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-   -   Do you like to re-purpose items to be used for your quilting hobby? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/do-you-like-re-purpose-items-used-your-quilting-hobby-t306614.html)

Ariannaquilts 08-30-2019 08:36 PM

Those look amazing oksewglad. I have a hard time just organizing scraps but at the same time doing what you're doing is great.

Bobbinalong 08-31-2019 12:13 AM

Ooh, definitely my sort of thread. I have been known to buy products only for the container!

Railroadersbrat, I have read that cotton threads etc are not good for use in bird's nests because it becomes a dense mat and takes so long to dry out once wet. Something we must be aware of with the British weather!! I do put all of my cotton threads in the compost heap for the worms though. Also, any sort of thread could be swallowed by the baby birds if caught up in the food they are being fed. Sorry to be discouraging about any type of recycling.

Murphy224 08-31-2019 01:59 AM


Originally Posted by lynnie (Post 8295905)
i used some crystal lite containers and wrote names on it. I filled them with candy for Halloween, Easter, and back to school.

so they ar all grown now. what do i do with the containers now. i feel terrible throwing them out. any ideas????

I went to Mr Google to see if what you are referring to as crystal light containers were the same thing I use to carry my sunglasses in my bags and totes. They were. (I wear the kind of sunglasses that fits on over your regular glasses.) look what turned up! Evidently there is a whole "sub-culture" like us out there. :D
I also use a crystal light container to carry my rotary cutter to workshops and such. And you can buy just the containers on ebay! who knew?
Here is a link to my google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=crys...45BuemsAX6X5M:

jmoore 08-31-2019 03:20 AM

I use plastic fish totes for my scraps. We buy fresh haddock in large quantities for our summer clambakes (for fish chowder) so we end up with sometimes as many as 40-50 bins. I write on them with a sharpie and they stack nicely in my sewing studio.

Lena1952 08-31-2019 04:00 AM

Clear plastic organic egg cartons are great for storing balls of perle cottons. I do a large amount of wool applique and have my perle cottons sorted by color in these plastic egg cartons. I can see at a glance which container I need to pull for a certain color and it keeps them neat and dust free. My hubby made me a carry-all using 6 small coffee cans screwed to a piece of wood and then added a drawer handle at the top for carrying. Once I filled it with tools it was to heavy to tote but great for organizing tools upright so I can easily see them. Tools in my tote include: hammer used for beating thick seams into submission, chop sticks for poking polyfil into pincushions, coat hanger wire with bend on one end for pulling elastic thru casings, marking pens, etc. It's great to have a designated place for everything.

Aurora 08-31-2019 04:01 AM

I use the plastic Tang containers next to my machine and cutting areas for scraps and threads. The top is domed and the opening is smaller so if I accidentally knock it over nothing falls out. I can screw the lid on so I can empty it later.

Also this time of the year I stock up on the closeable pencil boxes to transport my rotary cutters and extra blades to UFO's and safe storage at home.

feline fanatic 08-31-2019 04:45 AM

There are some great ideas here! Love the egg carton idea for the balls of perle cotton. I too use ziploc baggies a lot. I use them for WIPS and to store leaders and enders and HST, and strips. If I am making a quilt with smaller size blocks (like 6") I also use them to store completed blocks. I use the 1 lb size tins that chocolates come in around the holidays to store precut "logs" for log cabin quilts. I also like to store my marking pens and pencils in these kinds of tins. They seal nice and snug and the lid is hinged on so you don't have to worry about misplacing it. I have an antique steamer trunk that still had the inserts (rare!). I use the inserts to store my longarm threads and the big roomy part underneath holds pantos, some of my wide backing and my flannel stash. I use pegboards to hang all my quilting tools and rulers, I have one in my regular sewing room for those tools and another one hangs in my longarm room for my longarm templates and drafting tools for marking.

maviskw 08-31-2019 04:53 AM


Originally Posted by Bobbinalong (Post 8295955)
Railroadersbrat, I have read that cotton threads etc are not good for use in bird's nests because it becomes a dense mat and takes so long to dry out once wet. Something we must be aware of with the British weather!! I do put all of my cotton threads in the compost heap for the worms though. Also, any sort of thread could be swallowed by the baby birds if caught up in the food they are being fed. Sorry to be discouraging about any type of recycling.

Baby birds can get sick when the nest doesn't dry out soon. But mama mouse loves those bits. So does mama rat.

oksewglad 08-31-2019 05:21 AM


Originally Posted by Murphy224 (Post 8295960)
I went to Mr Google to see if what you are referring to as crystal light containers were the same thing I use to carry my sunglasses in my bags and totes. They were. (I wear the kind of sunglasses that fits on over your regular glasses.) look what turned up! Evidently there is a whole "sub-culture" like us out there. :D
I also use a crystal light container to carry my rotary cutter to workshops and such. And you can buy just the containers on ebay! who knew?
Here is a link to my google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=crys...45BuemsAX6X5M:

All these ideas make me wish I used Crystal Light!

Onebyone 08-31-2019 06:49 AM

DH and grandsons love the pretzels and cheese balls that come in the large plastic tubs. I save the tubs to keep in my sewing room. I find them very useful to store all the smaller hard to shelf items and I can see what is in the tubs. They stack too. I glued a piece of pretty fabric over the label to make them pretty. I take extra tubs to guild and they never make it inside, a member will see me getting them out of the car and will put them in her car.


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