This should be the best 100% cotton you can afford. Avoid T-shirt fabric or cheap brands that will run or bleed into surrounding squares or stretch and ruin your quilt. Visit a quilting store and enlist the help of an honest salesperson in finding fabric specifically made for quilting. It will cost about $6.00 to $8.00 a yard. Once you have chosen your fabric wash it in liquid laundry soap and dry it on a hanger.
* Quilting Thread:
If you quilt by hand you will need a good, strong quilt or your quilt won't last very long. This type of thread has a waxy covering so it is easier to work with and won't hurt your fingers.
* Pins, Needles and Pencils for Quilting
Small sewing pins are essential as they hold everything together as you stitch. Choose a good quilting needle. A good marking pencil to draw on the fabric will wash out easily. Don't use ordinary pencils because they don't wash out.
* Fabric Scissors:
Choose the sharpest ones you can find.
* Batting for the Quilt:
Use 100% cotton to stuff your quilt as it is the warmest and coziest.
* Seam Ripper:
A tool to help unpick seams. In the case of an error, you can remove the stitching and re-use the undamaged square or shape.
* Rotary Cutter:
This looks something like a pizza cutter and is used to cut fabric. If you are making a patchwork quilt, it can be a really useful tool.
* Self Healing Mat:
This has grids which help you align your fabric so that you won't cut your kitchen table surface when you use the rotary cutter.
