Aug 20, 2012

My quilling tool


I’ve recently been asked what type of quilling tool I use, so here it is. I bought it 20 years ago during a student trip to a university book store in the US. I believe it was meant for bookbinding and don’t have a clue what the scooped end is for. I didn’t make books, but I thought it was a well made tool and since it was under $2, it fit my student budget. I had no idea I’d be using it like my right hand today.


I usually quill just a bit from the narrowed tip (highlighted in green) because otherwise the innermost coil is inconsistent due to the taper. I don't own any other needle quilling tool so I can't compare with anything else. Although it took some time to transition from a slotted tool, I much prefer the un-crimped innermost coil.


Hope this answers your questions. What's your favorite quilling tool?

Aug 8, 2012

Quilling Glue


I often get asked what type of glue I use for quilling. I bought a big bottle of acid free white (dries clear) wood & paper craft glue 10 years ago. It lasted so long I didn't realize it became an aged bottle of wine. It had slowly thickened, so when I dabbed just a bit and pressed two quilling strips together, it was quickly bonded.
 
The inevitable happened and I needed to buy more. I bought the typical kids' school glue and was mortified by the liquid ease it came pouring out. No wonder others had complained about quilling taking so long to set!

That new bottle quickly got shuttled off to the nephews and I hunted for a similar wood & paper craft glue I had lucked upon the first time. I found it at Opus (Canada) or you can also get it at DickBlick (US). It's not as thick as my aged vintage decade old glue, but it's certainly closer than anything else I've found.

What's your favorite quilling glue?