Any products you are reluctant to use - ?
 

Are there any quilting/sewing products you are reluctant to use? Even though there seem to be many recommendations on this Board for using them?

Retayne and Synthropol are two that I've been avoiding - I don't do hand-dying and I consider commercially dyed fabrics that bleed to be flawed.

starch. The only type of starch I want to use is the one I can turn into pudding. The flexibility of fabric is why I love working with it.

Glue. I get it everywhere but where it belongs.

Specialty Rulers-I am not a gadget person, so I figure I can use a regular ruler instead. Plus most of them are quite expensive.

Starch and basting spray....the starch makes my iron and ironing board gunky; we have asthma problems so I avoid using sprays in the house.

Me, too. But I don't use starch because when it is dry it flakes off tiny bits of starch and my eyes and nose just can't handle it. Somehow, I have survived.

I agree with specialty rulers. I have a very few and it seems there are way too many.
I don't use starch but I really like Mary Ellen's Best Press. It doesn't flake.

Starch, glue, embroidery machines, Mary Ellen's Best Press. :D

Basting spray - seems to cover everything, everywhere

i wish i was a bit less reluctant.
i have some rulers still in the shrink wrap. lol

seriously, i won't even consider anything that
-creates extra steps
-requires me to make it wrong and then use the tool to fix it
-that is really just a re-packaged and overpriced something-or-other that i can get at an office supply or hardware store for a fraction of the price
-serves only one purpose (there are some exceptions to that, but very few.)

Glue and starch. I use best press and magic sizing. I love gadgets, rulers and Books and like PatriceJ I have rulers in the original package. I can't resist when I see someone demo a ruler. I try not to watch! Lol

Embroidery machines and sergers. I know lots of people love theirs but I just can't see me using one.

Serger. Don't see the need for one.

I am careful when it comes to rulers. If I look at a quilt book and it says I have to buy a certain ruler, I put the book down. I already have rulers in my drawer never used or used once.

Artificially scented anything.

I keep thinking it can be done otherwise as the women of the generations before mine, quilted with very simple means... that's whow I like to do my quilts

Starch, and basting sprays.

Basting spray,glue, and fusible anything. I dislike anything sticky around my fabrics.

Haha, I love your comment about making something wrong so you can use the ruler to fix it.

Glue when piecing, but I must admit I am a glue-girl with epp. Starch..haven't used since had to stack and iron dh cotton white dress shirts 10 yrs ago! But my weakness in this place is specialty rulers....if it makes something I want to do easier and more accurate, why not....I'm sure those before us would have jumped at the chance, rather than using cardboard or whatever....and I don't think "to make it wrong so that it can be made accurate" is actually what the intention is. I believe it is to cut and construct in simpler fashion, then fine tune it to the accurate size needed for the project, thus eliminating a possible error. Case in point might be Eleanor Burns has several rulers that are used to "trim", and it may be only 1/8" or less, but I would rather take the time to trim that than multiply that figure over the whole project and not have pieces meet the way they should. But that's me and my justification for purchases.

Heat N Bond----causes gummy problem on machine needle

I prefer to have the exact ruler with markings for the pattern I'm making. That saves me time and many times a lot of frustration. I use Terial Magic instead of starch before cutting. Even bias does't stretch. The things I refuse to use or do is pin basting, a rotary blade that skips, a marked up cutting mat, or a machine that gives me any trouble. I am not a make do type person. I don't see the rewards of it at my age.

Heat n Bond Lite has never gummed up my needle. The regular Heat n Bond will.

I am happy doing things like I always do them.

Agree on this.

my cutter skips! I always thought it was the first sign of a dulling blade.

I am afraid to use the basting sprays. I am asthmatic.

Surprising Dunster. You make such fabulous quilts.

Frixion pens (I've read of horror stories of them not washing out).
Pricey iron. (Don't see the purpose when my $20 one does the job well.)
Serger or embroidery machine. (I'm not anticipating needing or wanting them.)

the good news is that none of us have to justify anything to each other. :)
some of my friends think i'm nuts to have bought some of the stuff i have.
i think they are nuts to have some of the gadgets they have.
we all agreed to disagree.
since they don't spend my money and i don't spend theirs neither of us sees the need for the other to justify a durned thing. lol

sometimes, when i'm kicking myself for having spent new-floor-money on equipment instead, one of my bestest friends reminds me that i worked hard for the money, am having a blast with my toys, donate virtually every quilt i make to charity, and that the floors might be hideous to look at but they still function as floors. she encourages me to stop thinking i need to justify the purchases to anybody - including myself. (now that's a gooood friend.) :)

You can always litter your floor with enough scraps so you can't see it!

Embroidery machines. I have a friend who has three she doesn't use. My needle and floss do all the embroidery I want to do and give me lots of pleasure.

I think I use everything mentioned in all of these posts. I have COPD but I still use spray baste and spray starch. I got on a notions buying kick a while back and bought several. As for now I am enjoying what I have and I have enough to last me the rest of my life.

Yes, and any artificial flavor is exactly the same.....yech.

Fancy fabric cutters that take up too much space.

Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto, LOL!!! Have not had the need for them. ;)

Jan in VA

Fabric marking pens.....I'm paranoid. I have them...still in packaging....they look pretty in my drawer. Lol! Maybe one day...