I’ve used the same straight pins for years because they are smooth, sharp, and a little flexible, with glass heads that don’t melt if you happen to iron over them. Pins are very important in quilting! ( As always, I do NOT get payment or product for this review; I’m telling you about these pins because I use them.)
These pins used to come from the Clotilde catalog (IBC stands for “Imported by Clotilde”), but that business was sold to Annie’s Catalog a few years ago.
Recently when I ordered pins I noticed that Dritz also makes silk pins, and they were just a tad cheaper. I decided to try them. Here are both boxes of pins:
Those are the Dritz pins on the left, the IBC pins on the right.
The Dritz pins came in a nicer box than the pins from Annie’s. They might even be better pins if I were sewing on thin, lightweight fabric. However, they were thinner and even more flexible than the IBC pins, and that made them actually difficult to get through quilting cotton!
There is a larger IBC straight pin for quilting, 1-3/4 inches long!
I don’t like the size of these larger pins, but I expect that for some projects they would be better. For now, I’m sticking with my regular IBC pins.
Any other suggestions for great quilting straight pins?
Zippy Quilts 
I like my pins. They are very fine and don’t have knobby heads, just small metal ones. I think they are considered “silk” pins by Dritz. Whether someone uses pins with heads or not, I recommend very thin pins that won’t distort the fabric if they pin a lot. When I pin borders on, usually I pin about every 2″. This is important because with heavily pieced borders, there is a lot of weight to support to keep the edges together. Pinning much farther apart doesn’t keep my edges together and I end up with poor seam allowances. Also fat pins would distort the fabric distribution, and they’re more likely to break the needle if you happen to hit one while sewing.
I remember those pins! I used them back when I made clothing, and they are nice. I like the bigger glass heads that are easier to grasp, now.
Yes, they are! 🙂
I appreciate this info, I am always wanting to learn more about the tools of our craft 🙂
And look at Melanie’s comment, too. She has a different preference 😊