Friday, September 23, 2022

The Queen of Gadgets Blog Hop

 


What is your favorite sewing gadget?

The Queen of Gadgets Blog Hop
The challenge: Use your favorite sewing tool to create a project. Tell us and show us why you love it...

I have several gadgets that I love to use so I thought I would make a Jimmy John quilt using them. (The Jimmy John quilt pattern is a free download that can be found thru Jo's Country Junction) The Jimmy John quilt pattern has been on my to do list for quite some time. You see I love to buy jelly rolls when I visit quilt shops and this pattern calls for a jelly roll and some background fabric which I was able to pull out of my fabric stash! 

Pictured here are my gadgets I'd like to feature! My Olfa Rotary cutter, My Oliso travel iron, Blade Saver Thread Cutter, wool pressing mat and of course my quarter inch foot!

I was first introduced to an Olfa Rotary cutter back in the 80's and using it the first time was a game changer for me! I'm able to cut out quilt pieces in a flash. I now have several rotary cutters in different colors and sizes! I use my rotary cutter all the time! 


Following the cutting directions on the pattern I cut out all of the extra pieces I needed to go along with my Jelly Roll.

When I first started quilting, I had no idea what a quarter inch foot was. I would just follow the guide on my machine to line up a quarter inch seam. I just love using my quarter inch foot. It helps ensure that my seams will be accurate.

I love to chain sew because for me it saves a ton of time. With chain sewing comes a lot of cutting blocks apart. My Blade Saver Cutter is my new favorite tool! I picked one up after seeing it on Instagram about a year or so ago. I know you can find them in quilt shops and on Esty. What I love about this little gadget is that it uses old rotary blades. 

When I go on quilt retreats it is so nice to be able to set up a pressing station right by my sewing area. My Oliso travel iron and wool pressing mat is a must have for traveling! I also like setting up a pressing area next to me at home if I'm working on a block that requires a lot of pressing in between steps. It's another time saver...

Within no time these gadgets helped me stitch this quilt up! I'm pretty happy with how my Jimmy John quilt turned out. If you need a quick quilt project, this is a great one! The quilt has only a border on the top and bottom of the quilt. I think if I do this quilt again, I would extend the border all the way around.

I like how this pattern is written, it made it so easy to make a scrappy quilt using a jelly roll.

I didn't get it quilted in time for the posting, since it's Halloween themed fabric, I will be quilting a spooky pattern in black thread that features, a spider web and spider, witches' hat and bat. I will be using my embroidery machine to quilt this quilt, wish me luck. I have a bit of a learning curve using my embroidery machine in this way. I quilt table runners and mug rugs using my machine and I love the results, but I have only done larger quilts a couple of times.

I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch! Have fun visiting all the blogs for all sorts of gadget inspiration!

Happy quilting,
Cindy and Josephine

18 comments:

  1. thanks for sharing today. your quilt is gorgeous. thanks for sharing where I can find it. this will make a wonderful Christmas quilt and a baby quilt

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  2. I love this quilt design and fabrics you chose! So many fun tools in your gadget stash, including that little daisy cutter. I need that! Thanks for sharing your beautiful quilt and gadgets, Cindy!

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  3. Great gadgets. Thanks for sharing your lovely quilt!

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  4. Super fun quilt with great gadgets.

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  5. Beautiful quilt! I love using pre-cuts for my sewing projects. Great gadgets!

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  6. Do you have a link to the jimmy John quilt?

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  7. I have similar gadgets, and use them often. I like that Jimmy John design - quick and easy! (I'm waving to you from just a few miles south - I live in Northfield.)

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  8. You are all set up perfectly with your gadgets for a retreat. There is nothing better than having your own station right by your machine. Love your Jimmy John quilt. I hope you got to enjoy a JJ sub while you were working on it! LOL!!

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  9. Sweet quilt! I hope you show us after it is quilted. I haven't attempted to quilt with my emb machine yet, but I do want to try!!

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  10. I enjoyed viewing your gadgets Cindy, and the JJ quilt is a good looking project. Thanks for sharing your besties with us

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  11. I like the Jimmy John (my friends fathers name) pattern and all your gadgets make it so much easier

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  12. Love your quilt, the colours look like Halloween, and the make it so fresh and clean looking.
    That little daisy cutter is brilliant, I need one near my machine, and one near the ironing board - I spend more time getting up to retrieve my scissors from one place or the other.
    Thanks Cindy (and a special hug for Josephine).

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  13. I definitely think rotary cutters and their rulers are the best gadget ever. Great!

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  14. Great quilt! I use the same gadgets whenever I sit down to stitch. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. I love seeing those helpful gadgets in action! Your quilt is wonderful.

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  16. Such great gadgets! I love the quilt they helped make. The prints are fantastic!

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  17. Such a pretty quilt and fantastic gadgets! What would we do without our favorites in the sewing room! xx

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