Flower straight pins
 

You know those cute pins with the flower flat heads? Do they come with numbers or letters on them? I'm thinking they would be great to mark the order of blocks in a row, instead of using post its.

Fons & Porter have something like you describe, but I'm too cheap. I wrote on mine w/a sharpie. I have a whole pin cushion with nothing but flower pins with numbers on them.

That will work...i wasn't sure there wasnenough room to write on them..thanks!

I wrote on mine with a sharpie also. The ink eventually wore off, but not before I got that quilt finished.

Instead of those, I cut up a light-colored felt rectangle into 1.5"x1.5" squares and put numbers and letters on each of them with a sharpie marker, then these can be pinned to mark the rows.

Good idea! I bought a pack of little alphabet flower beads you can slip a pin in and pin it to the rows. I love the felt idea, though. Easier to see

I agree... I've used pieces of paper pinned to the blocks with "row 1, block 1" etc. written on them, but I think I like this idea better - the felt would probably stick without pinning, too.

Alphabet/Number beads and tiny safety pins. the beads have letters and numbers ! Our group of regulars use these all the time

i like all of these ideas.

I just use masking tape. I write the numbers directly on the roll leaving a space between and then snip off the numbered piece and always tape it in the upper left. This peels off easily but sticks well while I am assembling the top.

Great ideas, everyone! Thanks!

When someone here on the board posted about finding these number beads at Hobby Lobby last year, I got a pk of them, so much easier than paper slips and pins:)

Great ideas ladies! I also use safty pins covered with small plastic clip on. You can get these at Joann and with a coupon they are about $5 for 100. They are great for marking rows or porblem areas since they do not come out, stick your fingers and are easy to see. They are the kiind that you put on pins youself,

OOOH Shelbie I like this idea - you can throw it away after your done - no need to find a storage space for all thise little doohickies.

Thanks everyone! Thats why QB is great...we're always thinking!

this is what I do. Painter's tape is my friend on rulers too.

I use Fons and Porter's marked pins. The are long and glide in the fabric. I keep them in a big pincushion. It's more convenient for me to buy and use and not try to make them.

Well, what I do...never thought of using a Sharpie...is use certain colors of pins for each row, and I do them in alphabetic order of the name of the colors. For example, I used blue, green, orange, purple, and white pins for five rows, in that order...

I used a sheet of embroidery stabilizer, cut squares and labeled as needed....and then re-used....
some times I just need 1,2,3, etc....and I have found a good use for those little applique pins...

Glad to know I am not the only one needing help to keep everything in order.....
As I make my blocks I put them on my planning board.....and once I get them in an order that
I really like, I want to keep them that way.....

As we all know just a quarter turn of any block can ruin a whole top.....
I also always put my marker in the left upper corner that way I know for sure when sewing what way is up for sure.

I bought a package of 12 white plastic clothes pin thingies and wrote numbers on them at the dollar store. They work great for keeping things together. Now I need to buy another set since I need 15.

I read somewhere to save the plastic clips that they use to close bread bags. Write your numbers on them and pin them with straight pins through the opening. I've saved a bunch of them but never remember to try them out.

I use bits of (blue) painters' tape. It can be reused, several times.

I bought some at a show! Love them! Their web site is: http://quiltingpins.com/
I love mine!! Each number has 5 or 6 pins, so you can do rows too!

I, too, used a Sharpie to write numbers on my flower head pins. I find that I use those numbered pins frequently.

I cut 1.5 inch squares of template plastic, then cut a hole with a paper punch near a corner edge. Then I numbered the rows vertically and horizontally. I just pin the tag unto a block and can take everything off my design surface without worry. Hint: always pin the tag to the upper left of each block so you know which way is up and left. :-)

These are great ideas. I was just trying to find the things that apparently someone mentioned at Hobby Lobby (pins with numbers on them). I had thought someone said they were toys and sold at ToysRus. I did an internet search and couildn't find them. I end up using straight pins or safety pins because I don't have anything else. Recently (yesterday) I needed them. I use one pin to mark the first row, two pins to mark the second row, etc. But for this one, I only needed 8 at the most. I used safety pins once I got over 4 and I just safety pinned the pins to each other to indicate which row it was, so that on row 8, I had two large pins stuck in the first block of that row and on each safety pin was pinned 3 more pins to make a total of 8 pins.

I had another one that I just used little scraps of paper--cut them into little squares, wrote on them, 1-15 and pinned them to the top left side of the block and then threw them away at the end of the project. But I've thought it would be neat to have something a little more permanent.

What a wonderful idea to write numbers on flower pins! I'll be using this idea today. Thanks so much, this board is wonderful!

I have the flower pins. I found arrow pins by Fons and Porter on the clearance rack at Tuesday Morning so I numbered some of the pins with a permanent marker. Works for me.

I like the idea of using the plastic closers from the bread, potatoes, etc. Just pin through the hole and they can be reused many times. We all get plenty of those and they're free!

I have some with a D printed on them. I bought them at Tuesday Mornings awhile back.

I like those pins just because the are longer than other pins and the colors show up better on all fabrics.

That's mainly what I use now because you can use less pins and if you drop them you can see them to pick them up.. If I use the small applique pins I usually use a magnent after so I don't miss any. My DH is always the one to step on them somehow.

Being new to quilting, I am using the numbering system for the first time - using those round price post its you get at any store. Pinned them to the blocks and color coordinated my rows. I am quilting as I go - and sticking my fingers with these pins constantly!!!! Think the pins are not the answer. The masking tape or painters tape might be better for me - less blood - thanks for all the info ladies.

Good idea. I usually write my info on scraps of paper and pin it to the quilt. I'm gonna get my sharpie and fix up some flower pins. I found some on sale a while back. :)

I wrote numbers on mine too. But be care, don't do the other thing I did - They melt if your hot iron touches them! I learned the hard way. Some just curled up, but some actually stuck to my fabric! I was able to pull them off the fabric, but I was in panic mode for a few minutes!

This is what do as well. There are fine point sharpies out there. Works well.

Oh and you can also sew through the flower heads. Ask me how I know!

I use those cheap white paper plates. I have them #'d for each row. Then I just stack each row on it's paper plate in the order I will stitch them. As I do each row, I put it back on its designated paper plate. Works very well for me, no pin pricks, no post-its falling off.

I'm so glad you asked this. A yr. or so ago somebody on here talked about little plastic charms with numbers & with letters on them. I found the numbers ones were perf. for marking the rows of a Bargello by putting them on safety pins & pinning to ea. row.
The ones with numbers are very hard to find but the letters are common & found in the craft section of Wal Marts. Maybe these would work for you.