We have always taken pride in having an excellent selection of quilting notions and supplies and are always striving to stay on top of quilting trends. One of our staff members, Rita, also runs a successful business, Kootenay Custom Quilting, creating one-of-a-kind quilts for clients, often for some of the most important occasions of their lives. As a longtime quilter, Rita has a lot of knowledge in terms of what products work well and which result in the best looking quilts. She was kind enough to take us through her top nine favorite notions that we carry. From her favorite marking tool to her go-to adhesive spray, these are the products she can't live without!

"I sew all my binding on using my machine (because I don't like doing hand stitching of any kind) and I use this tape to hold my corners in place, along with my binding clips (C136). I use these 2 things to help me finish up every single quilt I make. This tape is also fantastic for holding zippers in place when I make anything with a zipper - which is usually small pouches made form candy bags."

Buy It: Wash-A-Way (Washaway) Wonder Tape, 1/4 X 360

"These extra long tweezers are also something else I cannot live without. In fact, I own 2 pairs! I have bent one pair so the back (corner bend) part touches together tightly - I use these for grasping any thread tails from the back of my quilts after machine quilting with my walking foot. The other pair I left alone so the tips of it are touching tightly together. I use those for maneuvering small pieces so they are lined up, picking up small things, etc."

Buy It: Extra Long Tweezers

"This safety pin fastener has saved my had and fingernails countless hours of agony! Although I no longer use safety pins to baste my entire quilt, I do typically use them when folding over the batting and backing on edge of my quilts prior to machine quilting them."

Buy It: Kwik Klip - Fastens Safety Pins

"I use this to baste ALL my quilts together before quilting them. This would not work for the long-armers out there, as their quilts get rolled up on special rollers. However, I have a sit-down long-arm - a Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen and it's perfect for that or even when I use my domestic machine. I love, love, love this product!"

Buy It: Odif 505 Spray - Temporary Fabric Adhesive, 500ML

5. Machingers or Grip It Gloves

"I could not do the free-motion quilting I do without these gloves! Although these products are from different companies, I love them both equally so I use either-or. They are lightweight and allow my hands to breathe (no one likes hot, sticky hands!) and each fingertip has a rubberized end. The gloves are ambidextrous, so it doesn't matter which way you put them on - and they are washable (but must be air dried).

 

They allow me to firmly grip the fabric without it sliding out of my grip, therefore allowing me to fully focus on my quilting instead of trying to keep the fabric steady."

"Quilters ALWAYS have leftover batting from making quilts and, like most quilters, I keep all of those batting scraps. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to have enough batting to make another quilt if I can piece those leftover bits together. This is where the Heat Press Batting has become my best friend! Gone are the days when I would machine zigzag those pieces together - how tedious! Now, in about 1/3 of that time, I can press those pieces together and it holds wonderfully. I usually do both sides of the batting with this method even though the package directions say you only need to do one side. I'm not really sure if it matters, but I do it more for my own peace of mind and because I like things to look very symmetrical."

Buy It: Heat Press Batting Together

"I have one in yellow and white, although I use the yellow one way more! This is one of my all-time fave marking tools for working on the wrong side of the fabric."

Buy It: Chaco-Liner Markers

"I like these for marking on the right side of the fabric. They make very fine lines and easily come off with the eraser. If I were to use the pink one, however, I'd always test it on an inconspicuous spot first!"

Buy It: Sewline Erasable Mechanical Fabric Pencil With Refills, 0.9mm

"I use Retayne when I have some heavily dyed fabric that I just know is going to bleed when I wash it. For instance - red and sometimes rich blues and blacks. I now soak those fabrics in hot tap water with the recommended dose of Retayne for about 10-20 mins, agitating it once in a while. I then rinse the fabric in cold water and put it in the washing machine immediately afterward. Once I have finished rinsing the fabric with cold water, I can add it to my regular laundry to wash and dry. It will not bleed anymore!

I learned the lesson that came with not doing this step the hard way about 10 years ago. I bought a bunch of Christmas fabric - including reds and creams and greens. I thought that since I would be sewing all those fabrics together anyways, it would be okay to give them their first wash together, too. Well, the red ran all over the cream and green fabrics! I even tried re-washing them immediately afterward hoping that the dye (because it was still wet) would loosen from the fibers and the fabric would become clean again. I was wrong. All that yardage was ruined! I was so upset and from that day forward I have used this miracle product!"

Buy It: Retayne