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| A random fabric scrap inadvertently was quilted to the back of this quilt. |
You finish free-motion quilting a quilt... flip it over, and... darn it! You've quilted a random fabric scrap to the back of the quilt! Geesh. Hate it when that happens...
Do you have appliqué scissors in your sewing tool box?
At a recent guild meeting, the program topic was Favorite Gadgets and Tools. Several members brought in their tried-and-true must-have tools, special rulers that made cutting and piecing more accurate, and tools and gadgets that made various assembly processes faster and easier. Several newer quilters sought advice, asking questions and the experienced quilters were quick to provide insight.
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| Duck billed applique scissors. |
One of the questions was about those funny-looking scissors that had one fat and one narrow blade—appliqué scissors. Not long after this discussion, I found myself reaching for those duck billed scissors when I inadvertently quilted a fabric scrap to the back of a charity cuddle quilt.
Scrap removal
Inserting the duck billed blade between the scrap and the quilt back, I carefully snipped away the scrap—bit by bit—close to the quilting stitches. The larger blade lays flat against the backing to protect it from being cut. These scissors also have cutting ability right to their tip for tight places requiring small snips.
After enough of the fabric scrap is clipped away, just threads remain that can be pulled out from under the quilting stitches.
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| Fabric scrap clipped away using the applique scissors. |
This quilt has a flannel backing fabric with cute kitty faces. Note that NO kitties or backing were harmed in the scrap removal process!
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| Scrap removed! No kitties or backing was harmed. |
So, take a look in your quilting toolbox and get familiar with your tools. You may not use a few of them all the time, but when the situation arises, the correct tool is the best solution!
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| Finished kitty cuddle quilt. |
