One I just thought of and don't know if it has been mentioned is parchment paper (used for baking); keeps fusible off of your iron and pressing area. Oh, and instead of the quilting gloves for machine quilting, I use a very light-weight glove that has a rubber coating but breathes on the top and sides so your hands are not so warm. They cost less than $5.00.

I use a silicone baking sheet instead - about 1/3 of the price from the supermarket.

Zarah wrote: I used the original slider until it slipped and I quilted in the quilt. Now I use it for my version of bobbin genies cut to size for my bobbin well. I use Alex's buddy Paula Reid's Batt Scooters instead of gloves-too cumbersome and hot. A hard pressing service is a must. I'm amazed at quilters that use a heavily padded pressing surface.
Bottom line is that you have to find what is comfortable for you. We all have our little idiosyncrisocies.
Good luck.

The applique sheet is a teflon sheet that stuff (like fusible web adhesives) doesn't stick to.
You can do the same thing with parchment paper that is used for baking and found in the grocery store near waxed paper and aluminum foil.

A clear sheet for doing applique you wonderweb the pieces cut them out and place the sheet on your pattern, you place your pieces on looking at the pattern underneath and iron them together. Then they lift off together and you place on your background fabric and ta dah perfect placement

twiglet wrote:
Ok, I went to the link, but I don't get it --- what exactly is it for?

beckyezra wrote:
Good ideas, especially the starch! I will check if I can get that here, but if not will put it on the list too.

heartnsoulquilts wrote:
Oooh, okay, putting this on the list! One of my rulers has dots on it that came that way, but the others slip like crazy. Brilliant to know! Thank you!

heartnsoulquilts wrote:
I like Invisigrip too, Michelle! And of course I remember Colorforms!!

One item I love is called Invisigrip. It comes on a roll and some quilts shops and I think Jo Ann's carry it. It is a clear static cling plastic sheet. You cut it about a half inch smaller than your ruler, and apply it to the back. It does not use glue or add any thickness. It helps to reduce the slipping that you sometimes get when rotary cutting -- it adds a 'cling' to your ruler, so it grips the fabric better. But it's still easy to move as you cut. You will only need one package - it is about $8 or so. I have put it on every ruler I own.

Some people use the sandpaper or plastic dots on the back of their rulers to add grip... but I prefer Invisigrip. The dots do raise the ruler up a bit, but the Invisigrip is so thin and it covers most of the back of the ruler, that it doesn't add any height at all.

Invisigrip reminds me of Colorforms - the clingy plastic window decorations we had when I was a child. Easy on, easy off, no residue. Does anyone else remember those?

My hot tip would be to get an applique pressing sheet Link I'm really attached to mine, lots of uses.

hard surface that you do at home from wood and cotton sheet for ironing ( i did few sizes, cant miss them for the world), i switched my old sawing machine to another sawing machine with a knee handle very useful, i have only 3 rulers that i cant without - 6x24, 6" square, 4"square, gel pen gold and silver (use them some times on dark fabric) technical pencil - all the time sharp. pins with flat head but i'd rather use glue i glue the fabric on simple paper near the sawing machine, helps not to mix the order. STARCH spray or powder that you dissolve in water. i cant without it!! and small GOOD iron. good luck and have fun quilting!

Thanks everyone! sorry if I am not quoting everyone, but running out the door and wanted to just say thanks real quick! I hadn't realized the slippy mat was so expensive; drat. But then, I won't have it in a table anyway, so probably does not matter. I did see the tip to use rubber grippy shelf paper, instead of gloves, and will do that for the reasons mentioned above --- I can't use my hands well when inside a glove! My mom even sent me some fingerless gloves to use in the winter (keep my hands warm) but even those felt restrictive & awkward.

I will check the library for the books; maybe I can read and take notes and not have to buy. Or find one on sale. I don't mind *one* good book in my shopping bag I know I'll need to refer back often.

Many thanks for helping me make this list! If you want to keep going, that's great; I don't go until August and maybe this can be a good list for beginners in general of "must-have", "nice to have", "don't bother with, use x instead" kind of thing.

above all, I'm so grateful my quilting mentor (Joyce/She-Quilts) showed me this website!!!! You ladies are so encouraging, besides being a wealth of great info.

Margo wrote:

Oooh, thanks Margo! that's a good point; books are NOT cheap, nor lightweight. Hmm, I'll look on-line then. There are tons of helpful articles, videos, etc...., that is true.

Thanks for linking all of these things, too! Wonderful info, and I'm very happy to be planning for what to do with my machine! I sat down last night and made a notecard for each project I have floating in my brain right now, just waiting to get out and get sewn.....more than I thought! Some are vague ideas, some are no more than a title of a quilt, some are fully formed images in my head that I just need to get down on paper....I think I'll be busy for a while! So --- yes, Rita is right: Spend the $$ on Fabric!!!! I can get stuff here, but nothing like the US stuff.