Calling all hand quilters !
 

I am going to a quilt show this weekend in TN so I am curious what is your favorite tool that makes life easier and you can't imagine quilting without.

My Roxanne thimble that is open to let you have long fingernails, my 18 inch hoop that is on a lap stand and my small Gingher scissors that I hang from a lanyard around my neck. All these things make quilting a pleasure.

I love my ThimbleLady thimble. Like Roxanne, it is open ended but differently shaped. Take a look at both online. I have a stainless steel version and they are considerably less expensive than most Roxanne's. Although I thought I saw some less expensive Roxanne's lately somewhere. Sorry to be so vague about that.

My other favorite go-to tools - Bohin mechanical pencil for drawing quilting lines. There are a variety of color leads available. Also love Roxanne needles. I like #10 or #11 most of the time. If you get Roxanne needles, make sure you get several of their threaders. The tiny eyes on the Roxanne needles don't play nicely with other commercially available threaders. Thread Heaven. I have a stupid little pincushion that sits on a golf tee. Plays nicely with a spool of thread for storing pre-threaded extra needles for quilting. Pair of pliers for pulling those needles out of the fabric sometimes. Rubber finger tips for same. I picked up a nice little zippered bag in Lancaster a couple of years ago. Can put all my hand quilting tools in it for traveling. It's only about 4-5 inches wide and about the same height but holds a lot of stuff. For me, any small snips work for clipping thread.

And stencils, stencils, stencils! I drool over stencils no matter where I go. Did I mention I love stencils? Have a blast.

I could not live w/o the Clover neddle threader!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Desk-Ne.../dp/B001BL70MS

Happy handQuilting!

Yup, gotta agree with all that said before me...... needles, finger cots, pliers, scissors, stencils, marking pencils, clover needle threader, and thimbles. I'm always looking for a new thimble.

And my cup of tea at my side..... almost forgot my tea.

Agree on the Roxanne Needles. My thimble of choice is also open on the tip for fingernail, it seems to fit better but my favorite brand is TJ Lane, but they are very spendy as they are sterling silver. The company warranties them for life. They can double as jewelery but I use them for quilting. The one hand quilting tool I absolutely can not live without that has not been mentioned is my Ott floor lamp.

I love my Dritz 14" plastic hoop with the wing nut to tighten. I constantly think I want to get another one. I have one of the snap together frames but rarely use it due to the fact that I can only do straight lines on it.

I have 4 thimbles, and my 16" circular hoop. My thimbles, have a I'm guessing a 1/8 , indentation, at the top of my thimbles. Thimbles, I got from JoAnns, and 1 from a quilt/material shop. And my ott light. My recliner chair. And I'm going to say my pets. There under my quilt, I'm hand quilting on now.

The little blue box thread magic. I love that stuff! I run my thread over it and then I have no knots no matter how long I cut my thread

I love my tablespoon size measuring spoon...I put it on my thumb on the underside of the quilt to bounce the needle off of....no more sore fingers and much more even stitching!