don't know which one to look at and they're all pricey.

Think I'ld like a smaller square ruler than my 12 1/2 in. too. I've been squaring up 3 1/2 in. half square triangles and it's too big.

Have a great time with your new toys and Happy Birthday!
Linda B/CA

Nanajayne, I was wondering if they made something like that as I paid 6 dollars for two blades the other day! If people keep with responding with such great ideas, this thread could get very expensive for me! How well does it work?

Jennifer, a thread stand is a good idea! I bought a few cones because I found them really cheap at a flea market and then I remembered that my machine has a horizontal spool pin and they won't fit!

They'd rearranged the entire store at Joanns since I'd been there last, so I had trouble finding stuff... they moved the material and cutting table from the back to the front and they removed the wall that hid the "class room" and put glass windows up instead so the students look like fish in a bowl... likely to draw interest to the classes... anyway, I went through the machines department when I was in there because I'm kind of looking for a new machine for my grandmother... she has a bottom of the line Brother from the early 90s and it's decided it doesn't want to wind bobbins anymore and only sews when it's in a "good" mood... Joannes didn't have anything worth glancing at, so I'm going to check thrift stores and Craig's List instead....

Kate, as I looked at the machines, I noticed something... I remember a few months ago, you said you were looking at the Singer anniversary machine as a spare because you fell in love with the way it looked, but in the end, decided against it... Well, now they have the same machine in WHITE instead of black, and they are calling it the Singer One... I wonder if the anniversary model didn't sell as well as they thought it would and they had a bunch of extra parts left over so they decided to change the color and model name....

Here's a side by side picture just for fun... I still like the black one better...

I purchased a binding ruler while I was at the iron tote class the other day ($8). It makes the measuring for an exact length to join the ends of the binding so easy! This one is made by Fons and Porter.

I'd also like to get a smaller mat to take with me on the retreat. The only one I have is 36" x 24" and it's a little big to haul around. I'd like to get an 18" x 24".

BTW, Happy Birthday!!

Robbi

I have had my eye on that binding too myself. I'm glad to hear from someone that it's a good buy.

Regarding the True Cut blade sharpener:
So far I like it but it was very pricie I think but I have a lot of used blades and I wanted it!!lol.
I got mine from Nancy's Notions.
I have found that it works best with the Olfa blades and they are sharpend.
What I am doing now is resharpening the one I am using everytime it seems a bit dull and it works.
I really haven't had it long enough to give it a full endorsement but so far it works.

Happy birthday...enjoy your new toys!

I hear everyone talking about the price of blades...I ordered blades off of Amazon for my Olfa cutter (it's not fancy or large) but I picked up 10 blades for 41.00, which was LOTS cheaper than JoAnne's, which wanted closed to 11.00 for 2 blades at my store in MD...suggest a search on amazon for blades.

I have a square 6 1/2 ruler I purchased half price on a clearance table at G Stree Fabrics years ago...I can't believe how much I use it, very handy. My wish list has a rotary cutting mat...santa will be here in a few months!
V.

My usual cutting is done with the 45mm cutter, and I have the smaller 28mm cutter for curves.

I DID have the 60mm cutter for a while, and I HATED the stupid thing. The blade flexes if it's rotating freely, and that wobble is dangerous! But if you tighten it down to stop the flexing, it doesn't rotate freely, causing you to use a lot more pressure to cut. That can damage your mat - which is a lot more expensive than the cutter.

I got rid of that cutter as soon as the blade was dull.

If you do decide to get the large cutter, make sure you have the rotary cutter protective glove.

For the life of me I can't think of a thing except the perfect marking pen, but I don't think that exists.

Happy Birthday!!! :-)

Well hubby earlier this year while they were on a good online sale got me Omnigrid square rulers in 4.5", 6.5", 9.5", and 12.5", plus I bought myself a 6" x 24" ruler, and then hubby was in a really good mood so he let me buy 2 custom acrylic quilt rulers in 4.5" x 12.5" and in 6.5" x 12.5" for cutting strips for my next quilt (they play well with the omnigrid square rulers. And then my hubby bought me a year's supply of fabric pencils. When sit out swaps online on GW it puts hubby in a good mood as he is not having to pay postage - so I sat out several swaps to get hubby to buy me the rulers.

He keeps me on a pretty tight leash though when it comes to spending on my quilting hobby so here is my wish list for next 3 years:
- I would put an embroidery machine on the list, but when I mention that hubby just laughs at me, but thankfully at least my favorite S-I-L has one
- multi-colored spools of hand-quilting thread
- 2 storage boxes for storing spools of thread
- 1 Singer bobbin storage box
- Singer lint brush
- new pair of Fiskar fabric scissors
- blade sharpener for my fabric scissors
- an extra emery cushion
- more Sewology blue fabric ink pens from Hobby Lobby - they are so much better than mark-b-gone pens - their tips don't go flat and bend with use
- another 2ft x 3ft rotary cutting matt so I can cut on the kitchen table for borders and binding etc.
- and I need to get a small flannel sheet for batting for my next minky lap quilt for the RV
- LOL I am sure there are more things I want, I just don't know what they are right now :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

Jennifer, you know what else those thread stands are good for? I wrap binding onto a TP tube and plop it on the thread pin. Then set it beside the machine and let the binding feed off the tube. It really keeps in under control!

I bought a Fun & Done pattern at the Jax quilt show today. I know there's been discussion here about it not being fun but thought I'd give it a try. I did resist paying another $20 for the template!

Not sure what tools are on my wish list. I really like my 6-1/2" square ruler so if anything happens to it I'd want another. My 6 x 24 is getting pretty worn, so maybe that should be on my list!

Good to know that Amazon has RC blades for a good price.

Donna

Well, ritaweeda mentioned wanting the perfect marking pen. You can add my name to that list, for sure, but I have used something recently which I'll tell you about. Perhaps everyone knows about this. It's a Frixion marker made by Pilot, not a true quilting product so it's available in stationary stores and low in price...comes in a variety of colours. When you press the marked piece with even just a warm iron, the mark disappears. Someone said it comes back if you put the fabric in the freezer. I haven't tried that and since I'm not in the habit of storing quilts there I don't think it will be an issue. Of course, you do have to be careful. I have a friend who marked a top and then proceeded to press out the wrinkles!! Big mistake! Fortunately she realized and stopped before losing all her marking.

I would like to get the new Clover 5 in 1 gauge. At about $15.00 I definitely need a coupon.

maritime Linda, I have a few of the Frixion pens. I like to use the red one for redwork. I recently saw a yellow one, which would be nice for working on dark fabric.

SharonG/FL

Creative grid 6 1/2x 12 ruler. Maybe would help me see better.

I agree that the large rotary cutter does not stay sharp as long as the 45.

May all your wish list items come true for you!
Gwen

I like the Flixion pens as well. I have a black-purple-pink. I have used them to mark some quilts. I did do some test with them but with heat and time they totally disappeared even though the cold did bring it back for a while.
I also have a yellow but was disappointed as it has a wide point. Will have to check to see if I can find a fine one.

I started signing some gift cards with them, the recipiant can iron off the message and reuse them. Got the idea from a clerk that said she did that with school books that might be resold later. Just a thought for the frugal.

You can make a thread holder very easy.

Here are instructions.

1" board 2" x 12".
15" dowel stick 1/2" diameter
12" dowel stick 1/2" diameter
48" dowel stick 1/4" diameter (cut 3" pieces)
16 small 1/4" eye hooks (eye part is about 1/4")
16 1" nuts (bolt nuts)

Drill 2 rows of holes a little less than 1/2" from edge in the 2" x 12" board, center of holes about 1 /2" apart. I prefer to offset the rows a little making more room for larger spools.

Cut 3" long pieces from the 1/4" dowel sticks and insert into the holes for thread to sit on.

Make a hole in middle of the 2" x 12" board and insert the 15" dowel stick.

Nail the 12" dowel stick on top of the 15" dowel stick making a "T".

Screw eye hooks evenly spaced on bottom of 12" dowel on top of the 15" dowel stick.

Put 1" nut on each of the dowels for thread to sit on and also provide space for embroidery thread spools to rest and remain upright. The nuts also provides weight to the thread stand.

If "eye screws" are completely closed, spread open a little so thread will slide into the eye to avoid having to thread it through the eye.

No need to paint or varnish, looks great unfinished.

Having 16 spools of thread ready to use is wonderful! Truly a sewer's dream!

I raided my husbands scraps to make mine. If no scraps, check Home Depot or other building supply store scrap bins for short pieces of 1" boards, usually cheap.

Jayne, my hubby's grandmother signed cards in pencil so they could be reused!

I want a BIG design board I can set up and take down easily and hide.

Sharon, just sign up for Joann coupons online. You can get some really good deals, without driving out of the driveway.

Thanks, Bev. I think I will!

SharonG/FL

I want a rotary blade that never gets chipped and never goes dull. Also, it would have a special coating that would prevent it from cutting fingers. And a beeper so if I lose it under a pile of fabric I could quickly find it. If anyone sees that for sale, please let me know.

I also want one of those cool hanging gizmos I've seen in quilting videos so I could use cables and clips to hang my quilt from the ceiling while I'm quilting on it. No dragging and no effort to keep it off the floor while sewing. Great for free motion quilting!

This isn't a picture of my house, but it shows what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure DH would be certain I had lost my mind if I started drilling holes in the sewing room ceiling! (Sorry the picture is so big! I just copied the url address.)

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Free motion quilting blog

Well Kate...I guess we can count on you for the unexpected....this is a clean forum, so I will refrain from commenting on your desire for hooks and ropes! LOL

I'm with you on the need for a rotary cutter w/ a beeper..that thing has a mind of it's own and crawls under fabric all the time!

Folks: Just wanted to confirm that the Flixion pen is being used to mark FMQ designs...do I understand that correctly?

V.

LOL! Yeah, we better just let that go!

I did use the Feilion pen to FMQ but also on some hand quilting. I guess only time will tell if it was a mistake but I did tell the persons I gave them too how to remove then just incase there was an issue, not that I expect one.

Good to know about another marker. I was having trouble with the air erasable disappearing too quickly in the heat so I switched to the water erasable forgetting that if you iron it before you wash it it's permanent! UGH! Luckily only shows on the front of one block, so I'll keep that block and send the others. I was using it to draw the line on the back of the square.

Kathy, that is a great idea for a rotary cutter. I have a Dritz, Olfa, and Fiskars, and I can only find the Fiskars.... and I lost it twice during this last quilting project.... not to mention two packages of sewing machine needles, a pin cushion, 2 spools of thread, and the good fabric shears... If they ever make those supplies with beepers or GPS chips, I will be the first customer... :)