Best of Madam Sew — Quilter's Press Edition (Navy Organizer)

Ten of our most-loved tools for the quilter, built around pressing your blocks crisp and squaring them up true. This Quilter's Press edition gives you a big wool pressing mat, a hot hem ruler, and a protective cloth for delicate fabric, plus a 12.5 inch square-up ruler, non-slip rings, marking pens, and clips, all kept together in a navy organizing system.

Square up your finished blocks on the 12.5 inch ruler, which has bold lines built in for every common block size so the quarter inch seam allowance is already worked out for you. Press each block flat on the 17 by 24 inch New Zealand wool mat, fold and press neat hems and borders on the hot hem ruler, and reach for the protective cloth when you are pressing something delicate that a hot iron could mark. Mark your lines with the erasable pens, hold your layers with the clips, and add the non-slip rings to any ruler you own for a better grip. Patterns go in the navy binder bag, small tools roll up in the accessories bag, and your current project rides in the red project bag.

Ten tools. One navy kit. Press it, square it, finish it.

Why You'll Love It

• Square Up Every Block True: The 12.5 inch ruler has bold lines at 6.5, 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 inches, each with the quarter inch seam allowance already built in, so you just line up your block and trim, with no maths.
• Press Crisp From Both Sides: The 17 by 24 inch wool mat holds the iron's heat and sends it back through the fabric, so your blocks come out flat and sharp, and it is long enough for borders and sashing.
• Neat Hems and Borders, No Guesswork: The 10 inch hot hem ruler lets you fold the fabric to an exact depth and press right on top of it, for a clean, even edge every time, plus mitered corners with the 45 degree lines.
• Safe on Delicate Fabric: The see-through protective cloth lets you press silk, velvet, or corduroy without shine marks or scorching. Lay it over the fabric and iron on top.
• Mark, Hold, and Grip: The erasable pens mark light or dark fabric and vanish under the iron, the clips hold your layers without pin holes, and the non-slip rings give any ruler you own a firmer grip on the fabric.

1. Extra Large Wool Pressing Mat, 17 by 24 inches 

• Size: 17 by 24 inches, the long version of the standard mat
• Material: 100% natural felted New Zealand wool, naturally fire-resistant
• How it helps: The dense wool holds the iron's heat and sends it back through the fabric, so seams and blocks come out crisp from both sides
• Includes: A clear vinyl storage pouch
• Good to know: Steam can pass through the mat, so protect wood or delicate surfaces underneath

2. 12.5 inch Square-Up Quilting Ruler 

• Size: 12.5 by 12.5 inches, one-eighth inch thick, in sturdy acrylic with an anti-slip coating and a smooth, laser-cut edge
• Finish: See-through matte, so you can read the lines on both light and dark fabric
• Markings: A one-eighth inch grid across the whole ruler, with bold lines at 6.5, 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 inches that include the quarter inch seam allowance for 6, 8, 9, and 10 inch finished blocks. The full ruler gives the quarter inch seam allowance for a 12 inch block, and a bold 45 degree line helps you square up half-square triangles
• What it is for: Squaring up quilt blocks up to 12 inches, and squaring up half-square triangles

3. Hot Hem Ruler, 10 inches

• Size: 10 inches long by 2.5 inches wide
• Material: Felted wool that is heat-resistant and does not slip. Press right on top of it with a steam or dry iron at any temperature
• Markings: Hem sizes from one-eighth inch to 10 inches, with 45 degree lines for mitered corners
• What it is for: Measuring, folding, and pressing hems, borders, and seams in one step

4. Protective Ironing Cloth

• What it is: A see-through mesh cloth you lay over fabric before you iron
• What it does: Lets heat and steam through while keeping the hot iron plate off the fabric, so you avoid shine marks, scorch marks, and flattening
• Best for: Delicate and textured fabrics like silk, nylon, corduroy, and velour
• Heat: Use up to about 300F. Keep to lower settings on delicate fabrics
• Care: See-through so you can watch what you are ironing. Reusable and machine washable

5. Heat Erasable Marking Pens with Refills

• Contents: 4 pens (white, black, red, blue) plus 4 refills, one for each colour
• Tip: 0.7mm fine point
• How they erase: The marks vanish with the heat of your iron at about 180F, with no washing needed
• Good to know: Store them tip-down with the cap on, and use within 5 months. Marks can come back if the fabric gets very cold

6. Sewing Clips, 50 pieces 

• Count: 50 clips per box, in mixed colours (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, purple)
• Size: 1 inch long by three-eighths inch wide, opens to half an inch
• Made of: Plastic body with a steel spring (contains nickel)
• Features: A flat base with seam marks at one-quarter inch, three-eighths inch, and 3/16 inch, and a firm grip for holding layers, binding, and hems without pins

7. Non-Slip Rings for Rulers and Templates 

• What they are: Clear stickers you press onto the back of any ruler or template
• What they do: Give the ruler a better grip on the fabric, so it does not slide while you cut
• Good to know: Work on any ruler or template, whatever the brand

8. Carry-All Binder Bag, Navy

• Size: 13.25 by 4.5 by 11 inches, made of polyester, PU, and steel
• Colour: Navy
• Binder: A built-in 1 inch, 3-ring binder for patterns and papers
• Pockets: 7 clear zip pockets for tools and small bits
• Handles: 10 inch handles. It stacks, and it hangs on a hook or door

9. Small Accessories Bag

• Size: 12 by 5 by half an inch when rolled up
• Design: Rolls up, with 11 clear zip pockets in different sizes and a Velcro tab to hold it shut
• Holds: Snips, bobbins, clips, markers, seam rippers, needles, threaders, and other small tools
  

10. Project Bag, Madam Sew Red

• Colour: Madam Sew Red
• Material: Strong, tear-resistant mesh PVC that keeps water out, with nylon handles and a nylon and metal zipper
• Big back pocket: 16 by 16 inches. Small front pocket: 10 by 16 inches
• Features: See-through mesh so you can spot your project, a slot on the front for a name card (card included), and handles to carry or hang it

1. Square up your blocks: lay the 12.5 inch ruler over a pressed block, line up the bold line for your block size, and trim. The quarter inch seam allowance is already built into each bold line.
2. Add grip to your rulers: press the non-slip rings onto the back of the square-up ruler, or any other ruler you own, so it does not slide while you cut.
3. Mark your fabric: use the erasable pens for quilting lines, placement marks, or notches. White shows on dark fabric, the others on light.
4. Hold your layers: clip your binding, hems, or layers with the sewing clips, using the marks on the base to keep an even edge.
5. Press on the wool mat: press each block and seam on the 17 by 24 inch mat for a flat, crisp finish. The same iron heat erases your pen marks.
6. Fold and press hems: lay the hot hem ruler along the edge, fold the fabric over it to the depth you want, and press right on top of the ruler.
7. Protect delicate fabric: for silk, velvet, or corduroy, lay the protective cloth over the fabric and iron on top of it.
8. Put it away: patterns and papers in the navy binder bag, small tools in the roll-up accessories bag, and your current project in the red project bag.