Quilter's Review Sampler
December 22, 2003

Piecing It All Together

I'm guessing you've got a busy couple of weeks coming up. I hope they're filled with love and good cheer with friends and family.

In this week's newsletter I've reviewed three "little" quilting products I think you'll find useful. And Sophie reviews American Stenciled Quilts, an intriguing alternative to piecing and applique, and All Through The Woods, which features fast cabin-look quilted projects.

By the way, if you're an AOL subscriber and this is the first Quilter's Review newsletter you've seen in months and months, welcome back! Charlie has been trying to restore reliable service to our AOL subscribers for months. He thinks that the last couple of weeks working directly with AOL's technical team may finally have done the trick.

I'll be back in your inbox on January 5, 2004.

Until then, from our family to yours, you have our very best wishes for a warm, wonderful holiday season and a healthy, happy 2004!

P.S. Get an e-mail address that every quilter will envy, and you'll never have to change your e-mail address again! A LovesToQuilt.com e-mail address automatically forwards your e-mail to whatever Internet service you're on.

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Hot Iron Cleaner For A Happy Ending

A quick look at Hot Iron Cleaner from Faultless

Click the picture to visit the Faultless Web site

This mini-review starts with a tragic tale.

I was working with a light-colored fabric to which I'd ironed fusible web. It was hard to tell which side had the fusible.

Unfortunately, I mistakenly placed the fabric pieces on the background fabric with the fusible side up and started to press. When I lifted my iron, it was covered with fabric pieces stuck to the soleplate.

Suddenly, I was ready to give Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner a try.

I squeezed about an inch of cleaner onto an old washcloth that was in the scrap bin. I ironed the washcloth until I had cleaned the bottom of the iron. Once my iron was clean, I went back to my fusing task - this time with the fabric pieces fusible side down!

And that's how long it took me to decide that Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner is a great product. It is a big time saver and frustration saver.

I didn't have to wait for the iron to cool off. I didn't even have time to get upset about my stupid mistake. In just a minute I was back at work again, so I didn't lose my inspiration for creating.

Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner is a must-have product for any quilter or fabric artist.

Click here to visit
the Other Pressing Tools forum.

Quick, Handy Calculator For Straight Bindings

A quick look at Straight Binding Calculator from Paradigm Engineering

Click the picture to visit the Straight Binding Calculator Web page

Paradigm's Straight Binding Calculator looks like a small cardboard slide-rule. With it, you can calculate how much binding fabric to buy for any quilt with a perimeter from 60" to 474".

The Straight Binding Calculator will work for straight cut bindings made of 2"- to 4"-wide fabric strips. And it includes in its calculations enough extra fabric to miter the corners.

It's easy to use. Just measure or calculate the perimeter of your quilt, then slide the inner piece of the calculator until your perimeter measurement (in the Quilt Perimeter window) lines up next to the Cut Strip Width that you intend to use. The number of yards of fabric you need to buy appears in the answer window.

I like the fact that I don't have to remember how much extra fabric to add to allow for mitered corners. And the Straight Binding Calculator fits in my purse, so I always have it when I need it.

I also want to get Paradigm's Bias Binding Calculator. I like products that save time and reduce errors, especially when it comes to buying and measuring fabric.

Click here to visit
the Straight Binding Calculator forum.

Glass-Headed Pins In A Magnetic Dispenser

A quick look at Magnetic Pin Dispenser from EZ Quilting

Click the picture to visit the Magnetic Pin Dispenser Web page

EZ Quilting's Magnetic Pin Dispenser is round, colorful, and contains 50 glass-headed quilting pins. It is easy to fill with pins by turning its top and bottom in opposite directions.

I thought it would be easy to accidentally shake pins out of it, but I was wrong. It holds them really well. I just throw it in my tote bag and I'm out the door.

Yet the pins are easy to grab. They cluster around the magnet that surrounds the dispensing hole. If there are no pins poking through the hole, just give the dispenser a shake.

Where To Buy: Magnetic Pin Dispenser

Learn more about the Magnetic Pin Dispenser at ConnectingThreads.com... click their logo!

Click here to visit
the Other Sewing Room Products forum.

Applique With Paint Instead Of Fabric

A review of American Stenciled Quilts New Projects From Traditional Techniques by Vicki Garnas	Click the book for more information
Modern tools and techniques update this traditional shortcut to a great quilt top.

Learn more in the full review

Easy Projects For The Cabin Look

A review of All Through The Woods Quilted Projects From The North Country by Cori Derksen and Myra Harder	Click the book for more information
Straight seams and big patches let you add a dash of the North Country to your decor in no time.

Learn more in the full review

Learn more in the full tip