The pattern for this quilt was published in my book Sewflakes: Papercut Appliqué Quilts by C&T Publishing.  Now, for the first time, you can take a class to get you started on your own Tools of the Trade quilt.  On October 22, 2011, the class will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Quilters Cupboard in Uxbridge ON.  It will also be offered at Quilt Canada in Halifax NS on Saturday, June 2, 2012.

The first block that I designed for this quilt was the block “Cut it Out”.  On a square piece of paper folded into eight equal segments, I drew half a pair of scissors on one fold just touching the opposite half at the tip of the blades.

When this was cut out and unfolded, the result was eight connected scissors with a star shape in the center.

To unify the blocks, I decided to incorporate that star shape in the center of each sewflake design in the quilt.  “Pins and Needles” portrays thimbles as well as pins and needles in a pin cushion.

Here is the resulting block with embroidered pins and needles in the pin cushion.

One of our all-time favorite tools is our sewing machine, drawn with cut-outs in the table to create the center star shape.

This is the block “Sew Business” with embroidered thread detail.

Irons and ironing boards are the subject of the design “Pressing Matters”.

This is the block, complete with seed beads for the iron vent holes.

A wonderful invention that most quilters wouldn’t do without is the rotary cutter, seen here alongside its companion ruler.

Here is the block “The Cutting Edge”.

The sixth and final design features a tangled measuring tape.

This is the block “Measure Up”.

Fusible appliqué was used to create the six 13″ x 13″ sewflake blocks, stitched with a tiny zigzag stitch in invisible thread to cover the raw edges.  The blocks are framed with a pieced sashing of Spool blocks, each measuring 3 ¼” x 3 ¼”.

My color palette for this quilt was determined by the fabric I chose for the outer borders.  The fabric spools of thread suggested the red for the scissors and pin cushions; the blue for the sewing machine tables; the green for the ironing boards; and the yellow/gold for the rotary cutters, rulers and measuring tape.  They were echoed as well in the “thread” of the patchwork Spool blocks.

Removable Fabric Markers 
Obviously, we need fabric markers.  The marks should be removable, just in case some of the appliqué doesn’t line up perfectly.  I have two favorite markers:  one for light fabrics and one for dark fabrics.

Light Fabrics
“The Fine Line” is a water erasable pen that marks in blue.  I like it because the tip is very fine and it makes a nice, thin line.  You can also get an eraser pen, which removes the blue markings.  This is great for fixing up mistakes!  But I find the best way to remove the lines completely is to immerse the block in water.  Spritzing or dabbing the lines with water appears to work, but often some of the blue returns once the area has dried.

Dark Fabrics
Clover’s white marking pen is erasable with a hot iron as well as water.  Just take note that the marks take a few seconds to appear, so be patient.  The white lines show up well on the darker fabrics where a blue line wouldn’t.  Sometimes, I go over the lines a second time to make the white lines brighter.  Mistakes are easily corrected by ironing over them, but just be careful not to iron your marked fabric until you’re done with the lines!

Sandpaper Board
A sandpaper board is incredibly useful for marking fabrics.  It is placed underneath the fabric to keep it from shifting.  You can purchase a sandpaper board specifically for this purpose, or you can make one yourself.  Simply attach a sheet of fine grit sandpaper to a sturdy mounting board.

Fabric on sandpaper board

This is a great little tool.  I got it out recently and thought again how useful it really is.  It’s called the Easy Edge Appliqué Tool, by Heidizine Products, and I use it primarily for glue-basting seam allowances to freezer paper.

Soft Tip

It measures a little under 5 ½” in length, fitting comfortably in your hand.  One end has a soft 45-degree angled tip, ¼” in diameter.  The soft tip grips the fabric for turning over the seam allowance and sticking it to the freezer paper.  But the best part is that it keeps the glue from sticking to your fingers!

The other end tapers to form a thin 45-degree angled edge.  This part of the tool is useful for lifting, repositioning, smoothing out edges, and creasing outside points.  It can also be used for spreading glue in hard to reach places or for removing excess glue.  My favorite use for this end is for turning over stray threads at inside points and making sure they stay adhered to the freezer paper.

Thin Tapered Tip

It is true that I prefer to appliqué by hand using the needle-turn method.  One of the main reasons for this has to do with the preparation work involved.  Needle-turn appliqué eliminates the time-consuming process of basting the patches to freezer paper.

However, there are times when the speed of machine appliqué is appealing.  And these are the times when basting to freezer paper makes sense.  The time taken at the basting stage is made up for at the stitching stage.  And I wouldn’t be without my Easy Edge Appliqué Tool when it comes to glue-basting to freezer paper, because I hate sticky fingers!