New Toys...

When I started my Hexy MF quilt along, Katy from Fat Quarterly suggested all sorts of new sewing toys!

I bought most of them as I had not used them before and I thought it would be a worthwhile investment. Some of the them have been a success... others I am not sure I will use again....

Everyone is different so I thought I would share my thoughts on the things I have tried out:

Sewline Glue Pen

I love this glue pen. It is easy to use and really does work. The down side is that you have to use a lot making so many hexagons, which means they run out very quickly... I have found that I need a buy refills too quickly, so whilst I love the glue I have returned to the traditional method of attaching the paper - needle and thread!

If you want to try it out Pollyanna Patchwork has them and they are super fast with delivery!

Wonder Clips

I got these at the Festival of Quilts a couple of weeks ago. Katy recommended using them to help when attaching the fabric and paper hexagons. I tried this, but found the clips heavy and bulky whilst I was sewing... But I have been using them for the next step of building the flowers:

They work really well to keep everything in place. I also used them to help when I was binding my new quilt:

I got mine from Creative Grids at the Festival, but they have them online too.

Thread

I was also introduced to Aurifil 50/2 thread, which has changed the way I work completely! I have bought this thread in a number of shades and it is now the only thread on my sewing machine!

It is amazingly versatile - it pieces, appliques, hand pieces and quilts.... perfect!

The best range is at Quilt Direct, who are fantastic at getting them out fast!

I hope I have given you some inspiration... what new toys have you tried that worked well?