THIRTY SIX OF OUR MEMBERS’ FAVORITE QUILTING TIPS:

1. Viking has a thread cone adapter to put on the spool holder.
2. A small collapsible table (Walmart, Costco, about $20) is great to keep by your sewing table to hold blocks and other things you are working on.
3. If you have had trouble using thread cones and find the thread snarls within your machine, try this: Put the cone behind the machine and bring the thread up over the top.
4. Binding: roll it up and put it on the thread holder.
5. Fons & Porter have a great binding tool (acrylic) to help you join ends.
6. If you have registered a Viking machine sometime in the past, and now want to register a Pfaff machine and have trouble, you will probably find that they are sharing registration and you can use your old password, etc. to access your account.
7. Binding: put it into a paper bag or bucket and bring it up from there as you sew it on.
8. There is a terrific ruler set from Omnigrid which includes a 12.5”, 9.5”, 6.5”, and a 4.5” at a good price.
9. Group your sewing machine feet, screwdrivers, thread, etc. in a special spot so you will always have these available.
10. Binding: wrap into a figure eight and pull from either center or end.
11. A portable design wall is invaluable.
12. Try a finger pin cushion.
13. Use a bamboo skewer for a stiletto instead of a metal one.
14. Put binding in a small Kleenex box and pull from there.
15. The handle with suction cups used on the big rulers helps to keep the ruler stead. You can also hook the suction cups between two long rulers to hold them so that you can square a quilt.
16. Everyone loves the Purple Thang.
17. There is a tiny gooseneck led light which goes on your sewing machine. You can direct the light to places hard to see.
18. Highly recommended: Cotton picking string picker
19. Cover a tv tray with ironing cloth and sit it by your machine so that you can iron as you go. Very portable.
20. Your own spit will take your own blood out of fabric.
21. Tool: The Angler – helps make half square triangles.
22. Absolutely necessary: walking foot
23. There are baby grippers (the handles with suction cups) for smaller rulers.
24. Make a light box: buy a small fluorescent light with cord. Get a large plastic container and turn it over on top of the light. Place a piece of plexiglass in the middle area (cut to fit), and there you have a large light box.
25. Nylon bobbin Genie: like a nylon washer that goes in the bobbin case. Works well in a long arm and should work well in regular machines. Helps them not to skip.
26. Wrist pin cushion.
27. Wool pin cushion will sharpen pins.
28. A folio book is great for saving and moving blocks and pieces of material around.
29. When bringing thread over from the back, on a Viking you can cut a small safety pin (keep the loop) hang it on the front, and run thread through it.
30. If your LED is too bright, spread Vaseline on a baggie and put it on the light to soften the glow.
31. Try a lead block (Sportsman’s Warehouse) wrapped first with duct tape, then  a cushioned plasticized tape, to weight a ruler that you have difficulty keeping still.
32. A foam board (like those used between doors when shipped) from Home Depot will make a good design wall. Just tape together.
33. Tool: Lazy Girl Flying Geese X4
34. Iris tote: put pegboard inside and use dowels in the holes. Then use this to hold thread.
35. If you get fusible webbing on iron, use dryer sheet to clean iron.
36. There is a new seam ripper with a little LED light which is great to use.