maryb119

I use an old medicing bottle with the child proof caps for storing and disposing of my broken and bent pins and needles. I usedvarious sized Tupperware lids as the templates for the circles in the quilt in my avitar. I have used dinner plates to round the corners on quilts and cookie cutters for applique patterns. There are lots of tools around the house.

JustAbitCrazy

I have a stash of clean plastic lids from food items like cottage cheese, etc., which I use to cut templates from to trace around for an applique shape or a shape to follow when quilting. The raised edges are already cut off all of them, so they lay flat inside a shallow box. Clear or frosted lids are the best, of course, because you can see through them to trace the shape you want from a sketch. But opaque lids work, too. Since they are a heavy plastic, they don't get distorted from repeated use the way cardboard templates do.

newbiequilter

I put my old used rotary blades in an empty round breath mint tin. I keep it right alongside the prescription bottle for pins and needles.

PABerard

I use an old baby wipes box to hold binding, feeding it out the slot as I go along.

I use an old air pump for blowing lint out of my machines.

I use magnetic hooks on the embroidery machine stand to keep my scissors handy.

ccthomas

I use small Mason jars for buttons. I use Yankee candle jars for pins. Baskets hold thread. Wood boxes hold quilt patterns and books. I use a child's metal tool box for my rotary cutters. I was using a dish holder for my rotary rulers (this did not work well as I kept knocking the rulers everywhere.) Cookie tins hold threac as well. I use the plastic clear CD separator as a circle pattern.

Pat625

When I need templates, I print them out and laminate them with my desk top laminator. I want to try to use this method to also make stencils, by cutting around the design with a exacto knife.

barny

I use the prescription bottles for my bobbins. I also use the little pieces of cut clear tubing[that someone on here told us about]. Wonderful! One bottle for each machine with the Number of the machine on top.

Sewnoma

Oh, I forgot - I use little terrycloth hair "bands" to keep bobbins from unwinding.

gramma nancy

I use an empty dental floss container as a "sharps" container for bend/broken pins and needles.

littlebitoheaven

So many great ideas. I also use the pointed (rounded) end of a long paintbrush to push out corners and to run along seam lines as I press them. I attached a pin cushion (with velcro) to my sewing machine for pins as I sew. I also hung a pen with rubber tip for my Ipad to my sewing machine handle to use on my touch screen. I use the "old" hair clips, the small ones we used for pin curls (oh boy, showing my age) to hold my binding in place as I hand sew.