A friend and I were talking quilting recently and she mentioned having purchased a handle with rubber suction cups on it to hold her quilting rulers steady. She purchased at Harbor Freight and paid very little for it. It is much larger than the ones that you find at quilting stores and a lot less expensive.
One unconventional tool that I use is my Dad's old drafting T-square which is 30 inches long. I have a cutting table made from an old door that is 30" wide. DH set it up on two foldable saw horses and the 30 inch T-squre fits the width perfectly and allows me to cut my fabric all the way across without having to move a ruler. I use a large cutting mat under it.
I can spend hours in my DH's favorite wood working store trying to figure out ways to use the tools that I find there, but they are not inexpensive.
What are the unconventional tools that you have adapted to quilting, what do you use them for, and where do you purchase them? Ann in TN