How did Regi's Grip quilting gloves come about?

Who am I?

I am Regina Balcarczyk and I was born in Poland in 1948. Since my childhood I have been sewing and making dresses and dolls for myself and my family. To this day I still tailor - most recently graduation and wedding dresses for my grandchildren.

 

My true passion for some time now has been patchworking and quilting. What fascinates me especially: Quilts are more than just the combination of geometric shapes. Quilting takes a lot of time and effort to combine the most diverse individual pieces into a comprehensive whole that tells a story. Quilts reflect the expertise, values and culture of the hands that touched them. 

Quilting: A long process of work

The production of quilted products is a very lengthy work process. The hands need a certain grip and at the same time, a certain degree of agility. To make the work easier, there are special gloves on the quilt market, but they do not serve their purpose. The fabric of those gloves are still too thick and not snug enough for precise quilting. With those gloves it is not possible in the long run to maintain both control over hand movements and flexibility for pattern sewing. The main problem, however, is that the hands sweat under the fabric, which significantly impairs the work. Some of my quilting friends even bought gardening gloves to work with, but they were actually too thick and inflexible.

The origin of Regi's Grip

The idea for Regi's Grip was born in Karlsruhe at the international event for needlecrafts. I participated there in May 2016 in a patchwork course. The quilting tasks set were tricky and I had to work very precisely. The need for suitable gloves brought me to the idea to design my own gloves. I was thinking that: 

  • quilting gloves doesn't need five finger cots, because actually you only need three 
  • and a glove for adequate quilting should be made of light and airy fabric.

I began to implement my idea feverishly and the development of the gloves took me almost two years. Many friends and family helped me to make it happen. And finally in May 2018 I went again to the Karlsruhe fair - but this time I was not there as a participant, but with my own small booth and demonstrated Regi's Grip to the visitors. It was a great success! Well, what can I say - I love my Regi's Grip!