Favorite Sewing Notions of Artistic Artifacts Staff

The staff at Artistic Artifacts have many different creative outlets and experience, so it was no surprise when I asked them in a recent group chat about what were their favorite notions and tools. There were a number of items that several people agreed on and others that some of us had never even tried.

This post will focus on sewing notions, including products for machine piecing and quilting, hand and machine embroidery, garment and bag making. We’ll share a future blog about mixed media tool recommendations!

A few top items that several had on their list include:

• Creative Grids Stripology Rulers , which are available several sizes — a game changer! The back of the ruler has grippers and the rotary cutter blades fit in the slots at the various increments depending on which ruler you use. The Stripology XL is the most versatile for cutting blocks, strips, squaring up blocks and more!
  • In her Using Stripology Rulers blog post, Chris shared that “I can no longer claim that I cannot cut or sew a straight line,” praising the clear instructions provided with each ruler, including “great visuals on ruler placement for the cutting instructions.” Chris turned me into a fan of these amazing tools and often demonstrates them in our shop and during Facebook Live presentations.
  • Master Your Stripology Rulers by Gundrun Erla is a great reference tool to guide you in cutting various increments depending on which of the rulers. Many of our quilt patterns and quilt kits are designed for using the rulers though they also give instructions for using a regular ruler.
  • Katherine uses our 6-1/2 in. Artistic Artifacts Creative Grids Quilt Ruler “all the time for sub-cutting strips, cutting off dog ears, and next to my sewing machine to easily square up 2.5 in. half-square triangles.”

• Barbara says that the BERNINA Tweezers are “the best EVAH!” She also loves the ByAnnie Stiletto & Pressing Tool — “How did I ever sew without one?” she raves. “It is almost always in my hand when sewing!”
• Rotary Cutters were on just about everyone’s list. Danny specifically said “the Olfa Classic 45mm feels stable and is essential in helping me cut straight.” My preference is for the 60mm size — we’re also trying out a few new ones in the store to get the staff’s feedback.
• Creative Grids Cutting Mats, which are available in various sizes depending on the size of your workspace and project (largest sizes are only available in-store). The durable mats absorb cuts made by rotary cutters. Several staff have a larger mat in their sewing room, but also use the 14 in. Rotating Mat.
• Pressing Tools! The Gypsy Quilter Wool Pressing Mats were on a number of ‘essential’ lists. Most of the machine sewers have one by their sewing machine along with an Oliso Iron for pressing seams as they stitch. Amy commented that her wool pressing mat “lives on my sewing table. Your sewing is only as good as your pressing!”
  • The smaller-sized mats and Oliso project irons are ideal to take with you to class or retreats!
• Martha does beautiful quilting on many of our in-house samples and loves her Amanda Murphy Measuring Gauge for ensuring an accurate 1/4 in. measurement.
• Wonder Clips by Clover were another invaluable notion, recommended by multiple members of the staff! “I use Wonder Clips all the time,” wrote Chris. “Very versatile and I rarely use pins anymore.” Becca mentioned that they are “great for holding glued things together like cosplay foam together as well.”

A number of glues and stabilizers made it to the recommendations:

• Mistyfuse is a great lightweight double sided webbing that doesn’t add bulk or gum up your machine and hand stitching needles. Pair Mistyfuse with a Goddess Sheet, a nonstick Teflon sheet, available in several sizes. Using a Goddess Sheet or parchment paper is essential to avoid having any fusible stick to your iron. Dudley reminds us that Iron Cleaner needs to be a standby with your pressing tools too — accidents with fusibles happen!
• Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 is a very versatile light weight double sided fusible web. The product allows you to fuse one side and reposition your fused pieces until you get the final placement before ironing.
• A new product, Instant Applique by WonderFil , is another double sided adhesive to give you flexibility and control with no frayed edges when doing machine or hand applique.
• Odif 505 Temporary Adhesive holds fabric in place with precision and disappears when washing. The spray can is great for basting a quilt, and “I really like the 505 Temporary Adhesive Glue Stick as someone who does a lot of hand appliqué and patchwork,” said Katelyn. It’s also great for machine appliqué and embroidering as well as hemming.

And then there are a number of miscellaneous items individuals mentioned based on the type of stitching or sewing they like to do.

• Scissors — The Karen Kay Buckley Perfect scissors come in a variety of sizes and are named as favorites because of their comfort grip handles and sharp blades. Recently added to our site are the Famore cutting tools with a range of styles. These are made with are made with a high grade steel that is rust and corrosion-resistant and easy to clean.
• Needles — Lots of choices of Tulip Needles for hand stitching! My go-to choice is the assorted pack of Chenille needles. With a big eye and sharp point, I that the four sizes accommodate the different thread weights with ease.
• I recommend the della Q Maker’s Buddy Case. This is the perfect case for keeping your notions such as needles, pins, stitch markers, snips and mini scissors. The magnetic lid on both sides keeps your notions secure, whether you are using it at home or travel.
• Kira mentioned the Poppy Needle Threaders, sharing that “They are easy to hold, flat for packing in your sewing case, and large enough that I don’t lose them all of the time. And they’re lovely to look at.”
• Needle minders are also lovely to look at, and help prevent losing track of your needles as you work.

This list could be miles long, as the staff has many favorites! Not only good additions for your own sewing room, these also practical gift ideas for the sewist on your list!

We’d love to hear from you about your favorite notions and must-haves in your sewing space — please comment here, or share your thoughts and photos in our Artistic Artifacts Creative Minds Facebook group.