Okay, gonna be a short Xmas this year, so lets everyone concentrate on smaller, less expensive items. Unique, quilting related, but... what YOU would like someone to give you. I've already been told about one item for my brides list. (see link).
How about a Martelli rotary cutter, Frank? The web site is at . The cutters look odd, but I'm in love with mine! :)
They look nice, but what differentiates them from a standard cutter? Frank
I would like some new bobbins (and have already asked for some more Carol Doak FPP paper).
And enough time in the day to get everything done...
Mary
Not sure how small 'small' is. A new sewing chair would be a nice gift. John is the expert on those. Sometimes replacement items are great. Wander through the sewing area and see what looks like a new one would work. Maybe a fresh cutting mat? New Ginghers? A nice assortment of pretty colored thread. Those Bernina seam rippers are very sharp when brand new. A new lamp for some part of the room? Go watch your bride sew for awhile and see if you can pick up some ideas. There was talk here on music to quilt with. Maybe a new sound system or just a cd. Taria
Watch her sew? Are you kidding? All that blood, screaming and hollaring? She and daughter watch hockey whilst sewing. I'm thinking of a Sid Crosby Fathead for the sewing room. Frank Reid
The push "Problems with arthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, hand fatigue, neck or arm pain? Then the Martelli 2000 Rotary Cutter is the only cutter for you! Unlike traditional rotary cutters, the Ergo Cutter is held in a natural position with your arm and hand evenly distributing all of the pressure. Cuts round, scalloped or patterned shapes. Safe, automatic springloaded guard closes with a flip of a finger. "
I just know that cutting isn't nearly the *work* it used to be.
Alex Anderson has a new 4 in 1 tool out. its a seam ripper, stiletto, turner and presser.. heres a link to it.
Flashbacks of transferring 40 of her shows to DVD. Shudder. Frank Reid (got to see all of her hair styles)
You didn't mention the most important part (to me). Is it easy to change the blade or do you have to draw a diagram of what goes first and which side goes down? Polly
"Sandy" > > How about a Martelli rotary cutter, Frank? The web site is at
How about a catered lunch for the day she wants to keep going without having to bother with cooking at all? 'Catered' can mean anything from a sack of burgers to well .... whatever you can finance. Or a cleaning lady so she can keep going full steam ahead without noticing that the floor is 'somewhere' under the threads and shreds? Right now ours looks like we're raising hairy hogs inside. Yogi can track in more mud and leaves that any pig you ever met. Polly
On Wed, 2 Dec 2009 16:48:14 -0600, Frank Reid wrote (in article ):
Replacement rotary cutter blades in my stocking. Maybe a FQ or 2 since I've been on a fabric buying diet. Not likely that Santa's helper will get me either of those though.
Maureen
Bandaids. Definitely a BIG box of bandaids!
Dannielle
I do a large part of the cooking and all of the cleaning. I like the new roller cutters. I can get a set for each of my ladies and they will not share 'cause the daughter is a lefty. Daughter has been turning denim (to include old jeans) into yarn by cutting it into 1/2" strips and sewing them together. I think a new roller cutter will help in this endeavor. I can also get them a gift certificate to the place that they buy their thread for "Bonnie," the longarm (powered by Starbucks). Someday, I might even get a quilt out of it. Okay folks, keep 'em coming and I'll summarize it in a week so you can email it to those that would "give." Frank Reid
Do they have a pair of those spring-loaded hefty big-time serious scissors meant for cutting denim? When I made all the grands denim quilts, my hand got mighty weary and I did have serious serrated Ginghers. Polly
Polly it is super easy to change the blade. Remove the screw, (there is even an arrow showing which way to turn it, because it is a "reverse" screw) slide the blade out, slide in the new blade and replace the screw. There is a section of the cover that comes off, after the screw is removed, for cleaning the lint out. That part can be difficult to remove the first couple of times, but a bit of use of a screw driver helps. I will chime in and agree about the Martelli cutters. There is a bit of a learning curve to them, because the motion/pressure is different. But once you learn to use this style it is wonderful. And you can use them, easily, while sitting down. wonderful tool.
Pati, > You didn't mention the most important part (to me). =A0Is it easy to chan= ge
Frank, there are lots of inexpensive little gadgets out there that are neat and fun to use. Also useful. Sally's Gizmo. From Sally Schneider. Small tool that helps make half square triangles to match squares all from same width strips. (Under $5) Sally also has a new book out about scrap quilts (but darned if I can remember the name of it at the moment.) The Gizmo came about because Sally works a lot on scrappy quilts.
There are lots of tools, rulers, pantographs, and supplies (batting and thread, for example) for the long arm. Several shops on line have long arm sections.
Accessories for the sewing machines. Extra feet, guides, multi-spool holders and so on.
Sewing machine needles. I understand the titanium ones are wonderful, last a lot longer than standard ones and are pricier. One of these days I will splurge on some.
Embellishments.... Angelina fiber and film. Shiva Paint Sticks, along with rubbing plates and such. And the books that explain how to use these products. Fiber/yarn collections. Beads, hot fix crystals/studs/pearls. (and the "wand" to fix them.)
Several of our local quilt shops have "Wish Lists" for customers to fill out and leave. Then have special days for gifters to visit and get assistance in selecting items on the lists for their giftee(s). Works really well.
My late mother-in-law always asked what we wanted. (Not the way I grew up.) It was difficult to ask for specific things, but I could give her one of the catalogs that I had marked up with things I would like to have. She then had suggestions, and places she could order the items if she didn't want to go looking for them. Or she could take the catalog along to a local shop and show them what she was looking for. Whichever she chose. (Got my light table and first FasTurn set that way. )
Have fun, Pati, > Okay, gonna be a short Xmas this year, so lets everyone concentrate on
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Frank, I'm a lefty, too! It has its advantages, in that no one ever borrows my rotary cutters and forgets to return them. ;) DH and one of our two DDs are also left-handed, so my scissors have never been safe unless I hid them. Now I do exactly that, leaving out a couple of pairs I don't care about -- sort of a red herring idea.
Polly, to answer your question I had to go take mine apart to look! These blades last a seriously long time, since you don't accidentally cut with the blade at an angle. At any rate, to change the blade, you remove one screw (it can only go back in one place), let the blade fall out onto a safe surface (not your foot!), slide a new blade in and replace the screw.
Yes, that's *lots* better than the other cutters I've had before now, where I had to take everything apart, laying it all out in order so as to get it back together again correctly. Yay!
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