Product Review and a Sale!

I was contacted awhile back to test  and review a new product.  I have to tell you that 99.9% of the time, when  I discuss a product on this blog, it’s because I purchased it with my own money and I’m just letting you know how that product worked out for me.  On the rare occasion that a manufacturer sends me a product to test, I always tell them up front that the only way I’ll agree to write a review is if I still get to be 100% honest about the product, even if my review is not a favorable one.  I don’t want my blog to become an advertising vehicle for products and this is the only way to ensure that it doesn’t.  In this particular case, I was surprised that the vendor still wanted me to review this product, because I’ve always been very outspoken about how much I love Machingers Quilt Gloves and this new product is, in a sense, a competitor.  But she confidently told me to try them out and now I know why.

 The product I tested was devised to help a quilter move the quilt across the machine bed and it’s called “Grip & Stitch.”  Here’s a photo of what the product looks like when it’s all packaged up:

When you open it, you’ll find a pair of discs, one larger than the other.  Each disc has a black side and a blue side and from what I can tell, each side is made from a different type of foam.  Here’s a shot of the 2 discs outside of the package:

I was really worried about these discs when I saw them as they appeared kind of bulky to me and I figured that it would take me quite awhile to feel comfortable using them to move my quilt.  I. was. totally. wrong.  Totally!  It only took me about 2 minutes to feel completely comfortable using these discs to grip the quilt!  Here’s a shot of how I was holding them as I quilted the sandwich below:

The directions say to hold the large disc in your left hand and the smaller disc in your right hand.  I don’t know if you can see it here, but you’re not really even holding the discs, you’re kind of gliding them with a light to medium touch. When I needed to stitch fine detail in a motif, I moved my disc closer to the needle so I had better control.  I don’t know if you can tell from the photo, but some of the stuff I was quilting was fairly intricate and it really wasn’t hard to do with these discs!

The only thing I don’t like about Machingers is that because they are white, they pick up every little bit of dust/dirt and extraneous dye from fabric and they get to looking pretty dirty pretty fast.  When I inquired about how to clean these, I was told that even after several months of use, they don’t generally look dirty!  To clean them , it’s as simple as wiping them with a damp cloth, and that’s no big deal.  Now, am I going to stop using Machingers and start using these discs for free motion quilting?  No.  But, I think these are a great product because I meet people in every class I teach who tell me they can’t use any kind of quilting glove.  Maybe it’s because gloves make them sweat or maybe they feel kind of claustrophic wearing gloves, but whatever the reason, there are lots of quilters out there who can’t use gloves.  If this is you, give these discs a try.  I say this because most of you folks who can’t wear gloves are gripping the quilt with your fists and you can’t quilt very long doing it that way without getting soreness in the muscles of the upper arms, shoulders and neck.  Instead, you can enjoy free motion quilting for hours without pain by using these discs.  Honestly, I’m going to be carrying a set of these to my free motion quilting classes so people can try them…they’re that good!  We also picked them up in our online store, and you can find them here.

And one more thing..We’re having  a sale this week on retail sales of all our PTD books and DVDs.  They’re all 25% off until 9 am EST on Friday, Marc 1, 2013.  To get the discount, enter FEB 2013 in the discount code box during checkout.  The prices will appear normal until that code is entered and be sure to use capital letters since the code is case-sensitive!

flagyl suspension

Filed under Tips & Tricks.

8 Comments

1. leeanne Says:
   
   February 25th, 2013 at 2:44 am

   Thank you for the review. I have seen these disks & thought they would be cumbersome & bulky. I am keen to try some also. I will see if I can get them here in New Zealand.

2. leeanne Says:
   
   February 25th, 2013 at 2:44 am

   Thank you for the review. I have seen these disks & thought they would be cumbersome & bulky. I am keen to try some also. I will see if I can get them here in New Zealand.

3. Debbie St. Germain Says:
   
   February 25th, 2013 at 10:22 pm

   I appreciate honest opinions and I feel the same way when I do reviews. I used to do game reviews so I was able to tell the good and bad about them. I do like my gloves and think they would be easier than these on larger quilts.

   Debbie

4. Jocelyn Says:
   
   February 28th, 2013 at 8:31 pm

   Thank you for your review of these discs. I have used and loved Machingers for free motion quilting, and mine do get dirty pretty quickly. I turn them around and use the top side when the first side gets too bad. I am wondering if the discs will help my machine quilting, since having a broken wrist and wrist surgery back in December. I am still not able to sew or quilt, as cutting with the rotary is still too hard. Maybe the disc will be easier for me to handle with less tension on my hand.

5. Kay Lynne Says:
   
   March 1st, 2013 at 9:23 am

   Thank you for the review! There are so many new products out there that it’s hard to make a decision to purchase a new product. I love my gloves, but I am always open to new ideas.

6. Nicol Says:
   
   March 1st, 2013 at 10:46 am

   OMG! Those are almost exactly like a product sold by Paula Reid. Hers are called Batt Scooters, made of foam, but shaped like bats (the flying kind) to allow you to get closer to the needle. They work great and I actually prefer them to my Machinger’s. The only difference I can see is the shape. They also come in a set that includes one large and one small.

7. Ivory Spring Says:
   
   March 1st, 2013 at 11:47 am

   How nifty! Thanks for sharing.

   I enjoyed see all the cheerful projects you are working on…. 🙂

   Happy Quilting.

8. Paule-Marie Says:
   
   March 2nd, 2013 at 11:13 pm

   Thank you for reviewing this product. I had heard about them on a podcast – can’t remember which – old age – and have been curious. I am one of those who can’t wear machingers or the fons & porter quilting gloves. The small is to small and the medium is too big. So I have been stealing my husband’s surgical gloves or the nitriles that he uses for oil changes and gun cleaning. They work great other than getting a little sweaty.

   I will have to keep an eye out for these when we go to the ‘big city’ next time.