Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Product Review - Part 2 Marcia Baraldi Quilting Grip Gloves

Continuing on with my product review of the Marcia Baraldi Quilting Grip Gloves. Now that the initial smell has mostly dissipated, I decided to try out the new gloves in the two quilting situations I would normally be using them for 

First up is the work of handling a quilt through the initial stages of what I call anchor quilting. Using a walking foot I normal stitch along the major sections of the quilt, along rows, in the ditch. The gloves did very well in this application. They really helped me manage the effort of controlling the quilt being quilted, all while keeping it stable and flat.

In the second test situation, I switched up my machine for free-motion quilting. The gloves did very well in this situation also. I'd say they definitely improved my control on curves and more intricate small patterns. There was a little bit of a learning curve of course, as they're a little bit different from the Betty Bands or Machingers. It turns out you have to hold your hands even flatter. Basically there's no grabbing allowed.

Because of the flat hand, I was definitely less tense in my upper arms/shoulders and my hands weren't as crampy when I was done. So the ergonomic claims made seem to hold up for me. It was easy to handle threads, bobbins and pins as my fingers were free.

After my quilting session, I found that I was a bit sweaty in them, not surprising as it was pretty warm in my work room. There is still a rubbery/plastic smell but it wasn't overpowering, and didn't transfer to my hands. I have a very sensitive nose for this kind of smell though. 

All in all, I'm very glad I took a chance and tried them, I would definitely recommend this product. 


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