Originally Posted by MissQuilter
I traced one out of a magazine before Christmas and made tumbler table runners. Remember when we used cardboard, replaced when worn out, then the template plastic was wonderful, and of course old X-ray film if you could get your hands on it. Lids and plates for circles???? Making up patterns, not buying them all???? Quilting does not HAVE to always be expensive!!!!!
I sure DO remember all of those things and more!! And I still use some of them. I have a whole collection of lids in different sizes that I use for circles. I also used to cut templates out of old oatmeal lids. They lasted longest of all, I think. I tried old exray film, but found it to be too thin. When I first started quilting I did what my mom had always done, and used all the things she used to use. She also used old stuff like towels and worn blankets in place of batting. And she never used a pattern in her life. She'd get a kick out of all the patterns used today.
But I know my mom would also love all the wonderful things we have today to make quilting more pleasurable. Like heavy duty plastic templates and rulers. Things that hardly ever wear out and make your quiltmaking faster and more fun. My mom made quilts just because we needed them to keep us warm. She didn't make them just for the pleasure it gave her. Store bought blankets cost too much for a big family to be able to afford. Now, more often, we make quilts to fill a need that we have, to be creative and to share our creativity with family and friends.
8-)