Resolution for the New Year – Caring for Your Quilting Tools

Quilting tools are not cheap… especially your sewing machine. We need to care for and maintain them so we don’t need to replace them more often than we need to. That’s the purpose of my last post here of 2025. This is kind of a “new year’s resolution” post to get you thinking of good habits to adopt in the sewing room for 2026. So let’s get started.

Sewing Machine – Maintenance and Usage Tips

The Sewing Machine: The most expensive and important tool in your sewing room is the sewing machine. Keeping this in top running order is probably the most important thing in my opinion. Here’s my top tips:

• Annual checkup: This is something that will keep your machine running for years. The quilt shop that services your machine can get into places you can’t (and shouldn’t) for cleaning and they will check for any other areas of concern. Don’t skip this if you want your machine to run smoothly for years.
• Periodic Oiling & Cleaning: This part is something you can do. My photos below show the areas you need to concentrate on for cleaning: under the throat plate (left, below), around the area where the foot attaches, and the bobbin compartment (right, below).

Sweeping out these areas each time you replace a bobbin will keep excess lint from accumulating and getting pushed deeper into the machine. Use the brush that came with your machine or a small make-up brush.

This is also a good time to oil the areas of your machine recommended by the manufacturer. Read the manual that came with your machine to find out exactly what they recommend when it comes to oiling. If you don’t have a manual, chat with the maintenance person at the quilt shop that maintains your machine. They should be able to instruct you. Take notes!

Additional Basic tips: Treat your Machine Right. During the sewing and quilting process, treat your machine right by keeping the needles fresh so they don’t break. Sometimes a broken needle can fall through the throat plate and imbed itself inside the machine… then it’s time for a visit to the repair shop. You can also avoid broken needles by not sewing over pins, even if they are very lightweight pins. I did this once and the timing of my machine was thrown off. Then I needed, you guessed it, a visit to the repair shop.

Tension Tips: The wrong tension in either your bobbin or you top thread can cause all kinds of things to go wrong when you are piecing. Here’s a few tips.

Tip #1: Before starting a project. Grab a few scrap pieces of fabric and sew a seam. If the fabric is looping up on the underside, the top thread tension is too loose. If you see the bobbin thread on the top piece of fabric or your thread breaks, your top tension is most likely too tight. Adjust the tension and keep sewing test seams until you are satisfied with the results. Be sure to use the same weight of thread and the same type of fabric for your testing as you will be using for your project.

Tip #2: When unthreading your machine, do not snip and pull the thread out from the top.

The thread runs through your machine going down towards the needle, so pulling it out from the top through the tension disc (below, left photo) can throw off the tension.

Instead, snip the thread up top and then pull the thread down and out from the needle area (below, right photo). This keeps the thread going in the direction it’s meant to and should not effect tension.

Tip #3: Finally, don’t forget to change the needle often. Along with damaging your fabric, old needles can damage your machine if they break and fall into the machine through the throat plate. A good rule of thumb is to change the needle after you finish piecing a large project or a few smaller projects like table runners. If you sew with a needle that should be changed, you can cause damage to your fabric. A dull or damaged needle can snag fabric, make a hole, and also break your thread. If you hear a “punching” sound or see snags as you stitch, it’s definitely time to change the needed.

Cutting Tools – Mats, Rulers and Scissors

Cutting Mats: They are not a cheap item to replace so this is another sewing room tool I like to care for well. 

Storage: One of the first things you can do to keep your cutting mat in good shape is to store it properly when not in use, especially if you do not have a dedicated cutting area where your mat can always lay out flat.  If you don’t have a dedicated cutting area where it can be kept flat, make sure it’s stored flat, like under a bed or on a large shelf, if you have the space. If you are short on space, another way to store mats is by hanging them in a closet from clip hangers.

I added a scrap piece of batting to the area where the clips contact the mat to keep them from making dents.

Cleaning: Another cutting mat care tip is to keep it clean. Residue can build up on the mat’s surface that can interfere with fabric you are currently cutting. Here’s some cleaning tips:

• You can remove bits of fabric fiber that get caught in cuts in your mat by rubbing a gum eraser (artist’s eraser) over sections you have just used to cut. You can also use a soft toothbrush. Make sure it’s soft so you don’t damage your mat.

• You can also remove bits of fiber or lint from the surface by wrapping your hand in packing tape and lightly running it over the mat. Or a lint roller that you use to remove pet hair from clothing would work too!

A cutting mat usage tip:  When you are using your mat, try not to continuously cut in the same place when you are cutting fabric. Yes, these mats are self-healing but they do wear out. To get your mat to last as long as possible rotate your mat often to avoid cutting in the same place. Some mats are even double sided so if yours is, flip it occasionally and use the other side. Taking care of your self-healing mat will make it last for years longer than expected. Finally, try to keep your mat from direct sunlight or extreme temperature changes. Definitely never iron on your cutting mat.

Rulers: Many quilters only think about their rulers when they want to use them. But they do need to be maintained just like your cutting mat and sewing machine.

• Clean your rulers periodically by dusting with a soft cloth. Do not use anything abrasive like paper towels that can scratch the ruler surface and make the markings harder to read. Also don’t use any cleaning solution with bleach or ammonia. If you need to use a cleaning solution, use those that are meant for plexiglass.
• Store your rulers, like your cutting mat, away from direct sunlight and not in areas of your home with extreme temperature changes.
• Finally, make sure to store your rulers securely. If you drop them or they fall from a storage area, they will chip or break. I hang my rulers on a peg board that you can find at any hardware store. Mine was meant for a garage, but it works in my sewing room.

Fabric Scissors: You can find a lot of videos online for caring for your expensive sewing scissors but I will give you a few of the tips here. Besides guarding them from family members wanting to cut everything from paper to wire with them… there are other ways to keep them in good working order.

A good way to keep them clean is to carefully wipe the blades with a cloth after each use. This keeps lint from accumulating on the blades which can lead to them not cutting accurately or smoothly. Also, regularly apply a drop of sewing machine oil to the pivot screw to keep them opening and closing smoothly. Obviously make sure to wipe excess oil from the scissors before cutting your next batch of fabric. You can remove any stuck on stuff with a small bit rubbing alcohol. Never use water!

For long term care, be sure to store them in the sheath they arrived in. Here’s my scissors I actually got over 30 years ago and they are still stored this way:

Also, it’s a good idea to get them periodically professionally sharpened. Once or twice a year is a good rule of thumb. 

Like I said earlier, if you google “quilting scissors care” or “quilting scissors maintenance”, you will find a lot of videos that will take you through the tips on caring for your scissors.

Irons

If you have a dedicated iron just for your sewing, here’s some tips on cleaning it so you don’t damage your expensive fabric.

Tip #1: if you are a quilter who puts water in your iron, use distilled water only. Regular tap water will cause mineral buildup and can permanently damage your iron. I personally do not put water in my iron. I use a spray bottle of water for a light spritz to work out fabric wrinkles.

The bottle on the left has water and the one on the right has Best Press starch, if I need it when pressing seams flat.

Now to cleaning. You can buy cleaning sheets or other items at the quilt shop to clean your iron, or you can easily DIY it like I do. Here’s the supplies needed: distilled water, white vinegar, small bowl, clean cloth and q-tips. 

Here is how my iron looks before cleaning. You can see the build up on the soleplate “leg” and on the soleplate:

To clean the iron, mix equal parts vinegar and water into a small bowl and use the soft cloth to clean the soleplate. The q-tips can be used to get to hard to reach areas. Just dip one in the water/vinegar solution.

Once done, get another soft cloth and dampen with distilled water only and wipe down the areas where you used the vinegar/water solution. This serves to dry the soleplate and wipe away any trace remains of vinegar. The whole iron cleaning process took me all of 5 minutes!!! And here’s my clean iron:

So, I think I covered the care and maintenance of some of the most important quilting tools. Are there any others you can think of that I left out? 

I hope you take this opportunity before the new year to assess your tools and look into getting them into tip top shape for your 2026 sewing!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne