What Do You Spend Your Money On?

February 21, 2026

All of us have a quilting budget and it can be a struggle deciding what to spend your allotted money on when the quilting bug has bitten you hard, lol. Of course we all love fabric and I know that's where the majority of the budget goes. Then of course, there are all the wonderful new books and patterns that keep calling my name.

But when it comes to notions and other accessories I find the best way to decide on whether or not I'm going to commit some of my budget to a certain item is to ask myself a couple of questions.....

1) Will this item save me valuable time? Because, if I save time, then obviously I can make even more projects!!!!

2) And even more importantly for me is whether or not this item is something that I will use repeatedly. Will I find myself reaching for it often or is it a "one time wonder"? Sometimes, it is necessary to make a purchase that you will only use for that one particular pattern you are dying to do......like a certain template or specialty ruler, but overall I try to purchase items that I will use often and not just stick on a shelf or in a drawer and let it gather dust after that initial use.

I thought I'd share some of my personal favorites, I will say that I'm not promoting any of these particular brands, they just happen to be the brands I use. There are many great companies out there making these products.

A Good Pair of Snips:

Snips! A must have by my machine, can't beat them for snipping apart a long strip of chain pieced blocks.

If you haven't used snips I think you are missing out. Maybe it's because I have big fingers but those little sharp scissors (that most people like by their machines) really slow me down, I fumble trying to get my fingers in the holes. I love being able to just grab them and snip. I use them to trim threads, but absolutely love them for snipping apart chain pieced blocks.

Electric Seam Ripper:

I have wondered why it's called an electric seam ripper when it's battery powered. The older I get, my eyesight is certainly not what it used to be, and trying to find small stitches with my seam ripper is definitely harder than it used to be (I do prefer to sew with an extremely small stitch). It took me a few tries to get the knack of using it but once I did I can't imagine not using this wonderful little gadget. So speedy and quick and if you hold it correctly you will not rip or cut your fabric.

Rotating Mat:

When you have a million little blocks to square up or trim, you can't beat a good rotating mat. Shop around because some turn much easier than others, and there are also different sizes available.

Rulers to Square Up HST's and Flying Geese:

I have to admit, these never leave the top of my cutting table. I really don't think a sewing day goes by without one or both of these being used.

Yes, there are many different brands available and they all do the job, but my two favorites are the Clearly Perfect Slotted Trim Rulers and the Ultimate Flying Geese ruler. One of the reasons I love both of these are because they each do multiple sizes which eliminates the need of having a variety of rulers to store.

Self-Threading Needles:

For hand binding quilts, or really any hand sewing project at all, I love these! My eyesight is definitely not what it used to be, and certainly even worse in the evening when lighting isn't the best. I can't even begin to tell you how quick these are compared to the numerous tries it takes me to thread the eye of a regular needle.

Prewound Bobbins:

Not only do these save me time but I find they have a lot more thread packed on so they seem to last longer. I don't have to search for an empty bobbin to wind a new color thread, and they are available in a fair amount of colors (although, I rarely need anything outside of the standard neutrals like white, grey, black, cream etc..) I also have 3 different brand machines I use and they work in all of them, so no need to keep my bobbins straight for all 3 machines.

These are a few of my "must-haves" when I sew. What I use may not be something that you would use or find helpful. We all sew different types of projects and have techniques we favor.

I just know that I no longer want to collect "one-time wonders" that clutter up my space and rarely get used. There is way too much beautiful fabric out there I want to buy so I'm going to be a little picky about what notions or equipment I spend my money on.

I have to admit, sometimes I think long and hard and can't make up my mind on whether to purchase something or not. For instance, I keep looking at the stripology ruler and thinking what a time saver that could be. However, because I have a tendency to love sampler type quilts and often do not make quilt tops that make repeats of the same blocks over and over, I'm not sure that I would get my money's worth out of it. So.....I keep pondering on it and so far haven't bitten the bullet and made the purchase.

Maybe you will want to give one or more of these a try if you haven't already! Happy sewing!

Twila

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