Favourite Tools Day and a Giveaway!

Hi!   Thanks for being there for me on my last post, I know you have all been there....

Lissa at her modalissa blog posted on April 1, some of her favorite quilting tools.  A number of designers submitted their favourites to Lissa as well, and they are in her posting, lots of great info.
I have a number of tools I love too, and I've been wanting to share them with you.
(yes, there is a giveaway with this post.....)

1.  I use my AWL all the time.  It is from Clover, and available almost anywhere you buy sewing and quilting supplies.

2.  I love a hot iron and a firm ironing board surface.  I like to press my seams open, it helps with sewing and matching my corners, which I am obsessed about.  I know, I have to learn to press them 1 way, not open, but I always end up pressing the wrong way.... No favourites here to show, it just works for me.
3.  Some of the designers on ModaLissa's blog added a seam ripper.  I have a number of them, I dream for a seam ripper with a big handle like my awl, I reach for them to buy them, but never do.  They keep going up in price the longer I wait!  Most of them have little, little handles, I just keep using them.
4.  I use Guetermann cotton thread in my sewing machine, usually a neutral like a cream or beige, unless I need a white or another colour.

 I buy the bigger spools to fill my bobbins with.  I use the 250 yard spools for my top thread, I find it isn't heavy for the holder pronger thingy, and the thread comes off smoothly.
(Note:  they have this really cute applique BOM called Sweet City!)
5a and 5 b.  I use the Clover Forked Pins  ALL THE TIME!

These are wonderful for ensuring my corner's match, again which I obsess about.  I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but I can't believe on quilt books you buy, they show the pictures where their corners aren't matching.  When I started quilting, guild members always looked at where the corners didn't match.....  If I'm lazy and don't use them, my corners don't match and underneath, the corners get caught in the stitching, meaning more seam ripping.....  I have 2 packages of them, in their own special little box I love them soo much...
I also use the Clover flat head pins when I'm piecing.  My edges done poke up from the ball ends.  They are long and thin too.

6 and 7.  I love my Sharpie Ultra Fine permanent marker for tracing applique pieces on the featherweight Wonder Under stabilizer.   (sorry I couldn't get these pictures side by side!)

After I take off the paperbacking, the glue makes a nice edge to turn my edges under.  I can't get that helpful edge with pre-basting applique, I guess it is one of the reasons I'm still doing needleturn applique.
These are what I use for my applique.  You know how some people can't get machine quilting to work and prefer hand quilting?  That is my story with applique.  If I machine applique, something always goes wrong, like the stitching is so tight, the piece bunches, not puckers, up.  Lots of stitch ripping here....


8.  I love my YLI silk thread!

I have a big collection, yes there are some colours I don't have.  But I look for them when I travel away.  If I don't have the colour for the fabric on top, I use a colour for the background.  My stitches never show!   YLI is usually at all the big quilt shows,  once I bought them on a clearance sale, the YLI rep couldn't believe how many I was buying!  I think they were 6 for $12.00, plus if I bought 6, I got 1 free!  Like Paulette says, "SCORE"!  Sometimes I'll find a quilt store carrying them, it is usually a few neutral colours they brought in for an applique workshop or class they were doing.  Once I saw a store selling a 1/2 full spool for full price!!!!!!!  On the link above, you can buy directly from YLI for $6 per spool.
9.  I love Creative Grid rulers!

This brand is the only rulers I use, unless I need a specialty ruler.  They are coming out with more and more types of rulers.
I use my 4.5 inch square ruler so much, I need a new one, my corner and ink are wearing away.

I wish I could be a vendor for these rulers, I recommend them all the time.  I always look for a new ruler when I am away, and sometimes get to buy one...
10.  I have to say I am a baggie lady.  I have needle books in my stitching kits for a take along project.  This one is my favorite, I picked it up at a Quilt Show where the Host guild had items in their Boutique.  It is wool, and it is stuffed.  But I can't take this one on the plane, for all the things with points in here, so I have a few smaller ones they let me bring, but I digress...

I am very visual, so I like to keep my kits in a clear, zip lock baggie.  I want to play with zippers all the time, open, close, open, close, they drive me crazy!  These baggies are light, see thru,  I can find what I want when I want it, I don't have to unload the whole bag I can't see thru.  I found with customs, they like a see thru bag too, they are much less suspicious when I take out my kit bag, open my needle book, flip out my plane-safe scissors!  I once had a Security person thank me for doing that!

Ok, you are saying Giveaway yet?
I had to have this Wonderful Bobbin Winder machine when they first came out.  I had it bought in the USA for me and sent up.  Cost of USA money exchange, shipping, etc, plus the cost of the machine, very expensive at the time..... much more than the link says is the cost today....

I tried to sell it, but no one around my home was  interested.  Our local quilt shop only sells Husqvarna machines.
What is the problem with this?  The Husqvarna bobbins won't fit on the prongy thingy, so I can't wind my bobbins on it.  Now they have a machine with a prongy thingy to fit their bobbins, but I don't want to buy a new one.  Apparently, you can contact the company to get a different prongy thingy, I tried, but of course, no reply back.
It has never been used.  The box is a little faded because it sat at another LQS in the window where she tried to sell it for me.
If you would like it, I'll give it away!  I'll gladly ship it to anywhere in Canada or the USA.  Sorry, it will be too expensive to send overseas unless you are willing to pay the extra shipping, (you could add that in your entry).  I'd take payment in a few charm packs or fat quarters, you could let me know.... (hope you win!! LOL)
I'll draw the lucky winner's name on Thursday April 5 at bedtime!
No hoops, just one entry per person.
Maybe you would like to share your favorite tools, on a blog post, etc.  Don't need to link back here, but you can if you want, you can just add here, it you want....
You can share the giveaway with your friends if you want....
Don't need to become a Follower, although sharing with friends is the best!
Yes, I am working on my To Do list, getting there, slooooowly.....
Take care, Leslie