If you want a job done well, you need to have the proper tools. The same is true of quilting. There are a number of things that you must have such as a plan, material, needles and thread. Then, there are tools that will make your job easier and help make a quilt anyone would treasure.

After you've picked your materials and patterns, you need to have a clear ruler to measure your cloth. A hard lead pencil or tailor's chalk is used to make your cutting lines. There are cloth markers that are supposed to disappear but may be made permanent by heat. You will need a sharp pair of sewing scissors preferably ones with offset handles so that the cutting blade lies flat on the cutting surface. You'll need paper scissors for your cardboard or thin plastic templates. A rotary cutter will help you cut through multiple layers of material. A self-healing mat will protect your table and will keep your materials from slipping. Sharp scissors will help cut through the batting.

Make sure you have a good strong cotton thread for machine and hand work. Unless you are doing all of the sewing by hand, you will need a sewing machine capable of sewing through two layers of material and the batting. Large-eyed needles make handwork easier. Safety pins help hold the layers of cloth and batting together. Long straight pins help in that way also. You may wish to use a quilting hoop for smaller projects. Some quilters who have the space use a larger quilting frame. A sew ripper will make removing unwanted stitches much easier. You'll need a steam iron and iron board to iron seams flat and keep material wrinkle-free. Now, you are ready to quilt.