Essential Supplies for Quilting

If the quilting bug has bitten you, you may be confused about what exactly you will need for supplies for your new craft. A huge part of the fun of starting a new hobby is learning about what kinds of supplies you will need to accomplish it.

There's something so satisfying about working with tools and supplies. While the craft of quilting doesn't technically require much more than a good sewing machine, needles, thread and scissors, there are so many wonderful supplies on the market that will make quilting easier and much more enjoyable.

Start with a sewing machine, the most basic of your supplies. Though it is technically possible to sew a quilt without a machine, and some people still prefer to do it, most busy crafters today like to use a machine. You'll want to at least use it for piecing together the blocks for the quilt top, and after that you can choose to do the actual quilting by hand or machine. But most quilters would agree that the sewing machine is the most essential of your supplies, and so the soundest advice is to buy the best you can afford. There are many wonderful brands such as Bernina, Pfaff, Janome, and Husqvarna Viking, to name a few. Bear in mind that most quilters only need a machine to sew a straight line, so you don't need to worry about buying one with a lot of fancy stitches.

Next on any quilter's list of supplies is a cutting tool. Plain old fashioned scissors are good, and you'll need a pair dedicated to fabric and one for paper only (paper dulls scissors very quickly). However, as a quilter your new best friend is sure to be a rotary cutter and mat. A rotary cutter is a much more efficient tool than the scissors you may be used to, and you can also cut pieces for quilt blocks in volume with it. You'll need a rotary mat to protect the surface you are working on. Don't make the mistake of putting a rotary cutter and mat at the bottom of your list of essential supplies-they will make your life easier and your new hobby much more pleasurable.

You'll need fabric, of course, and most quilters swear by 100 per cent cotton fabric. The array of color and pattern that cotton fabric comes in is truly staggering. You'll also want to put thread on your list of supplies.

Cotton thread is good, with a high luster and long-lasting strength. You'll need pins for a variety of reasons. Pins seem to be one of those notions that quilters have very specific preferences for-you might prefer good old fashioned straight pins made of all steel, or T-pins, or pins with the brightly colored heads. Why not put a variety on your shopping list of supplies and experiment with which ones you like best? You'll also need needles and a seam ripper.

Many quilters also consider a bulletin or idea board as an essential. This can be placed near where your sewing machine is set up and used as a place to pin swatches, arrange fabrics in potential color combinations, and post ideas torn from magazines.

Start your list of essential supplies today, and you'll be a happy quilter.