During the Renaissance, French nuns and monks used 'quills' to wind paper strips into coils(Hence the name 'Quilling'). Quills don't have slots and so the paper was wound around the quills to create the basic coil shape. But later when quilling art spread to England, many might have used quills with a small slit cut across the open end for the paper strips to slide in.
Quills now have been replaced by slotted tools and quilling needles.
A perfectly round center is what every quill artist aims for. And this is achieved by using quilling needle and a pair of tweezers. Skewers and toothpicks are good alternatives to quilling needle but the center diameter will vary owing to their thickness. The following are my favorite :)
This post has two tips to make those perfect coils - no creases and no bumpy edges. Enjoy the video.
Initially, it might seem difficult to work with tweezers and it's not
uncommon to be clumsy but with practice it gets easier and easier. You
would love how perfect the coils turn out to be and I can guarantee you
won't go back to using slotted tool unless it's necessary.
By tearing the loose end of the coil before gluing will result in a smoother finish just like in the picture below. The one on the right has a bumpy edge which is unsightly whereas the one on the left has blended with the rest of the coil smoothly.
I hope the tips are helpful. Until we meet again, have fun quilling!
