Our Favorite Quilting Tools and The Jelly Glass.

Jelly Jars & Glasses

Clover Wonder Clips

The benefit teaching a two day class, bedside the fact we get to quilt for two days, is that we are able to settle uninterrupted into our projects. Over the hours our conversation covers some interesting topics.

We began discussing the best inventions or tools in quilting and agreed that the rotary cutter, acrylic ruler, the self healing cutting mat and freezer paper were high on our list of all time great quilting tools that revolutionized how we quilt. Note that these items are all over 30 years old. One of the newest notions on the block are Clover's Wonder Clips which made our "we cant live without it" list. We all had several ways in which we used these clips and will definitely find a few more.They're a keeper.
                                            
As we sewed I saw a student reach for a lid to draw a circle. I asked her what she was doing. She showed me her circles she had traced onto freezer paper from lids and glasses! Using a jelly jar as a circle template is even older than all of our chosen innovative quilting tools. She said "it's easier than finding and digging out her circle templates".  A jelly glass!  They're accurate, transparent, easy to hold, and very easy to find. 

             

In the early1900's jelly jars and glasses were affordable and collectable items available on most grocery store shelves. This meant if you had it, the fine china and glasses could be safely tucked away in the cupboard. And there are even older references of a tea cup and saucer being used for quilting designs. If you study older quilts you will notice the multiple combinations of circles traced from glasses and plates to make templates and quilting designs. 
Although I wouldn't want to give up my improved quilting tools I'm also open to the tried an true tools because some day the rotary cutting tools and Wonder Clips we use today could be the next vintage jelly glasses.