Best Quilting Notions and Tools
Welcome to Scissortail Quilting’s go-to resource page for the best quilting notions and tools on the market. Whether you’re new to quilting or an experienced quilter, having the right tools can make all the difference. That’s why I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of what I believe are the BEST QUILTING NOTIONS AND TOOLS you can use to create beautiful and accurate quilts.
Every one of these are tools that I personally use. The list includes essential tools that every quilter needs, such as sewing machines, rotary cutting tools, and sewing notions. But I’ve also included specialty rulers, appliqué tools, and English paper piecing tools to help you take your quilting to the next level.
The good news is, you don’t need to buy everything at once. The lists are organized by section to make it easier for you to find what you need. Start with the basic tools from Section 1: Your Basic Sewing Kit and Section 2: Your Basic Rotary Cutting Tools and Notions. From there, you can add on the other tools as you need them. Towards the bottom you will find a section of items that I think every quilter needs to stay organized, plus a fun list of things I use for retreats and quilting on the go.
Thank you for visiting Scissortail Quilting, and happy quilting as you use the very BEST QUILTING NOTIONS and TOOLS available on the market!
Each of the Amazon links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click the links and choose to make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you but does help me earn enough to support the cost of this website. Please know that I only link to items which I personally use and feel that I can confidently endorse. Your support by clicking on these links is greatly appreciated.
Section 1: Basic Sewing & Quilting Supplies
If you are just starting your quilting journey you will need what I call the Basic Sewing Kit. The first order of business is a sewing machine in good working order that you know how to use, along with some general sewing notions. If you don’t have a machine, I have recommended a basic model that I use. You may have a lot of the other items already on hand, but when it comes time to replace them, here are the ones I have found to be reliable.
- Entry Level Sewing Machine
- Aurifil 100% Cotton Thread
- Clover Seam Ripper
- Kai 10″ Professional Shears
- 1/4″ Sewing Foot
- Stitch-in-the-ditch sewing foot
- Flower Head Pins
- Glass Head Pins
- Curved Safety Pins
- Measuring Tape
- Fabric Marking Chalk (also available in blue, yellow, and pink)
- Rowenta Access Iron for pressing seams and fabric
- Hobbs Fusible quilt batting (for quilting on a domestic machine)
- Hobbs 80/20 Quilt Batting (for quilting on a long-arm machine)
Additional Items that are nice to have:
- Vinyl Sewing Edge by Marci Baker
- Zirkle Magnetic Pin Holder
- Magnetic Pin Wand
- Hera Marker
- Seam Roller
- Riley Blake Wooden Clapper (used for pressing)
Section 2: Your Basic Rotary Cutting Tools and Rulers
The following tools and notions make up what I consider the “basic” kit for rotary cutting. If you’re a new or beginning quilter, these are your first investments. I heartily endorse the Creative Grids rulers because I can see through them clearly, they do not slip, and most of them have additional lines to help with lining up fabric. This helps you make accurate cuts, and that is where a beautiful quilt begins. Another plus is that almost all of the Creative Grids rulers have instructional videos on YouTube where you can learn better ways to use the ruler, and these videos can be easily accessed from a mobile device by scanning the QR code that is printed directly on the ruler.
- Cutting Mat
- Rotating mat
- Mini Mat (great for quick cuts at your sewing machine)
- 45mm Rotary Cutter
- 45mm Replacement Blades
- 6.5″ x 12.5″ Multipurpose Ruler
- 6.5″ x 24.5″ Strip Ruler
- 6″ x 6″ Precision Ruler
- 1″ ruler
Section 3: Specialty Rulers for Quilters
There are a ton of specialty rulers on the market, and it’s hard to know which ones are worthy of your investment. I consider the rulers listed below to be my “special” workhorses, as they have greatly improved my accuracy and given me exceptional results.
- Square up Rulers
- Bloc-loc HST Trim-up Rulers
- HST Ruler
- QST Ruler
- Add-a-quarter rulers
- Equilateral Triangle Ruler
- Corner Beam Ruler
- V Block Ruler
- Flying Geese Trim Tool
- Rapid Fire Lemoyne Star (Kite Ruler)
- Log Cabin Ruler
- Pineapple Block Ruler
- Quick Curve Ruler
- Robin Ruth Skinny Compass Ruler
Section 4: Tools and Notions for Appliqué and English Paper Piecing (EPP)
Applique has its own set of needs. I love the fact that applique and EPP can be so portable, and so I keep an applique kit containing my applique tools and notions that are always ready to travel. The items below are my “go to” products when working with applique.
- Fusible Interfacing
- Karen Kay Buckley Fine-tip Scissors
- Faultless Iron Cleaner
- Roxanne Glue Baste
- Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Circle Templates
- Bohin Needle Threader
- Size 10 Straw needles
- Invisafil thread (for machine applique)
- Silk Thread (for needle turn)
- Dritz Hexagon Papers
- Sewline Glue Pen
- Sue Daley Fussy Cut Mirror
- Thread Cutters Ring
- Clover Needle Dome
- Jillily Poke-a-dots
- Wonderfil Bobbinator
Section 5: Tools and Notions for Traveling to Quilt
(retreats, sewing groups, etc)
Don’t miss out on the joy of quilt retreats and sewing group days! Be prepared for spontaneous sewing adventures with your friends by keeping a specially curated bag ready to go at a moment’s notice. With the right tools and notions listed below, you can make your sewing excursions a breeze, allowing you to say “yes” whenever someone suggests, “Let’s Sew!” Invest in these essential items and experience the convenience and excitement of being always prepared for quilting fun.
- Tutto Machine Trolley
- Adjustable Folding Table
- Travel iron
- Meori Collapsible Tool Caddy
- Maori Collapsible Tote Project bag
- Travel folding cut and press
- Large Collapsible Utility Tote
- Small organizer bags (I use 3-4 of these to organize supplies when I travel)
- Water Bottle
Section 6: Best tools and notions to organize your sewing room
- Artbin Storage Boxes
- Artbin Storage Cubes
- Tool Caddy
- Fabric or Metal Magazine Holder (the paper ones fall apart on me)
- Cube storage bins (I use some from IKEA and Target which are no longer available)
- Storage Baskets
- TUL Planner
- Mushroom Hole Punch
- Quilt Project Planner Pages