Favorite thing at Harbor Freight??
 

I'll be going to Harbor Freight later this week.

In addition to rotary blades, what quilting items do you like from there?

Thanks!

They have a magnetic bowl for parts - great for sewing pins or presser feet, etc. also, a telescoping magnetic stick -great for picking up pins from the floor.

I got the wood workbench that I'm use to hold my selfmade big board. It has 4 drawers and a shelf and it is very sturdy. They have the grips people use in showers quilters use to hold down rulers as they cut. There is always the magnet trays that can hold your pins. Just look around!

Stubby screwdrivers for removing your throat plate, magnet wand for picking up pins, magnetic bowl for holding pins, they have all kinds of plastic storage containers, the list goes on and on. You just have to wander the store with an open mind.

Cari

Ditto what all the others said, and if your machine isn't too big, they have some lovely tool bags and rolling tool boxes that will work as a carry case.

And get yourself a measuring tape that'll fit in your purse. I have a 12', 16', and a 25'. It's great to measure something on the fly. I learned a trick/tip from my neighbor. She placed some items together how she wanted to place in a container. She took a photo with the measurements and added an inch or 2" depending on the need. The photo was a good reference and with the measurements she was able to find the container they would be a good fit. When she got the container and followed the storage placement from the photo, it was a great fit.

***
*** 1. Pittsburgh #92630 8 pc. Right Angle Screwdriver w/ratchet mechansim
*** approx. $3.99 great for hard to get at screws.
***
*** 2. don't know the # but it is a stand up magnifying glass on a small stand with
*** two clips for holding items approx. $3.99.
***
***

.....magnetic lasar light about $5..00,
.....take a coupon and get a free flashlight.

Best thing I bought at Harbor Freight was a CenTech Digital Inspection camera. It is really used for inspection car engines, looking down plumbing pipes, or behind walls. A longarm quilt guild friend showed us how to it to look under the quilt frame to check how the stitches look on the back of the quilt so you can get the tension correct. No more crawling under the frame with a flash light to do this !! Just put the little camera deal under the quilt on the frame and look at the screen to tell if your stitches are good. Got mine on sale, plus a 20% off coupon.

The laser lite, if you are interested...I thinks it's for carpenters, but works on sewing machines too.....

They have a set of small brushes on a key ring that are great for cleaning lint in tight places. One of the best purchases I made is a magnetic bowl that is made for nuts and bolts. I bought the larger one for my large quilting pins. You can literally knock it off a table and not spill any pins.

Magnetic bowl I use it for my clips for binding, it's big enough to hold them all. Have another for my safety pins

I just got a magnetic strip that I am going to attach to my peg board. I may put my scissors on it.

7 in. Multipurpose Stainless Steel Scissors for clipping rag quilts or cutting denim and the magnetic bowl.

I got a set of picks that I like. They have orange handles and different angles at the tip end. Love walking around Harbor Freight to see what I can use in my studio. Have fun.

A good T-Square....

Laser light! Shots a straight line.i use it to cut my batting of the roll straight.

If you're a glue-baster, they have some nice squeeze bottles there. I fill them from a gallon jug of Elmer's for my basting - so much easier to squeeze than the smaller Elmer's bottles, and holds more too.

I love their little magnetic dishes. I have a few for myself, and my spouse has bought a few to use in his bird's cage - the magnet makes it un-spillable.

Last Christmas, my hubby bought me a workbench and BIG three-section rolling tool chest. I store my threads, stencils, extra hoops for my embriodery machine and all kinds of stuff in the tool chest. The workbench is where I store my long-arm rulers, rotary-cutting rulers, and my other two tool boxes. He bought it all at Harbor Freight.

Plus, I use the big magnetic bars on my long-arm to give me some tension when I "float" my quilt tops.
As others have said, tho magnetic bowls are a must-have.

Harbor Freight just THINKS they're for automotive/garden/etc type of stuff - they don't know that they're really a "quilters tool shop"!

Oh, wow! We have a new store in a neighboring town. Can't wait to go there and check it out.

I go there all the time and didn't even know about some of these things. Thank you ladies.

DITTO DITTO & Ditto

Leta:

You said : Plus, I use the big magnetic bars on my long-arm to give me some tension when I "float" my quilt tops. can you please explain where you place these strips? Or maybe even send me a picture please? You can send the pics to my email address if that would be easier.

I ask all this b/c I have 'free" use of my girlfriends long arm. Her hubby just bought her the Mach 3 software for it, makes the quilting choices unnumerous and all with the click of. Mouse. It's great and I know I'm blessed to have this opportunity.

Wow what a great idea!!! I'll have to check that out. How deep are the drawers??? That extra storage space would be a plus for sure. Thanks for the tip.

AnnaF
Longarm Quilter in Maine

I know you asked what is our favorite thing to get at Harbor Freight, but I need to add that my favorite thing ABOUT Harbor Freight is that I can drop off DH, go run my errands, then go back and he is still happy putzing around the aisles.

Gotta love it!

There should be a Harbor Freight next door to every quilt shop lol.

Cari

Hi LaQuita!
I'll try to post a pic once I get home from work, but I will try to describe how I use this.
First of all, my frame is a wooden Grace-type frame, with metal conduit as the poles. They look very similar to the posts used in chain-link fencing, but they're much sturdier.
Second, I only attach the top and bottom of the backing to my leaders - the top of the batting and the top edge of the quilt, I stitch down onto the backing. The backing is rolled on the belly-bar, but the batting and the top just "hang" or "float" over the edge of the bellybar. That bar is where I let the magnets do their work - they are very strong. Be careful not to pinch your fingers - ask me how I know, and even more importantly, DO NOT LET TWO MAGNET BARS GET TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER - you will have a devil of a time separating them (again, ask me how I know!).

OK, I just found a pic online that shows what I mean. this is not my system, but it shows the concept quite well.
See how the quilt drapes over the bar in front (bellybar)? In the green box, you should see three black bars - those are the magnets. They hold the tension for you when you float the quilt.
I prefer to float my tops because I can not only tweak the top, but watch the batting as well. When I first got my machine, I used the take-up bar for both the top and the backing, but found that the batting was prone to shift and I did not have a good of control of the top either.
Just my personal preference.

Obviously, if the frame poles are not metal, this would not work for you.

If your talking about the tool cabinet, it has numerous different sized drawers, and an open area at the bottom.
Here's the link to what I have:
http://www.harborfreight.com/11-draw...net-67421.html

And here's a pic:
Now you can all go tell hubby/daughter/son whoever that this is now on your Christmas list! It has TONS of space, but actually doesn't take up much space itself... and if you have certain people stealing your fabric scissors... well, this puppy LOCKS!! :D

I bought the rotary blades but I thought they were awful

I love this thread. I'm going to look for the laser lite. What an idea for cutting batting, huge backings. I have tried the blades. The first packs worked great but after that not good luck.
But I have bought other tools there and they are great for that.
there is a joanns three stores away from HF sooooooo we park in the middle and go our separate ways, except I usually run in to HF afterwards and browse.

One item not mentioned is a package of jeweler loupe...the eyepiece that magnifies. I spilled a package of my different size sewing machine needles. My magnifying glass was no help but I pulled out one of the loupes and could easily read the size. The package had 3 or 4 with different magnifications.

I used to order the blades all the time online & they worked really good. Then the last 10 packs I ordered were terrible. They wouldn't cut anything. I opened up every pack & tried each & every blade. They were all the same so I haven't bought any of them since. I must of got a bad batch or something but was afraid to try them again. We just got a new Harbor Freight in our area so I want to go check it out sometime for some of the other goodies.

Wow--have the laser level/light that I use for squaring up large quilts, but had never thought to use it to throw a cut line on the batting--GREAT idea. Ditto using the magnetic strips to hold tension on quilt you are floating--does it hold it firmly enough? I usually pin--and have the t-shirts with holes to prove it!

Besides the items mentioned, I have a little air compressor for blowing out dush along the long arm track; plus you can get canned air cheaper there, and I have a folding push cart that I use all the time to lug my all the stuff that goes in and out of guild workdays

I got my vacuum attachment there. It cost about $9 and it's great to help get that lint out of your sewing machine.
It's labeled for a computer, but works great for the sewing machine. Good Luck!

(Laser light! Shots a straight line.i use it to cut my batting of the roll straight.)
Great tip Harriet C!!!

GREAT idea....wish I had room for one!!!

I buy white gloves with rubber dots for quilting gloves. You get like 3 sets for $1.99. ALso I purchase little led lights which I put under my plastic sew steady table. It makes a light box to copy a design pattern 3.99. I love the ratchet screw driver.

They have a wonderful multi-size pack of tweezers! Also several sizes of "forceps" that are great for turning tubes, holding things steady, etc. I have a pin magnet at every station (ironing, cutting, sewing, serging) and love them. I have great luck with the blades, others hate them. I bought the lazer lite to hook up to the machine, pointing down for straight line stitching, never thought about it for batting.

Great idea! I never thought of that.
This has been a great thread!

Oh yes, it holds quite well! The only time they are not as strong is when I'm using double-batting. Then that extra layer minimizes the "pull" of the magnets somewhat. But even then, they still work, just not as strongly.