klswift

I use an old check box. Perfect size for needle packages and I keep an old pill bottle in it with a small hole in the top that I put old needles in. (In that drawer I also keep an old cat food can that I put old rotary blades in. When it gets full, it will be easy to put a piece of tape over the top and discard safely.

quiltingcandy

Since I have several different sewing machine needles, and I use different needles for hand sewing and straight pins too. A long time ago someone wrote they stored their needles with the little packets that keep the moisture away from them so they don't rust or go bad. After that I found a plastic box used for beads keep all the pins and needles separate and with the little packets that come in pills and other things. Before that I just left them in the little thing they came in, in a drawer of the sewing machines. For the past few years San Diego has had a lot more humidity so hopefully this new method will protect them.

Onebyone

Little hands love to poke the pins all the way in. LOL I kept the ones my grand 'helped' fill. I smile everytime I see it. She's 19 now.

mac

Lots2do:

You can go on line and print out what ever hexagon size you need. Just search for Hexagon templates.
Then I take that template I printed out and put it over other typing paper (I always use recycled paper) and staple about 4 pieces of paper together.
Next I take it to my sewing machine, unthread it, put in a dull sewing machine needle and sew on the lines of the hexagon template. I used small stitches and what it does is it perforates the paper so that I can make individual hexagon templates. I pull the pieces apart and there you have it enough hexagon to keep you going for a while.

Making my own templates like this is really accurate. I used to cut my own templates using a master template paper and found that my scissor cutting wasn't' so accurate. No matter how careful I was, I would always have little mistakes in the template so that when I was sewing them together they would quite match.

I am too cheap to pay for the hexagon templates so this is pretty easy and uses up typing paper I would have otherwise thrown out in the recycle bin.
I have also use the paper that comes in-between the roll of Warm and Natural batting. It is quite firm and works great for templates.
In addition to this, I have also used those annoying little advertisement cards that come out of magazine, they are also nice to use. However, since you have to cut your template the size of the card, I use this only if I have nothing else on hand.

lots2do

Mac,
What a genius idea! (Forgive my grammar). I will have to give that a try. (Of course, I just placed an order for some hexie papers but I didn't get many).
I love hand sewing hexagons. I have been so attracted to small scale prints this summer to use.
Thanks for your thorough explanation. I do appreciate it.
lots2do

mac

One more thing, when you staple the paper together, I try to get one staple (inside of one of the hexie) staggered around so that you have one staple in each row. That way as you are pulling the pieces apart you can do it row by row and not have the row fall apart before you can get to it.

You will have to play with the stitch size when you start, too close and hexies will fall apart too soon and not close enough and they will have to have help breaking up.

Another thing I found helpful, is to sew following a row down, an then go for the next row down. Pull the strips apart and then sew in-between the hexies to release them. I hope that makes sense. It took me a while to figure out how to do it efficiently, but I found that was the best way.

Good luck.

lots2do

Thanks! I'll give that a try!

iamjanet

I do the same with 'used' needles, and I use the 'used' needles to hang things on the wall....leaves a very small hole

lovelyl

I keep my new needles in an old jewelry cabinet that I use for sewing notions. The packages fit nicely into one of the divided drawers. Used needles and dull or bent pins go into an old pill bottle and I toss it when full.