Minimal quilting supplies

I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit how
much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but would
not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on the
bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand (heavier
weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not having the
scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with this,
or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned) back in
because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

I think that what you just wrote, questioning the minimum tools and why,
would be a great basis for a Toastmasters presentation.

Susan
AKA Betsy Ross

I would add the scissors in. You really do need them, or some kind of
cutter, to accurately cut thread. Also to cut through the selvedges of
most fabric. (such as starting the tear if you are going to tear fabric.)

Most of us today would add an iron as an essential tool, but our great
grands did without the extensive use of heat and pressure we deem
necessary today. G

JMTCW
Pati, in Phx

Brian Christiansen wrote:

I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit how
much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but would
not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on the
bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand (heavier
weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not having the
scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with this,
or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned) back in
because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

Your speeches always sound like such fun, Brian!
I do believe you would have to leave the scissors included. It isn't
just the fabric that needs cutting. Even if you were to cite the
example of a wholecloth quilt, where one would just need the single
piece of fabric and needle and thread - you would have to cut the thread
(unless you could do close and accurate cutting with teeth? g). And
batting? Perhaps if one were to use an old blanket, and make the quilt
to fit it ...?
No, I would have to leave the scissors in.
..
In message , Brian
Christiansen writes
I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit how
much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but would
not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on the
bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand (heavier
weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not having the
scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with this,
or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned) back in
because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Reminds me of that joke when quilters die and get to heaven surrounded
by bolts and bolts of beautiful fabric for the taking. The resident
quilter said, this is hell. The new arrivee asked why? Because there
are no scissors. LOL

Bronnie

thread would be useful too ;-) (you only mentioned thread right at the
beginning and then dropped it later on in your list of absolute essentials)

if I look in my ready to grab on the go sewing tote I have the following
basic stuff:

small scissors
thread
needles
fabric
paper templates for English pp

so I would add template material ( paper/ plastic/ newspaper/whatever is
your personal preference) to the list as that is the older way of doing it
before there were such things as rotary cutters and rulers

--
Jessamy
www.geocities.com/jess_ayad
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jess_ayad/my_photos
In The Netherlands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit how
much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but would
not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on the
bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand (heavier
weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not having the
scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with this,
or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned) back in
because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

All you need for quilting is a needle, thread and thimble, and a pair of
sharp scissors or thread cutter, unless you really think you can get a clean
cut with your teeth. It isn't necessary to piece a top, lots of quilts are
whole cloth!
Roberta in D

"Brian Christiansen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
. ..
I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit
how much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but
would not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on
the bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand
(heavier weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not
having the scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with
this, or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned)
back in because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

You forgot the thread. That needle won't do much for you without it.

Brian Christiansen wrote:

I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit how
much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but would
not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on the
bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand (heavier
weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not having the
scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with this,
or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned) back in
because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

Diagonal patterns could still be made - just fold the squares into HSTs. I
do this all the time and it makes wonderful 3d quilts - not to mention it is
fast and easy.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Brian Christiansen" wrote in message
. ..
I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of three
speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and 3)
"consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle, scissors,
something to mark the material with, something to measure with, and some
sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not having the
measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device might limit
how much you could do and how many different patterns you could make, but
would not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of the
scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I suppose)
would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear fabric on
the bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear by hand
(heavier weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but not
having the scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with
this, or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned)
back in because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen

scissors, needle and thread.... (does time or imagination count as a tool?)

--
-- Kellie
kjbeanne at yahoo dot com
www.kjbeanne.com/kellie.htm

"Pati Cook" wrote in message
ink.net...
I would add the scissors in. You really do need them, or some kind of
cutter, to accurately cut thread. Also to cut through the selvedges of
most fabric. (such as starting the tear if you are going to tear fabric.)

Most of us today would add an iron as an essential tool, but our great
grands did without the extensive use of heat and pressure we deem
necessary today. G

JMTCW
Pati, in Phx

Brian Christiansen wrote:

I signed up to give a speech in my toastmaster's club, and the subject is
going to be the tools that quilters use. It is the second in a set of
three speeches about what a quilter needs: 1) an idea, 2) the tools, and
3) "consumables" like fabric, thread, batting, etc.

I want to start by mentioning the absolute minimal set of tools that a
quilter needs, and this is what I came up with: a sewing needle,
scissors, something to mark the material with, something to measure with,
and some sort of straight edge. However, I got to thinking, and not
having the measuring device or the straight edge or the marking device
might limit how much you could do and how many different patterns you
could make, but would not prevent you from making quilts.

Then I thought about it some more, and wondered if the same is true of
the scissors. Not having scissors (and having to tear the fabric, I
suppose) would restrict you a great deal as I don't think you can tear
fabric on the bias, and there are some fabrics that are difficult to tear
by hand (heavier weight denim for making a jeans quilt, for example), but
not having the scissors does not absolutely prevent you from quilting.

This reduces the the absolute minimal set of tools for quilting to just a
sewing needle, I suppose? I was just wondering if anybody agrees with
this, or would you add the scissors (and other things that I mentioned)
back in because not having them restricts you too much.

Then after that, I would tell about, and perhaps, show some of the tools,
such as acrylic rulers, cutting wheels, and of course the most important
tool of all, the sewing machine, that make quilting easier and faster.

Brian Christiansen