Foolish cheapness
 

Are there items that you try to 'made do' with looooonnnng after it would have been sensible to have replaced/changed/serviced them?

And after you finally do, wonder 'what took me so long?'

My list:

rotary blades - dull or nicked
cutting mats - warped, cracked, or used so much that it is no longer smooth enough to cut properly on
rulers that have been used so much that the edge is curved instead of still straight
sewing machine needles
hand sewing needles - I keep on using one that has developed a curve in it
getting scissors sharpened
putting up with an iron that is not working properly
using an ironing board cover that is pathetic

Yep. I use everything too long, don't replace it until there's complete failure...unless something reminds me and I change it, but usually not :o

Yes I do. I am good about my rotary blades and needles, only because I cut a LOT not just for me but my mom and several of her friends. Needles because I have had that drummed into me by my LQS and yes it does make a big difference. I am terrible about getting my scissors sharpened and have notice my rulers lately - wondering how I could have done that. One other that I am trying to do is to weed out my threads that I don't like or my machine doesn't like as well - why can I not just throw out a spool!

I have one hand sewing needle I use all time. So much so it is developing a slight curve.
As for my cutting mat, a piece of extra fine sandpaper fixes it right up.
I store all my dull cutting blades in a drawer, for what? who knows...........LOL

Pretty much all of the above. And I honestly can't understand why I'm such a miser about the rotary blades.
I replaced the blades in both cutters yesterday in preparation for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. I really don't know how long I've been leaving uncut strings, saying mumble curses, and going back and recutting...just how hard is it to walk over and get a new blade.

when I put the new blades in (holy cow, the expense the expense...) I noticed I'd put the date of purchase on the container...2009. And only two blades were gone.

Yet behind all of us probably sits thousands and thousands of dollars worth of fabric there is no hope we can use, and we don't give a thought to running out and buying more. Quilters are funny thinkers :)

I recently bought a new rotary blade and it's no better than the old one. :thumbdown:

I wait too long to change rotary blades.
This one I hate to admit to, but I might be waiting way too long in between having the technician do a check up to make sure everything is working as good as new on my computerized sewing machine. I keep all my machines covered and clean them myself but of course won't take the whole thing apart. My gut keeps telling me don't fix what isn't broken. I am probably asking for trouble.

I haven't found a quilting notion that will break the budget to replace so I don't put up with worn out tools. I'm not a very make do type of person.

yes, my frugal upbringing causes me to use everything until it is past being worn out. after all, quilters have always taken fabrics from other items to make quilts... so i guess it's in our blood

I save on lots of other things, just not my quilting things. I feel the need to draw the line somewhere.

I keep nicking the corners off my 6 1/2" square ruler. Have I replaced it? No, just turn it to find a "good" corner--I think I'm down to one corner now that's not nicked. How silly.

Never tried sandpaper. I use a rolled up piece of netting, the kind people crochet potscrubbers out of. And you can use those "dull" blades for cutting paper. Unless they are too dull even for that! I keep dull blades in little box marked "for cutting paper".

I hate to change blades too, they're so expensive! But a dull blade will shorten the life of your cutting mat, even more excensive.

I need to have all my rulers from the same company, but I don't want to spend the money. I have nice rulers that look brand new and hate to replace them just to have them all from the same place. Everything else I will replace.

Yes! Guilty here! Used one of my cutting mats until the lines were all gone in the center section. Finally decided to buy a new one and wondered why I waited so long. Kept a rotary cutter even though I lost the little metal spring and it was useless! Gravy! What was I thinking???

I' m with you. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself!

I don't use tools past their prime. The extra work is not worth it. I do admit to saving my old worn-out rotary blades, though. Perhaps one of these days I'll buy the newest sharpener. I do hate to pay the price for rotary blades and I do try to always get them on sale.

Yep we all have the same ole sins it looks like. Rotary cutter blades irritate me so much, that I actually do throw them out when needed. My cutting mats, my husband uses in the garage??? I have no idea why, but he is happy with them. Rulers I throw out after fighting with one for way toooo long! Sewing machine needles I now use as quilt hangers. My quiltin sister taught me that trick. You can hammer them in on the corners and only have a little hole to putty when you move things around. Hand needles I usually manage to break long before they bend??? I'm too lazy to cut thread and just pop it to break it, which takes out the eye of the needle. Do you think I will ever learn? Scissors I get sharped at quilt shows that come thru town from time to time. Irons!!! That makes me so darn mad. I am on my 4th Rowenta steam generator iron. Those blasted things cost a fortune and melt where the cap screws on. I love them so much, but am frustrated to no end with them. So I do put up unfortunately. Although my quilting buddy bought me a Continental iron for Christmas last year that is dynamite. No holes for steam so it's perfect for fusible applique. It heats up fast and has no automatic shutoff on it. :thumbup: I use a 2x4 foot piece of plywood for my ironing board and am pretty good about replacing the cover when it needs it since it's only duct taped on.

It's taken a lot of years to make and break these habits!! hahahahahha

My favorite embroidery needles are curved now and I sort of like them that way, i don't twist my floss as much.

Way overdue to replace - my ironing board cover!!

I am with you on this one! And of course the rotary cutter blade and mat.

Just a thought not sure which cutter you have but if it is the Olfa one is the washer on the right way and the nut also makes a difference. I can't remember which is correct but I think they show you on the Olfa website. It could also be the blade I am sure that every once in a while there is a dud. If it is Olfa brand email them - they are usally very responsive. I had lost the washer on my cutter and emailed about purchasing a replacement and they sent one to me.

My make do is rotary blades also. Don't know why as I have a blade sharpener I can use.

Me too -fabric cost to much to mess it up by trying to save a few cents or the the time. I use those 50% coupons for batting and/or rotary blades. Notion wise the most expensive item for me are the blades

everything.

aileen

i find that a slight curve in my between needles makes it easier to pick up an extra stitch. i like them that way....

eventually they break and it makes me sad. :(

aileen

These all sound very familiar.

Cheers, K

I will admit to being "frugal" with quite a few of my tools. However, when the quality of what I'm making begins to become compromised then I have no problems spending $ on new items. I will also spend the extra money on a tool if it makes my job easier.

Guilty as charged. Often I think that it is quicker to use what I have at hand than to take the time to change the blade - I could have cut that fabric by the time I looked for the blade, changed it and disposed of the old one properly. Same with sewing machine needles. We won't mention the ironing board cover :o I flip the cutting board from topside to bottom side frequently.

Yep. Guilty as charged!!

My kitchen stove is electric and has a microwave. It's one of the first ones GE put out - probably 35 years old, but it still works and I'm not in a hurry to replace it - at least not a really great hurry.

Yes, I am guilty of all of the above. And the entry about about the kitchen stove fits me to a T. I still have the round burners--I simply cannot cook good on a flat top stove--and everyone I visit anymore has one. They all fuss when they come to see me and I still have an "old fashioned stove". Oh well. I guess when this one burns out, I'll have to go shopping on CL. That seems to be the only place you can find them anymore.

Sewing machine needles-you mean you're supposed to actually change them and not wait until they break? Once I realized that machine needles should be changed, sewing triangles became so much easier.

I was addicted to crumb quilting for awhile. It felt so good to basically make fabric out little tiny scraps of fabric-anything bigger then 3/4" , but after ~ 1000 blocks I couldn't stand another crumb. I bagged everything less then 4" up and gave to a friend who makes pet beds for the local animal shelter.

it amazes me how much we discuss our rotary blades!!! Aren't you just pleased as punch that we have them? I cannot imagine living without them, dull or sharp, LOL.

Keep on eye on those rulers. They can "shrink" with much use which can affect your accuracy. It was not something I thought much about until I took a class and the teacher showed us an example of a worn ruler and how much had worn off.

I do it all BUT only so that I can buy more quilting fabric!!!

Yesterday, I finally changed the blade in my rotary cutter. What a difference. Should of done it three quilts ago!

The original notion of quilting was using it after everyone else had given up: old scraps, old (used) clothing, leftovers, and so on. So why did you think you would want "new" anything ... until it was totally used up?
(Just kidding!!!)

. Restore the used rotary blades to usefulness by sharpening with electric TruCut rotary blade sharpener. That fices most blades right up

I use my blades way past their prime, but cannot seem to find any good bargains on buying them and they are so darn expensive. I tried the Harbor Frieight blades and they were terrible so I always stall to long before replacing mine.

How many holes in your ironing board cover should you have before you replace it? Mine only has 3 so I think it's still good for awhile. :p