I am the queen of the seam ripper, and always have a problem with the little strings left over, so this morning I did some brain storming with what little brain I have left. I got a roll of masking tape and when finished taking out put the strip of tape on the fabric and unbelievable it took the strings off and I could throw the whole thing in the trash without sweeping up strings. I love this... I bet I am probably the last person in the world who didn't already know this..lol

I don't use masking tape unless it is right there. However I do use the lent roller to remove left over stringies from seam ripping!

Good idea - I usually just pick them out one by one - I like your idea!

I keep 2 lint rollers on my sewing table. Sure beats picking all those little threads out. :thumbup:

Okay. I need to move the lint roller from the bedroom night stand to the craft room... I used to use it all the time when I had dogs that shed but now that we are a poodle family, it has remained untouched!

I'm having a head slapping, duh moment lol.

Blue painter's tape is my "go to" for lots of things. I like to use a small loop that I stick on the side of my machine to hold thread ends and such while I'm sewing. This is especially good when there's not much room for a (what I think) are those heavy ditty bags that hang on the table.

I have a lint roller in every room(I have a long-haired cat), but the one I use the most is in the sewing room!!! I think I have more loose threads than cat hair in the house,lol!! Everytime I'm out doing errands I run to the Dollar Tree to pick more of the lint rollers up!! I don't want to run out of a girl's best friend!

My latest ironing board cover has a pouch attached to the front right edge of the cover, so that's where I keep my lint roller. Works great with the little bits that accumulate on the ironing board!

The pouch is also a good place to store an old tea towel....lay it down on the ironing board when pressing paper piecing blocks (try saying that fast 100 times!). The ink on the printed side will transfer to the towel instead of the ironing board cover. When it gets too bad it goes in the wash.

I have those lint rollers that are just big pieces of masking tape. I keep them in my ironing supplies drawer. I use them all the time. I even roll them across my cutting board after I have cut fleece or flannel. You would be surprised how much lint comes off. I even use them on my counter around my sewing machine if I have a lot of threads or lint around, better than a swiffer duster.

Granna, it looks like the good brain cells are still there!! :D
Thanks for a great tip!!

You mean I can retire my tweezers?

I use an eraser to pull the threads out of the material...easier than using your fingers to pull them out! Then I use the lint roller...
Two steps, but eraser really works good to get out those stuborn threads...

Great tip!!!!!! I have one in the truck that I never use!

lint roller or tape....trick I learned from a quilting teacher

I like the blue painter's tape too. But I think I'll try the lint roller. I have several of them and never use them anymore.

quote=justwannaquilt]I don't use masking tape unless it is right there. However I do use the lent roller to remove left over stringies from seam ripping![/quote]

ditto :thumbup:

Thanks so much for the tip!!! I will buy a couple rolls of cheap tape just for this. Picking out the left over, tiny threads drives me batty!

Another one here slapping her head with the 'duh' moment! I've been picking them out with tweezers!!!!!!!!! And I used to think I was a pretty smart person.

I'm a big fan of lint rollers in my sewing room...what did I ever do without them?!

Oh...I hadn't thought of that!! I am going to try that! Thank you! I will try the painters tape, not as sticky as regular masking tape. Thx!

I have used lint rollers for a long time and think I found out about them when I first started machine embroidery years ago. I keep one right beside my machine. Not too long ago, I had a fit when it turned up missing. Turns out DH need a lint roller and couldn't find the one we keep for the household. Didn't mind him using it - just not putting it back where it belongs! (Major pet peeve with me - if you move it, put it back!)

so do I ! Its also great for picking up fabric lint on the cutting mat.

I use masking tape whenever I cannot find my sweater lint roller.

What a great idea!

I just used some the other day when I had to take a whole row apart! :-D

Ha-HA!!! My exact feeling....except I just use my fingers. Now I'll use the tape trick. Pretty smart feller!!! :lol:

I have used the blue painters tape to do that a lot!

I have used the lint roller for many other things as well like getting threads and fabric shreds off my ironing board, my cutting board and even the carpet around my sewing machine. I just wish there was a lint roller with a long handle to save the "old back".

Jan
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Jan, there actually is one with a long handle....check this out.

http://housekeeping.about.com/od/pro...pettouchup.htm

Great idea! I will have to check the Dollar Store for a lint roller next time I am there. I dont think this idea is new, but it was an aha moment for me - I usually do not clean the floor until I am done sewing (and ripping out!) a top and noticed that when I walked barefoot on the carpet, the little snips of thread kind of rolled into little balls, so when I finished, I got out the stiff bristled broom I use for the deck and most of the threads just swept up and I just picked up the little balls and was done. The vacuum gets tangled with too many threads and this worked out just fine. Anything to make life a bit easier.

My 2 cents worth: I keep a pet hair brush (even though I don't have pets) in my sewing room. It works great cleaning up the ironing board...and even a quick small area carpet clean up. There's always that little pile of string "escapees" on the floor.

Jo M,
I have a "thread picker upper" too. Exactly like yours only red. LOL. They do a wonderful job too, huh??

I also use an eraser it works great. I use the white ones from the office supply store has flat end and other end is rounded so can hold it easily. use masking tape also..

I just use my shop vac to clean up the strings and small fabric scraps. Most of my strings and scraps hit the floor and I can't bend over for any lenth of time to clean them up.

Ya know, I did try this once and it also pulled out threads from the cut edge of the seam causing it to ravel. So I went back to using a small pair of tweezers to pluck off those pesky left-over threads. Maybe I was too aggressive with the tape and should try again.

Terrific tip

THANK YOU!!!! This is really smart. I will do it from now on. I also have been pulling them out one piece at a time and it takes forever. My husband seems to have enough masking tape around the house to last a lifetime. Thanks to you, we have the perfect use for it.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

i use a lint roller . works perfect. even cleans the little threads off my work table.

We DO remember that!!

:lol:

The Dollar tree has lint rollers that are hollow so here is what I did...I took a good size round stick the length I wanted...drilled a hole in the end...put a pice of wire in the end and wraped it through my slint roller and back onto the stick...just a couple of wraps around the stick will do...just sit in my chair and roll the lint roller around my sewing table and cleans up the threads....and other small things even some pins that is dropped....