“On the Tenth Day of Wishing,
I’d like to be able to mark my blocks.”
How rare is it that once you’ve laid your blocks out on the design wall or the bed or the table, you get to sew them all together right away? Not often, right? So then you either use tape or pieces of paper with a numbering system to keep track of the placement of the block within the quilt design, so you can store them away.
First of all, don’t use masking tape. You would be shocked at how fast the glue can permanently adhere, mark, and ruin your block. Don’t go thinking it won’t happen to you, because I’ve seen it occur.
If you use a green painter’s tape, I suggest the brand Painter’s Mate sold at Home Depot. I’ve had another green painter’s tape take the finish right off of my laminate desk when used for moving. It hadn’t been on for more than a day.
So now that you are good and leery about using tape for this purpose, you might be eyeing the post-it notes or scrap paper. Now while paper notes are wonderful, you have to pin them on. So I’ve eliminated the paper part of the equation, and just use marked pins.
I took a box of Clover Flower Head pins, and with an Ultra Fine Point permanent Sharpie (available at stationery stores), I consecutively numbered as many as I had blocks in my quilt.
Then when I laid out my blocks on the design wall, I used the appropriate numbered pin for the placement of the block.
I always put my pin in the upper left-hand area of the block, but well away from the seam allowances. I want to keep the pins in the block as I sew, and by being consistent with their placement, it helps me not get the blocks turned around between the design wall and the sewing machine. I don’t want to sew the wrong edges together. By having a consistent plan with the layout of your pins, and double checking them when going to sew the blocks together, you won’t have to rip out seams.
When your quilt top is sewn together, remove the pins, and put them in a separate pincushion all numberically lined up like soldiers waiting for duty. The next time you need to arrange your blocks, they will be ready for use. No fumbling in a box, trying to find them in the right order.
We sell the Clover brand of Flower Head pins. After trying out many brands here at the shop, these were the ones we found to be the sharpest and strongest. You don’t want a pin that is dull and creates a hole in your fabric. We affectionately call pins like that “nails”.
- 100 pins per box.
- Each pin is 7mm wide by 54 mm long.
- The flowers are plastic and heat resistant only – do not apply the iron directly on the flower head. No brand has flower head pins made of glass.
- $14.49.
- Found on our webstore at: http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Store_id=487&page_id=23&Item_ID=11982
I’d like a bag to carry my rulers and mat.”
Three years ago we featured this product, and it was a hit with our customers. So I was very disppointed when the company discontinued selling it. But lo and behold, one of our distributors must have bought up the last of the stock, because I was able to order them!
- The bag measures 20” X 25”.
- It has an adjustable, removable strap so you can put it over your shoulder, as well as handles.
- The inside zippered compartment holds a mat up to 18” X 24”. You can also put your project or fabric in it.
- The front of the bag has 2 small pockets for cutters, scissors, pens, pencils and the like. It also has a 12” X 12” zippered pocket for holding wider supplies or blocks. At the bottom of the front is a pouch for a 6” X 24” ruler closed with a hook and loop fastener.
- The back of the bag has 2 separate pouches which will hold a 15.5” square and a 12.5” square.
- The pouches have depth to them, so you can get more than one ruler or item in them.
- $52.99.
- When they are gone, they are gone. I can’t reorder them.
- Found on our webstore at: http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Store_id=487&page_id=23&Item_ID=11983
Have super Saturday,
Linda