Household items turned quilting notions?
#123
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 238
Originally Posted by sewcrafty
I also use a bamboo skewer as a stilleto.
I take a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper and wrap it around a small piece of cardboard and duct tape to the back for holding blocks in place for either signing (siggie) or drawing lines from cornor to cornor.
I stole my dh's 48" t-square for cutting larger pieces of fabric.
I use cornstarch to make my own spray starch, instead of buying, a HUGE savings.
I use an old ceramic cookie jar for all my fabric pens and markers.
I take a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper and wrap it around a small piece of cardboard and duct tape to the back for holding blocks in place for either signing (siggie) or drawing lines from cornor to cornor.
I stole my dh's 48" t-square for cutting larger pieces of fabric.
I use cornstarch to make my own spray starch, instead of buying, a HUGE savings.
I use an old ceramic cookie jar for all my fabric pens and markers.
#124
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: My Sewing Room
Posts: 1,180
I have an 18" magnetic knife rack attached to the wall behind my sewing machine. This holds all sorts of things: screwdrivers, seam rippers, scissors, needle threader, presser feet, bobbins, and even a mechanical pencil - anything with metal, basically.
I also recently found an old bakers' rack, the kind used to rise bread or transport bread to stores at a yard sale, for $5. Some Rustoleum paint made it like new. A sheet of pegboard yielded 8 shelves with 2 smaller pieces left over. This wheeled rack will hold fabric and WIPs
Old prescription bottles hold used or broken sewing machine needles until they are needed instead of nails for hanging pictures.
I also recently found an old bakers' rack, the kind used to rise bread or transport bread to stores at a yard sale, for $5. Some Rustoleum paint made it like new. A sheet of pegboard yielded 8 shelves with 2 smaller pieces left over. This wheeled rack will hold fabric and WIPs
Old prescription bottles hold used or broken sewing machine needles until they are needed instead of nails for hanging pictures.
#128
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Newberg, OR
Posts: 1,911
Originally Posted by goonberrie
Ok, so I'm dumb, what 's a blog and how do I check it out and how do I find out how to read your answer to my DUMB questions??? (Can You tell I'm the newbie?)
http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com
That should get you there.
#129
I love my tall 4-drawer metal file cabinet. Painted it to match my sewing room & so organized for patterns, books, class lessons, ideas, print-outs, etc. Labeled the drawers and I use hanging files, plus regular file folders.
Use deli-papers that I get at Sam's, papers that are used for sandwich wraps. They are thin & about 11x12 inches. Paper clip 5-6 of these sheets together well, with a magic marker pattern you want to use for quilting, underneath all of them. With no thread in your machine, follow the pattern and "sew" these sheets following the lines. Then you have your designs on lots of sheets, and you just place one sheet on top of your quilt and machine sew the quilting design on your fabric. Tear off & throw away. Works great.
I love my bobbin keepers because I thread loads of bobbins ahead of time, for quilting, machine embroidery, lace making, heirloom sewing & regular sewing. With about an 6" square of styrofoam, I have stuck short, thin wooden skewers in it, and slide on each skewer my filled bobbins, by color and design. With a magic marker I have drawn a line separating some of the skewers, so I know which section of bobbins is for regular sewing, embroidery thread, etc. I have a couple different ones for use with different machines. Holds lots of bobbins.
Use deli-papers that I get at Sam's, papers that are used for sandwich wraps. They are thin & about 11x12 inches. Paper clip 5-6 of these sheets together well, with a magic marker pattern you want to use for quilting, underneath all of them. With no thread in your machine, follow the pattern and "sew" these sheets following the lines. Then you have your designs on lots of sheets, and you just place one sheet on top of your quilt and machine sew the quilting design on your fabric. Tear off & throw away. Works great.
I love my bobbin keepers because I thread loads of bobbins ahead of time, for quilting, machine embroidery, lace making, heirloom sewing & regular sewing. With about an 6" square of styrofoam, I have stuck short, thin wooden skewers in it, and slide on each skewer my filled bobbins, by color and design. With a magic marker I have drawn a line separating some of the skewers, so I know which section of bobbins is for regular sewing, embroidery thread, etc. I have a couple different ones for use with different machines. Holds lots of bobbins.
#130
I use parchment paper for everything, especially for pattern transfers, but one thing I do, that I didn't see here, is I use cookie cutters for templates and enlarge them on a copy machine and make a pattern. Don't know if that's helpful to anyone, but sharing ideas is fun! Thanks for thinking of this!
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