A MUST Have Quilting Tool

So, every once in a while you find a quilting tool that you just feel the need to shout about it from every roof top....

Well today I am climbing on my roof and yelling for all I am worth! LOL

I have found something that every quilter should have, I am stunned and amazed and excited!

(oh and I am giving one away for my birthday!)

So let me tell you what I am so excitedly babbling about!

A year or so ago I had finally decided I had had it with buying new rotary blades, our girl scout troop was making rag quilts, and I tell you nothing will dull a blade faster than cutting tons of flannel. So I went to the fabric store and purchased a Dritz blade sharpener, spent almost $20 on the thing, and was sadly disappointed with the results, it did not work well, kind of honed the blades but no real sharpening took place, and very quickly the sand paper that is used to sharpen the blade wore out, I was not at all happy and still feel that the sharpener was a rip off.

So lets fast forward to this last fall, I was at another quilt shop one day, just kind of browsing around on the back wall when I see this other brand of blade sharpener, now I still like the idea of sharpening my own blades because with all of the quilting that goes on in my house we can spend at least a hundred closer to one fifty just on blades in a year!

So I check out the sharpener, and wow, it looks good, had a diamond grinding wheel, and costs the same as one five pack of new blades. So silly me I jump and buy the thing, thinking well if I only manage to sharpen 5 blades before it wears out like the other one, then I still break even right?

OH MY GOSH, I mean OH MY GOSH! I sharpened and sharpened and sharpened (I for some reason NEVER throw away my old blades I have dozens!) Oh then I sharpened some more, I was amazed, astonished, and thrilled, 25 blades later I had sharpened all of my old dull blades to NEW! I cut practice strips, sharp, no strings, I cut more, yep just like new!

I have now used the sharpener for 6 months, and guess what, it is still going strong, takes a matter of less than a minute per blade, when one goes dull or I hit a pin, I just give it a twirl and away I go again! I have yet to need to replace the grinding wheels and am thrilled with the replacement price if I ever do need to replace them!

Now I do need to say that I do not work for the company that makes these sharpeners, but they are located in the same state I live in.

I was so impressed with the blade sharpener I actually emailed the company with my compliments! And guess what, the owner emailed me back! How cool is that! I also love the fact that USA Sharpeners are really made in the USA, they are made in Oregon! And the company is located in Washington state!

I did ask permission to use their photos on my blog because I thought you all should see what I am talking about.

So, if you are like me and are interested in saving some serious cash, I strongly encourage you to click on over to http://www.usasharpeners.com/index.htm Scroll through the site (they also sell needle sharpeners and fish hook sharpeners) check out the blade sharpener, then order one, you will never ever be sorry!

Oh and one last thing, I am off to the quilt shop this weekend, and will be picking one of these little gems up. For you see, it is my birthday in just two short weeks, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than sharing my favorite tool!

So keep an eye out because early next week I will be setting up for not one but two very special birthday give aways, one here, for the USA Rotary Blade Sharpener, the other will be on my Bags N Rags blog, and will be of course another purse (that way I have something for the non quilting readers too!)

So check back soon and be sure to enter. Oh and if you do purchase a sharpener from USA sharpeners, be sure to mention that you read about it on my blog! Maybe something nice will come of it!

Have a great quilting day, and stay sharp! LOL

Ginny