Two new gizmos for the sewing room.

Oh my goodness I really want that rotary cutter. Think of the strain it would take off your hands if you didn't have to spend hours cutting fabric for each quilt you make..... I think a machine like this would make quilting possible again for many folks with serious hand/wrist pain. But how much would it cost?

Sunny

Cheese & crackers, I NEEDS one of those bias tape machines. I stopped making baby bibs because of the damn bias tape.

I can't figure out how much they are. I wonder if my friend can order one from her distributor.

I will keep you posted.

Cindy

I like the idea of a rotary cutter machine for cutting strips but it says it cuts strips from 3/8'' to 2-3/4''. The narrowest size strips wouldn't be too useful other than narrow strips for appliqué (does it cut strips on the bias?) or bindings (which I cut at 2-1/4 in.) and the 2-3/4 in. maximum size still isn't very wide for making blocks. Then you still have your cross cuts to make from the strips. I wouldn't invest in this machine due to it's size limitations. YMMV

Leslie & The Furbabies in rainy, stormy MO.

I did a little Googling.........the Bias Tape thing is $100.00, the Cutter thing is $75.00.

Val

Julia, so far as I'm concerned, making bias tape is just this side of waterboarding, regardless of whether you consider it torture or not. I have every side of those Clover devices. I still manage to lose the fold, have to go back and refold/press, steam my fingers, burn my fingers, fumble, drop, (did I say steam my fingers?) and I really don't like it. I think it would definitely be $100 better than the little guides. Not that I'm going to buy one, but I may take up a fund and buy one for the Children's Hospital Guild. They make little "surgery dolls" for each kiddie having a medical procedure, and of course, each little doll gets a hospital gown and each gown is edged with .....(drum roll) bias tape. Friend and I made about 1,000 feet of bias tape one day so that folks the next day could sew little gowns and dolls without us there. Groan.

Sunny

I've tried the little Clover device & didn't really like it -- had the same problems you do. But it looks like the $100 gizmo incorporates the Clover thing & I'm wondering how big an improvement it would be.

Julia > Julia, so far as I'm concerned, making bias tape is just this side of

Howdy!

sez the Simplicity machine is made by Wrights. "perfect" $100 and "no burnt fingers" - well, if it saves a few trips to the new fingers store... ;-P

R/Sandy

When I was doing the Noel quilt, it seems like it called for four hundred and something feet of vines. Bias. It was certainly not easy but somehow I slipped pins through my ironing board cover at precise intervals so they would hold the tape steady and I could press. The other trick was Taria's - I turned off the steam. Saved a trip to the Finger Replacement store. Polly

Great minds think alike! However on this side of the pond I would go for:

Lizzy

I do like Polly and Taria. BUT I use needle nose pliers to hold onto the end of the fabric....even if I have to 'cut off the bit' where the pliers were.* I don't have much grip strength in my hands so using the pliers protects my fingers and lets me make it the old fashioned way.

I also have a bias maker for my Old Singer but I find it easier doing it on the ironing board and then attaching it. Guess it depends on how you learned to do it.

HTH Butterfly (*Needlenose are dedicated Studio tools))

Howdy!

ooh, that's cool! Now I'm thinking of all the binding strip leftovers - what a great trim that would make, braided, embellished, sewn together side-by-side; strung around the Christmas tree in the sewing room.... Thanks, Lizzy!

R/Sandy

Howdy!

And I bet they like you, too, B-fly. ;-)

Whatever works. We know someone who used the hammer on the 8-pt. seam intersection; truly, a resourceful "quilting tool". I use this:

Aren't I lucky? Their retail store is in Kansas City, about 100 miles from me. I had been getting their catalog for a few years and suddenly noticed I was paying sales tax. I really looked at where they were.

The store is wonderful and the staff is extremely nice.

Cindy