bebe

1. Safe Storage: Use a potholder to make a case for scissors or rotary cutter. For a rotary cutter, fold pot holder in 1/2 and stich side a bottom. For scissors , bring 2 corners together and stich edges. The loops can be used to hang cases in your sewing room.

2. Batting scraps: When you have batting left from projects, measure the pcs and pin a note to each indicating it's size. Store the pcs in a bag from that type of batting so you will know what each is. When you need a piece for a project, you can easily see the size .

3. Bud nets: Ask your local florist to save the bud nets that protect flowers when they are shipped. The nets are great for keeping thread tidy. They are also good for holding stabilizer or rolls of wrapping paper.

4. Block Hanger: Use a skirt hanger to store completed blocks. The clips can be moved to accomodate any size block. This keeps the blocks organizeds w/o wrinkling.

5. Scrap bag: Use a zipper sandwich bag to catch threads and small scraps while you are sewing. To keep the bag from closing , turn it inside out, and it will stay open. You can tape it to your machine or table.

Just a few tips I picked up while reading through a magazine.

live2teach

Thanks for sharing! My aunt makes the scissor cases all of the time, she's even put magnets on the back of them and put them on the side of the fridge!

Tiffany

Great tips. I've used the one for hanging blocks from a hanger for years. I store my orphan blocks that way. It's fun to look through them and remember what I've done over the years. Here's a tip, when making a quilt with all the same blocks, always make one extra and save it. Then, once you've saved up enough blocks you can turn these extra blocks into a sampler quilt to remind you of all the quilts you've done over the years.

Loretta: I actually don't use that tip unless I'm at a retreat or something like that. I find that if I don't get up and move around, I get too stiff and I have Fibromyalgia and getting stiff is very bad. I actually have the ironing board set up so that I have to get up and walk a few steps to reach it and I have my garbage bag on the opposite side, which sort of allows me to stretch in both directions. I also find taking a few minutes to stretch every hour or so helps to keep me from getting that horrible backache that plagues so many quilters. I have friends that love their coffee filters so I imagine I am in the minority where this tip is concerned.

One of my favorite tips - when your rotary blade is getting dull, flip it over and it will cut good as new.
~Tiffany

Rebecca Chambley

Boy we have some very thrifty and frugal people here. Neat and real nifty ideas. Thanks for caring to share........

Minda

These tips are great. I've used some, but not all. Thanks for sharing.

mary705

I remember watching the show that included your tip. I also have lower back problems, so I too have my ironing board set up to where I need to get up tp press, and I have a tiny littl plastic trash can that I can move to where I'm working for the little snippets and threads.

Tiffany: I have used that tip for my blades, also I have used a piece of foil. If that blade has a tiny nick in it, fold a piece of foil 2 or 3 layers thick and run the cutter through it, seems to work.

Tiffany

Oh Mary, what a great tip with the foil for the blades! I'm definitely going to try that. :!: I have friends who just love and swear by those little blade sharpeners but I don't like them and they don't work well for me unless I am sharpening my blades daily; not something I really want to do if I don't have to. Thank you very much!
~Tiffany

Brenda Retzlaff

Lots of great tips. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try the foil for the blades. Mine seem to get dull way too fast.

treasurelady

I too have problems with my back. I found a little treasure at a yard sale several years ago. It was a child's wooden ironing board from the mid 20th century. I set it up beside me with the iron and I can easily turn to it to press my block without having to get up and walk away from my machine. It's the perfect height. Love it!!!! Linda

Brenda Retzlaff

Quilters are so creative...I use one of those little tabletop ironing boards (for the little stuff). I set it on my worktable next to the sewing machine so I don't have to get up so often.