I'm new to quilting but I was delighted to pass on a bit o' wisdom I learned to another newbie last night at the quilt shop and saved her $10.00. :thumbup:

Last year when I started quilting, I bought a cone thread holder with a long arm since I needed to use cones and not spools. It was worthless because all it was just a disc with a shallow indention and a long plastic arm to send the thread to my machine. The arm kept falling off and the cone would walk off time and again. I have a wonderful elderly quilting neighbor that I visit with often and I told her of my thread woes. She laughed and told me to use a small glass jar and to take that thing back. "You'd never have made it through the depression spending moeny like that." LOL She was so right about the jars! Now I save all my small jars and bottles for cone thread holders--they're free, storage is easy, thread doesn't unravel and they work. :-D

What good idea have you had that would benifit others? How about passing them on just in time for weekend quilting? :-D

Sashing-Sarah709

I have use the black office binder clips for holding together the layers of an interfaced tote bag that were way too thick to pin together. That worked very good!

Love this idea! :thumbup:

I keep a small hand thrown ceramic put (approx. 3" wide by 3" tall or maybe a little bigger) by my machine to throw scrap threads into....it saves on cleanup!

Vanessa in Oklahoma

Another tip! I bought a makeup kit that came with very nice, very thick and expensive brushes for everything. I took one of the shorter handled, thick powder brushes to use for cleaning lint from my machine! It works so much better than the cheap plastic brushes sold for this purpose.

Vanessa in Oklahoma

Speaking of cleaning out the lint.... I use pipe cleaners for that. They are long enough to reach way down in the bottom corners and thin enough to pass between the plate and the bobbin thingy.

I'd have to say . . . change that dull rotary cutting blade when it needs it. Makes all the difference!

Take a class to learn about your machine. How to clean it - how far to take her apart - how to adjust the tension, etc. I used to be intimidated by my machine until I took a class. It makes a big difference in performance.

The best tip I've learned is to cut scraps AS I GO, anticipating a flying geese queen. I cut 3x5 bricks. The "sky" squares are pre-cut also. Before I start a seam on the current project, I stitch about 10 geese seams. Keeps me from being bored and the goose quilt should be half-done by the time I finish the current project, BTW, does anybody want scraps that are smaller than 3 x 5? Many good strings. Free; just pay shipping.

What a great idea using jars for the thread! :thumbup: I've been trying to figure out something for mine, I'll give it a try.

I glued a narrow magnetic strip across the top front of my sewing machine. Then when I am sewing something that has the straight pins and as they approach the needle, I pull them out and stick them onto the magnetic strip. Nothing falling onto the floor or worse into the lap.

oooh, I like this one!

I was sewing and my machine kept stalling, I was constantly turning the hand wheel to get it to sew. I had the great idea of going right then and buy a new machine. Best idea I had while sewing. LOL.

My machine light went out one evening so I use a book light held in place with a pony tail band around the machine and the light. It worked great.

We use coffee creamer from the dairy case. (Plastic jug type)I saved one, washed it out and took off the label. Now i keep it filled with water and set it next to my iron. No more trips to the sink to fill it up!

I use a full 1" x 1.5" Post-it-Note pad flush up against the presser foot, held down with a fat rubber band or a strip of tape, to keep my 1/4" seams exact. I can sew two strips together in about 10 seconds using this! All my seams are straight, equal, and easy.

Jan in VA

I keep a sport water bottle next to my iron. It's right there when my iron needs a *fill-up*!

1st: Finding this board. =)
2nd: I use those mole strips that you buy that are sticky on the underside for my 1/4" seam. I just cut a strip and stick it down. Works great!
3rd: I cut my blocks while watching t.v. with dh and safety pin together so when I am ready to sew I just take a stack and lay them all out and sew. This way I can have several ready to go and just sew them up all at once.
4th: I have extra bobbins all ready to go when I get ready to sew. This keeps you going for quite a while without having to stop, wind the bobbin and rethread.
5th: I have a box under my table that I use to cut my fabric and all of my itty bitty scraps go in there when done so there's not a huge clean up needed. The larger pieces go into another container on the table for scrappy stuff. (clean up as you go and there's more time for sewing)

I am still very green so these may be so little to others but they have helped me. With very little time to sew these are big time savers for me.

I could never get the scant thing right. My needle is not adjustable and measuring and marking the point did not work. The sticky note thing didn't work either because that point for my machine is way under the presser foot.

I then realized that the last track(?) on the feet dog acts as a perfect scant guide and I've been making my blocks the perfect size every since.

Man, so many good ideas! Keep them coming . . . I'm learning ALL kinds of stuff!!! LOL

Nothing to give, just taking copious notes, ta everyone.

I would be very careful about this. I was told when I bought my machine that anything magnetic can screw up your machine. Just like the computer you are using now, there are computer parts in the new machines. Even the pin holders you can buy to have you pins out in you should keep a distance from your machine. You may want to check with your dealer before you attach the magnetic strip to your machine. JMHO

A lady in a quilting class kept a row of wound bobbins on a pipe cleaner and twisted the ends together. She had another pipe cleaner to string the empties on. She kept both in a zip lock bag.

I've been putting an inch or so of masking tape (save from another use) next to the machine the thread sticks to it and you can throw it all away.

I love this idea- I have started cutting my strips up into squares, which I think are more useful- you have taken it one step further...

I always wind 10 bobbins when starting a new project. When I use all the bobbins, it's time to clean the machine and get a new needle put in it. Keeps me from having to remember the last time I did it! When paper piecing, I wind 5 bobbins instead as my needles dull a bit faster.
I have 3 machines and keep bobbins wound for each machine seperate so I don't get confused.
Also, I use empty TicTac cases for the used needles, when full just toss in trash can. No pokes or holes in trash bags.

I have a very large heavy glass beer stein for that purpose. My quilt friends come over and use it too.

So...you are a sociable quilter? And here I am using empty mason jars.

LoL@grammy17!!

I would think either one would be good enough for "social" quilting. ^_^

I just took a marker and marked right on my machine.

I'm like Granny 17 I use a empty mason jar.
I like the idea of changing the needle every 10 bobins.
Thanks

I cut "rings" out of an old knee high w/ a run in it and loosely wrap them around spools of monofilament. I have no troubles keeping the tension, and the thread doesn't come off the spool before the machine pulls it, eliminating snarls and tangles on the spool pin.

And, not really quilting, but when making ruffles (curtains, pillows, bags, etc.), I use dental tape instead of a ruffler foot. It never breaks when gathering (and has the bonus of being able to undo when you need to wash a curtain).

I change mine with every project. This is after buying my new 7700. Before--every 10 years or when they broke.

I washed an empty juice jug and cut off the top, then inserted it into my thread catcher. I just remove the jug to empty my threads at the end of the day. No more picking loose threads out of the bottomand off the sides of the thread catcher.

Also, I use a tool box for quilt guild and UFO days. Here are photos of my best idea for transporting my quilting gear.

I velcro a small pincushion to the side of my machine. Pins are within reach and I can return them to the cushion as I sew. I was constantly knocking mine off and I didn't want one on my wrist.

Great ides, but if you have a computerized mmachine, be careful. I was having a problem with my machine,, took it in for service, the tech said that the magnetic strip was causing a problem with the machine. moved the strip 12" away, on my table,, nno more problem

buy clear christmas tree bulbs and stuff the scrap thread in them and hang them on your tree. I fill one up every year and write the year on them. They are prettier than you would think.

I needed to make a pattern for handquilting that I could put on my candlemat without tracing the design on the material with something that might not come off.

I printed the design by spraying 505 on to a piece of tracing paper, laying it on piece of printer paper smoothly and then running it through my inkjet printer to print the design on the tracing paper.

Then I carefully removed the printer paper from the tracing paper and had exactly what I wanted which I laid onto the fabric. It stayed in place becuause of the 505 that was on it and I added a couple of pins for stability.

I have no idea what special paper to print patterns would cost, but this works well and is always on hand to set up a design of my own choice from whatever source. It also pulls away from the stitching when I am done without a problem.

Lots of good tips! I use an empty tissue box for threads and trash. When it's full, I can just toss the whole thing and get another one! I use a sticky lint roller to clean off threads from my blocks. I pre-wind a box full of bobbins. I use several layers of painters tape to mark my 1/4" sewing line. I keep a bottle of water near my iron. I keep a basket underneath the cutting table for throw-away scraps, a plastic basket on my table for scraps that are usable, when it is full, I cut the scraps into strips and squares. I use a "thread bunny" (don't know how it got it's name!) which is just a scrap to sew onto after sewing pieces. Saves thread. Then I decided to keep a stack of squares or triangles next to my machine and instead of sewing off onto a scrap, I just grab a couple of squares and use those as my "thread bunny." Before you know it, I have a stack of 4 patches for a new quilt!

I just came up with an idea yesterday when changing the needle in the sewing machine I have upstairs. In the basement I keep a baby food jar with a hole in the top for inserting discarded needles and bent and damaged pins. I didn't want to trek to the basement, so I put the old needle in the plastic case the new needle came in and wrote on the case that it was used. Now I can throw it out with the trash, so from now on I will save the plastic cases the needles come in.

I recently started a class and wanted a bag on wheels for my Janome MC6500. After looking at several I asked my mother-in-law what she used. Several of her friends recently bought a tool bag from Harbor Freight. I just got mine it has a total of 21 pockets, handle for carrying or you can extend a handle for the wheels. Best of all it was on sale for $19.99 it is reg. prices like $24.99. She also told me that she just bought rotary blades from there called carpet blades. They come in 2 pkg for $1.99