bigbrownowl

I have so enjoyed reading this thread. What staggers me is the number of items mentioned that I have never seen or heard of! I had to look up things like June Taylor, Flynn Frame, etc to see what you were all talking about. Perhaps it is because we don't have large chains of speciality stores like Joanns or Hancocks here in the UK, that we don't see these kinds of products here. Or maybe that because our quilting shows are much smaller, large American companies don't think it is worth coming over to promote their products.

To be very honest, I am not impressed with gadgets and slick marketing. I will only buy something that I can try out for myself, and any promoter at a show or trade fair that won't let me try it out on the stand, doesn't get much of my time, sympathy or money, but gets my suspicious mind working: WHY can't I try it out? - what is wrong with it? - won't it work when I get it home?, etc, etc.

The AccuQuilt system is a good case in point. I use a Sizzix machine for other things, and quickly worked out that Sizzix dies will cut fabric too. The AccuQuilt dies are obviously designed with cutting shapes for sewing in mind: I took two of my sizzix dies with me to a show to compare the width and size of the Accuquilt dies. The demonstrator told me that I couldn't try it out on the stand with my own dies, unless I bought a cutting machine. As I (and several others) were drifting away, she caught me and whispered that I could use the Accuquilt dies in my Sizzix, just not to tell anyone at the show as she was trying to sell as many as she could: I now just buy the dies I want (dresden plate, Jack and Jill, tumbling blocks, hexagon) and use them in my exisiting system.

I tried out the Simplicity binding machine which I had a fancy to buy, at a show recently, and just fell about the place laughing. I managed to break the demonstration model - complete waste of time and money in my opinion. I much rather do it with an iron - a little more slowly perhaps, but more accurate than the machine, which needed repressing afterwards as it didn't really press the creases tightly.

The only really big waste of money I can think of that has got to me, is purchasing fat quarters. I wish someone had told me not to bother with this way of purchasing fabric - it is not accurate or cost effective. I purchase fabric where I can see it being cut in front of me, so that I know it is accurately cut, and I buy the quantity I need.

The most useful tool I ever bought was a telescopic magnetised wand - used initially by my husband at work for picking up small screws, etc, but invaluable for picking up pins off the carpet without bending your knees. Wonderful!