Good Tools and Better Tools

This week has gone by very fast.  I have not done nearly what I have wanted to.  Work as always has been a hindrance to my quilting. I wonder what it would be like to be financially secure and not have to work. But If I wasn't working, I wouldn't have the money for the long arm let alone, fabric and tools to quilt with. So working is a choice that I have made.  One that I must live with until I have paid down some debt.

Another hindrance, albeit a welcome one, has been the grandchildren.  I am lucky enough to have a couple of grandchildren close by. This week, we got to see them everyday and even had a sleep over.  I am really grateful for this time. I am afraid the reality is that most of my grandchildren don't know me at all.  This time has been good for us to get to know each other.  This too is a choice and one that is easy to make.  They won't be little forever.

Despite these two hindrances, I have done a little bit of quilting. Well mostly squaring up blocks.  In doing this I have found that I am grateful for having good tools.  I have two tools in mind. one is a rotating cutting mat and the other is a squaring up ruler.

I have two rotating cutting mats. One is a Fiskars rotating mat that I bought some time ago.  It is 14 inches square with a 13 inch cutting grid. When I bought it I thought it was ideal. I could easily square up 12 1/2 inch blocks.  I used it for a couple of years but was never really happy with it. It doesn't rotate easily. This is due to the fact that it is simply a cutting mat with a round disk attached to the back. This sits on another mat with a hole in it. It is thin and easily stored but using it is more of a work out than I would like. Still I've held on to it. I keep thinking I will find a use for it. Maybe pass it on to someone else. If nothing else it is a good cutting mat.

Fiskars rotating mat

base of the Fiskars mat

back side of the Fiskars mat

The second rotating mat I have is a Martelli rotating cutting mat.  I bought this about a year ago after seeing it on one of the Missouri Star Tutorials. It is 16 inches round but the useful cutting grid is only about 11 inches. So I am limited in the size of block I can square up. The base is actually a turntable with a felt like covering. This mat rotates easily and squaring up blocks goes quickly.  Mine came with a pressing mat that can be placed on the base instead of the cutting mat. The things is, it is cumbersome to store. I currently store it in the box it came. Once I get my studio the way I want it, I hope to have a cutting table with a drawer to hold it.

Martelli rotating cutting mat

base of Martelli cutting mat

Of the two rotating mats I find the Martelli to be the better choice. If I had to buy one of the two again I would buy the Martelli.

Creative grids 4 1/2 inch ruler

The other tool I have been using is a square up ruler.  I have many of these in multiple sizes. This week I have been using the 4 1/2 inch square.  I have a Creative Grids 4 1/2 inch square ruler that I have used many times. It has a diagonal line to help line up the block. It also has gripping dots on the back.  This ruler works well and I love it. The gripping dots keep it stable. Plus I can use it for cutting smaller sizes. It is a great tool.

I also have a 4 1/2 inch half square triangle Block-Loc ruler. This is a really nifty little tool. It has a little groove down the back that allows the ruler to be pushed up against the diagonally seam. This insures that the diagonal seam is centered.  This ruler is fun to use. It can be used for blocks smaller than 4 1/2 inches. The things is, I don't think it would work very well for other types of blocks. It really is only meant for half square triangle blocks.

4 1/2 inch Block-Loc ruler

back side of the Block-Loc ruler

 So if I had to pick one of the two rulers to buy, I would pick the Creative Grids ruler.  It is far more versatile. I do like the Block-Loc ruler. I would buy it again since I do a lot of half square triangle blocks.  I just feel it is a one trick pony. It would be fine to buy once you have a good set of other squaring up rulers.

This week I will be doing more squaring up of blocks and using my nifty tools.  I have barely made a dent in my pile of blocks. But a little each day is better than none.

What tools dis you sue this week that you really like?