Favourite Quilting Tools

[HeyJudee]

There is a thread Favourite Speciality Tools under General Sewing, but since this may be more related to quilting than sewing, I thought I'd start a new one under General Quilting.

I now have a new "favourite" quilting tool...a seam brayer. What the heck's a seam brayer, you ask??? It's a wallpaper seam roller. There are a bunch of different varieties out there but this is a pic that resembles the I've got.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/110128149/vintage-wallpaper-seam-roller?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_includes%5B0%5D=tags&ga_search_query=brayer+seam+roller&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=brayer+seam+roller&ga_includes%5B%5D=tags&ga_view_type=gallery

The roller is used to press your seams...similar to using a wooden iron or finger press...but this does a super job and the seams don't stretch which can happen with a wooden iron. I learned about this at our guild meeting on Monday night. We had a guest speaker from the US, RaNae Merrill, who does spiral quilts. (http://www.ranaemerrillquilts.com/home) She said this is one of her favourite tools for making her quilts. She does a lot of paper piecing and this saves her time and big money on electricity (doesn't have to keep heating her iron). She says she only presses with the iron once her blocks are completely pieced.

I tried this today when I was piecing HSTs, piecing blocks and when sewing the borders on my quilt. It worked GREAT! I'm definitely going to be using this a lot!

There are some other models that have handles like paint rollers (handle comes from one side) like this one http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/443533346/nylon_wood_wallpaper_seam_roller_ED001TM.html. I don't know if those would work as well. Maybe they would roll differently and cause some stretching when rolling the seams. (???)

[bridesmom]

Oh my gosh, that's an amazing little tool! I'm going to have to watch for one of those. I know that Alex Anderson has a 5 in 1 tool that includes a seam presser opener thingy that I was thinking about, but I love your idea Judy!

I'm not sure what my favorite quilting tool is. My favorite tool is my needle nose pliers which have a rough gripper part (teeth??) to them. I can grab little threads that are stuck and pull them out really easily. I can pull my bobbin thread up with them easily. If I could find a 2nd pair I'd be thrilled. Rob bought them for me years ago. I also can't live without my quilting gloves. I think I have 4 pair. I've worn out the fingers on one pair, and I have a cream colored pair that the tips are black so they are only used with dark quilts.

[HeyJudee]

I know that Alex Anderson has a 5 in 1 tool that includes a seam presser opener thingy that I was thinking about,

That would be similar to a wooden iron...but when using it you can stretch the seams cause you have to drag it across the fabric.

My favorite tool is my needle nose pliers which have a rough gripper part (teeth??) to them.

I have a couple of pairs of needle nose pliers but not with the gripper part. I don't use them for much with sewing though...I use serger tweezers to do the same types of thing.

I also can't live without my quilting gloves. I think I have 4 pair. I've worn out the fingers on one pair, and I have a cream colored pair that the tips are black so they are only used with dark quilts.

Me too on the quilting gloves...but I won't use any kind other than Machingers. They are the only ones that really fit my hands...X-small...and my hands breathe. I think I'm on my third pair now.