7 quilting notions you should try from Quilt Festival

There’s nothing more fun for a quilter than the vendor section of a quilt show. Especially when it is a large one like International Quilt Festival Chicago. There were vendors from all over the world at the show last weekend and I visited every booth to bring you the top seven notions you should try. In no particular order, here’s what caught my eye that I believe you all will love.

If your stash is a hot mess, then check out Polar Notions fabric organizers. Made from acid-free plastic, these organizers are sized for yardage and fat quarters. You can organize your fabric by color, or in the example above, by project. When you’re done, tuck the pattern inside so you don’t ask yourself six years later what you meant to do with that fabric. Not that I’ve ever done that. OK, maybe I did that last month. 🙂 Best part, your stash will be beautiful and you’ll be able to find that one fabric you know will fit perfectly with your next project.

I have lots of quilting friends who swear by the Quilters Perfect Klip when binding quilts. I have a quilting friend in her 30s who won’t bind without them, and retired quilting friends whose arthritic hands can’t take binding without them. These handy clips replace pins by holding the binding down for you. This keeps you from constantly struggling with the binding to keep it flipped over the quilt edge while you’re hand sewing. Another bonus, the Quilters Perfect Klip has lines on the clear side that serve as a ruler so you can make sure your binding is absolutely perfect for the judge at your next show.

Now this notion has a fun story behind it. The Thread Cutterz was originally designed for fishermen to cut fishing line while they were out in the boat. An adjustable ring, it makes it easy to slice through just about any string even if you don’t have a free hand.

Well, the fisherman’s wives started stealing the rings to cut thread and not giving them back. A whole new market was identified, some bling was added and now there is a handy little ring you can wear to cut all your threads while sewing. One of the best parts … it is airplane approved. Make sure to add this handy notion to your portable projects bag.

This rotary cutter may not look like what you’re used to seeing, but the makers of TrueCut say the design is more ergonomic than its competitors. That’s good news for anyone who has trouble cutting. The difference is your hand rests right on top of the handle, so there is no holding your wrist out at an unnatural angle. Bonus … TrueCut has its own line of rulers and a rotary blade sharpener so you don’t have to feel as guilty about waiting forever to replace your blade.

If you’ve ever done a fusible applique project that turned out so thick you could barely get a needle through it, then try Mistyfuse. This fusible web is sheer, super lightweight and flexible, which makes for fusible applique projects that are soft and flexible while remaining thoroughly bonded in place. Just check out the art quilt projects created using it in the samples above.

Longarmers and home machine quilters listen up. Full Line Stencil is going to change the way you mark fabric. The stencil doesn’t have a true opening but a mesh liner. So to use it you gently rub a pounce chalk pad over the stencil, the chalk transfers to the fabric below and when you’re done just use an iron to remove the remaining chalk. It seriously is that easy. I watched it all happen before my eyes with white chalk on black fabric. There’s no mess, no fuss and no crying because your marks won’t come out. And you name it, Full Line Stencil has a design for it … feathers, animals, beginner-friendly. If you finish your quilts yourself, you have to check it out.

Photos in quilts are super popular. But with The Fabric Studio you can take it one step further and incorporate your photos within the fabric itself. The Fabric Shop has more than 700 repeatable designs and more than 200 project templates to choose from. Just pick your pattern and color then add your text or custom photos and print on your home printer. If you want yardage, you can also order your design online through Spoonflower. Check it out and take personalizing your quilt to the next level.

 

 

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Comment (4)

  1. Very interesting. I got a sample of that blue stencil at a show, and I was so puzzled at first, until I read the directions. =) It sounds like you might have had a very exciting time!

  2. Can you suggest a great sewing machine – I’m leaning towards a Juki f600 but can’t bite the bullet – any thoughts ?

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