What is a fringer (quilling fringing tool)?

What is a fringer (fringing tool)?

A fringing tool is like a tiny paper cutter which cuts a fringe into one side of wider quilling strips (1/4” & 3/8”). There are two types of fringers - the Straight / 90 degree & the Angle/ 45 degree.

A straight / 90 degree fringing tool can be a wonderful time saver if you make a lot of fringe flowers. Quilling strips are fed through the guides of the tool and the handle is raised and lowered manually. The resulting fringe is very even and can be adjusted for a wider or in some cases a deeper fringe. If you are only making a few flowers at a time, quilling strips can be hand fringed using a small sharp scissor. (With some practice your fringed scissor cuts may become as even as those done with a fringer).

The fringer itself only does one thing, and that is fringe the paper. The uncut side of the paper is then rolled and glued; the fringe is spread out to create flowers and/or poms to be used in a project. There are, however, many different ways to assemble your fringed strips to create many different kinds of flowers.

Here are some examples

Glue a strip of 1/8” paper to the unfringed side of a ¼” or 3/8” strip of paper. Starting with the end of the 1/8” strip roll the entire strip up and glue at the end. Open petals and you will have a daisy like flower with a tight roll center. I generally use a 3” strip of 1/8”, and 4 or 5 inches of fringed strip.

Roll a 6” strip of fringed paper to create a single color Flower. The 3/8” fringe will make a larger flower.

Glue 4 or 5 inches of ¼” fringed paper to 4 or 5 inches of 3/8” in a contrasting color. When you roll start with the ¼” paper and you will end up with a flower with longer petals on the outside and shorter fringe in the center.
Glue two or three fringed lengths of different colors together, when you roll them your flower will have different color stripes.

Roll two fringed strips of different colors together at the same time. Your flower will look totally different.

You can also fringe dark center or graduated strips for a still different effect. These are just a few of the possibilities.

We carry several fringers that are manufactured by different manufactures on our website , or at our Ebay store; therefore we are sure to have one that will please everyone. Please see details below:

TIP: Since fringers can not accommodate 1/16” & 1/8” quilling strips .To make really tiny fringed flowers, simply fringe a ¼” or 3/8” quilling strips then trim fringe down to desired size and roll as usual.

The Angle / 45 degree fringer is most often used to make leaves. 3/8” quilling strip is folded in half length wise and fed through the guides with the fold placed at the back of the fringer. After the quilling strip is fringed, cut folded strip into leaf shape in desired size and unfold (open) leaf. Width and depth of fringe can be adjusted depending on the fringer model. (Angle fringed quilling strips can also be used to make fringed flowers Jane Jenkins has a delightful book (B172 “Fringed Flower Hybrids ") that gives some very interesting variations

T3189 – Paplin’s Angle Fringer / 45 degree fringer @ $55.00
All metal fringer, made in the USA, with adjustments for depth & width of fringe, useable with ¼” to ¾” folded strips (measurements before folding)

T3190 – Paplin’s Straight Fringer / 90 degree fringer @ $45.00
All metal fringer, made in the USA, with adjustments for depth & width of fringe,
Useable with ¼” or 3/8” paper strips (not folded)

T175 – Lake City Fringer (the original straight / 90 degree fringer) @ $70.00 this made in the USA fringer has adjustment for width only. WE DO CARRY THIS FRINGER, IN LIMITED QUANTITY DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY.

T181– Lake City Fringer Straight/ 90 degree @ $45.00
Metal fringer, Imported, with adjustment for width of fringe only.

O305 – Quilled Creations Fringer Straight / 90 degree @ $49.95
Plastic base, Imported, with adjustment for width only

If we haven’t answered all of your fringing questions please let us know.

Different Quilling Manufactures Differences in Quilling Strips/Papers

Different Manufactures & Differences in Quilling Strips

American & English papers work well together. Right now the cost of English papers (especially in the wider widths) is higher due to value of the dollar (down) overseas and increased shipping costs. The weight of the English papers is pretty consistent (with the exception of the heavier dark colors) Depending on which American papers you use weight can vary from color to color, again with darker colors being somewhat heavier. English strips and Paplin Product strips come in the 4 standard widths 1/16", 1/8", ¼" & 3/8". Most Lake City papers come in all four widths although some of their colors are not available in 1/16". Quilled Creations strips come in 1/8', ¼", and 3/8".

In the 1970's, 24" was the standard length for American quilling strips. That is no longer the case. Lake City papers are 24' long with the exception of their new watercolors, which are 12". Paplin papers, another American paper, are generally 23" long. Quilled creations papers (American) are about 18" long, their graduated papers are about 12" long. English papers are 17" long with their graduated and dark centers 12" long.

When I brought English papers into my inventory they came in a much larger variety of colors than American papers, including some of the dark "jewel tones" like navy, hunter green, royal purple etc. Now many of those colors are available here in the states (mainly Paplin papers which are actually a nicer working weight than the English dark colors) I have been told that the heavier weight has something to do with being able to take the darker dye, although the Paplin black is a nice easy weight to work with. The English also have some wonderful novelty papers, graduated strips where the color darkens as it goes up the strip, dark center strips, two toned strips (one color on one side of the paper, a different color on the other side), fluorescent colors, ultra white, pearlized edged papers, gold & silver edges. Not to be out done Paplin Products and Lake City have come out with lines of pearlized and metallic papers (not just on edge all the way through). Paper weights can vary, specialty papers, like parchment, tend to be a lighter weight. Some of the "quilling" paper sold in scrapbooking stores, (especially the tube paper sold as "quillstix") is very heavy, almost as heavy as cardstock. Unfortunately, some members of the scrapbooking community are saying this is the only weight that will hold up in a scrapbook. Those of us who have been quilling for a while know that this is not accurate. Regular quilling paper is incredibly strong when rolled and placed on edge.

Since we carry so many different kinds of papers here at Whimsiquills, I have tried them all. I don't like working with the heavy "card stock" like papers, and find them difficult to finger roll without getting unwanted creases. If I have to roll a heavier paper, I generally use a tool to keep tension even.

All of the choices now available can cause some confusion for new quillers. I find that all of the papers can work pretty well together if you are just careful to measure the strips you cut from the different brands. For example: if you are using an English yellow for the center of a flower, but an American orchid for the petals, you will want to start out with the same length strips. If you are using the English navy blue (which is a heavier weight), you will either have to make the strip a little shorter to compensate for the larger size center, or perhaps make a couple of extra petals for your flower.

Quilling is My Life!

Quilling is my Life!

Quilling is my life! What started out as a casual interest thirty years ago soon became an obsession. I would like to share my love of quilling, my work and experience with you. From the very first quilled snowflake I made, I have been fascinated by the endless possibilities of this beautiful art form. Over the years, I became more and more involved in the world of quilling. I was so excited about what I could do with paper that I made special gifts for my family and friends. Before too long, people were asking me to make things for their families and friends, and my business, Whimsiquills was born.

Quilling has been around for a long time, anecdotal information has it going back as far as the invention of paper. It was used by Italian nuns to decorate reliquaries centuries ago. When gilded paper is used (gold on the edges), it is often mistaken for metal filigree. It is not a very well known art form and is known by several names including paper mosaic, paper filigree, quilling and paper quilling (It is believed that some early quillers rolled their paper strips around the base of a goose quill). The astounding thing about quilling is its many applications, and because it is not very well known, people often don’t realize that they are looking at paper. I have had people who didn’t believe what they were looking at was made of paper until I showed them how I do it.

It was probably sometime late in the 80’s that the independent craft stores and Mom & Pop craft stores started disappearing as the big craft store chains started moving in. Most of these chains didn’t carry quilling supplies, and most of their employees had no idea what quilling was; this is still the case today. When I couldn’t find quilling supplies in stores anymore, I contacted the few quilling wholesalers here in the United States and started buying (and eventually selling quilling supplies); my interest at that time was more about meeting my own quilling needs and those of my students.

I learned that there was actually a quilling Guild in England I joined the guild and in my membership information, I found 13 other quillers here in the USA who were members of the guild as well. I contacted all thirteen and started writing a little “newsletter” so we could share information. When I read about quilling companies in England that had all kinds of specialty papers and colors that were not available here in the states, I started importing them as well. The story continues to grow. The little newsletter I wrote became Quill America, which is now the official newsletter of NAQG, the North American Quilling Guild. I don’t write it any more, thank goodness, NAQG has a wonderful newsletter editor for that. Our little informal group of thirteen quillers has grown to almost 500 NAQG members. We hold annual national meeting (NAQGCON) and many of our members hold regional “mini meets” where quillers get together to share information and technique. Our mission is to preserve this beautiful art form we love so well and pass it on to future generations.

The internet has played a large role in allowing us to share information with other quillers all over the world. There are many web sites where you can view peoples work, there are chat groups and email groups. We scan and email pictures of our work and can see the work of quillers from all around the world. The very first time I did a search on the internet, I found about 15 references, and some of those were about Native American quill work which is done with porcupine quills and totally unrelated to paper quilling. (It is very beautiful though). This morning when I typed the search word quilling 457,000 entries came up. So why am I “bloging” about quilling? Because I have so much information to share, and thought I would put it all in one place where it would be accessible to anyone who was interested. My plan is to give you information about where you can find antique quilling, (and not so antique), answers to frequently asked questions we get here at Whimsiquills, information on what is available, technique and anything else I think or hear you may be interested. Welcome to the wonderful world of quilling!