household items used for quilting
 

Hi all, I have to give a short presentation at a guild meeting about household items that can be used for quilting. I'm hoping that you all will tell me things that you use, especially things that can be used instead of a more expensive quilting gadget or tool. Thanks

Hair barretts that "click" open and closed work well for holding binding down when hand sewing...

You can see the quilt in my avatar. I used various size of Tupperware lids for the circle appliques. It worked very well.

Grapefruit spoon to close the pins for pin-basting. A saucer or plate to round quilt corners. Cookie cutters for quilting or applique shapes. A brown paper lunch sack taped next to the machine or sewing chair to corral trimmings and thread.

I have a metal magnetic dish that I bought at the auto parts store for my pins. It supposed to be for mechanics to put their screws and small tools in. I have wand that I used to use for magnetic bingo chips that I use to find fallen pins.
And those trays that Crisco sticks come in fit Schmetz Needle packs perfectly. I use that rubberized shelf line under my sewing machine and my sewing machine foot control to keep them from moving around.
I could probably come up with lots more.
Good luck!
Colleen

Anything round that I can draw around to get different sizes. Those wooden skewers for stiletto's for sew-ins. Ziploc style bags of various sizes to keep small items together.
My cutting station is a kitchen counter on locking wheels. I cut in the living room but put the station back in the studio when friends who aren't quilters come over.

I use the blue painters tape - sliced through on the roll every 1 1/2 inches so that i can peal off thick slices of many tape layers - to use as 1/4" seam guides - 3M removable picture hanging "tapes" also work for this. Neither leave residue on the machine. And of course the Elmers washable school glue for everything from seam matching to quilt layering.

my metal cake slicer has one straight edge. i use it to press the 1/4" seams against for my dear jane blocks

I use a cupcake pan with the red solo cups in them to hold pens, scissors and other items to keep on hand. A dish drainer to hole the accuquilt dies, the $5 magnetic bar from Harbor freight to hold my scissors/ I use the smallest plastic containers for pins/small items

I use a wooden pancake spatula to press things down on the design wall that are a little too high for me. Sometimes it involves jumping and trying to rub it up there at the same time so the fabric or block doesn't flip off. I also use Qtips to clean the lint around my bobbin case and feed dogs. And I use a Swiffer floor wipe to dust off my machine and Ott lamps because it really holds onto the dust. And I use a dryer sheet to clean the bottom of my iron.

I use chopsticks with cohesive wrap as a point turner.
To get a longer point turner I use a wooden dowel I
bought from WalMart in the craft section and cut it to
the length I needed (24-30") wrapped in the cohesive
bandage also.
The cohesive bandage helps you to keep a "grip" on the
stick.

This post has many things listed: http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t127919.html

Here is another thread on Quilting Board that also discusses this. There are a lot of ideas there.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t127919.html

I have a pocket over the door shoe holder, put a small mason jar in each pocket, holds pens, marking pencils, scissors, all sorts of small things.

I use bicycle bands (cheaper than the quilt clips but the same thing) for rolling my quilt when I meander stitch on my sewing machine. Somebody turned me on to using carpet cutters instead of buying the expensive rotary cutting blades. To me they work just fine but I know lots of people don't much like them. I use a mirror from an old compact (make-up item) to change the lightbulb on my machine and I use a pencil eraser to hold my needle when I change it so it don't fall into the machine.

Here is a thread or so that I had saved with more suggestions for non traditional items used in quilting.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t152963.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...e-t239963.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t127919.html

Good luck with your presentation.

I have trays usually purposes for fishing tackle to keep stuff in next to my sewing machine. Sporting goods stores have useful goodies. I use a 90 degree angle screwdriver to work on my sewing machine.( found at Harbour Freight)

I use a empty eye drops bottle and fill with glue to use for applique projects.

I could only think[ATTACH=CONFIG]481082[/ATTACH] of one thing...I use a cat to keep my fabric from flying away!

Margaret

PS - sorry the picture is so big - I don't know how to make it smaller.

I use three of them! :)

Meat wrappers brown one side, and wax other side for applique, and dollar store placemats for template, in lieu of mylard. Electric can opener place by my sewing, it has a magnet for pins, as I remove from fabric just toss up and it holds them.. Then, I have opener ready for lunch.

I use wooden clothespins (the kind with the spring, not the antique ones) when I'm sewing on my binding; I've almost stopped using pins and instead use Elmer's glue; and I use a chopstick or skewers for lots of miscellaneous tasks.

Oh, and I store my thread and bobbins in a tackle box!

I use tweezers to pull the really short bobbin thread up after using the thread cutter on my sewing machine.

Those are such great ideas! The only one I can think to add is I use coffee filters for stabilizer for machine applique.....cheap and acid free.

I like to use painters tape for marking quilting lines. Also, the silverware insert for drawers makes a nice organizer for log cabin pieces.

Tonight I was looking for something to use to hang a small wallhanging that has a 1/4 " wooden dowel in a fabric sleeve.
I found a pretty eyeglass chain/holder, slipped the rubber ends over the dowel ends - voila! Quilt hanger!

I use bobby pins instead of pins or glue when binding a quilt.

My DH is a machinist by trade... and he brought home a really heavy-duty tool box to clean up so he could sell it. I wouldn't let him - I'm using it as MY sewing/quilting tool box. Spools of thread (even some of the larger ones) in the top, and lots of various sized drawers for all kinds of things. It's not going to break like the plastic ones, or tip over like the plastic ones, or get brittle like the plastic ones (gee, do you see a theme here?).
And another great thing (now that we have a new grandbaby arriving soon) is the drawers all LOCK ... with a real key, no less.
BTW, I "confiscated" this from him when we first got married... that's been 31 years now.

I have a plastic container that picture hanging things came in. The sections are just the right size for sewing machine needles in their little cases. Each section is a different type of needle.
And I have toolbox on wheels from WalMart that I use to transport my machine. It has plenty of room to take along all the little things I need to sew with my granddaughter.

Plastic Prescription bottles - all sizes - I like the huge ones to put my different "feet" for the machine in - they stay dust free and I label the bottles and they are there for me right away and I don't have to go searching for them in a box. I use the smaller ones for needles - I have my binding needles, my tying needles and I label them and there they are. Medium sized for travel. Bobbins fit in them and when traveling you can use the bobbins instead of the spool. I prefer containers with screw lids for pins because the lids can pop off and the screw on lid won't. I learned that one the hard way. I have different sized safety pins and they are all in a container with a screw lid. It sounds like a lot of work, but it sure is a heckuva lot easier than picking up pins off the floor and miss one and hear it go into the vacuum cleaner. Ewwwww!!!!!

Personally, I like the glass jars. I use the plastic stuff for freezing soup and homemade applesauce!

Make it a good day! Edie

I use a buffalo tooth to press seams, the root end of the tooth has a nice smooth point which is great for pushing out corners. It only cost me $.50 and works great.

Dessert plates, saucers, glasses of various sizes to make circles. A rubber maul to beat down recalcitrant seams that will not behave. Bamboo skewers when I cant find my "real" one, and finally half a wooden spring clothes pin for a quick "I don't want to get up" press for a seam.

Empty pill bottle to store used machine needles in so no one gets stuck when I discard them. Swiffer plastic boxes with clear lids for storage of binding and donut boxes for storage of binding, large divided plastic tray for often used sewing aids.

The large wooden kitchen spoons work well for finger-pressing quilt block seams. Saves your fingers.

CD in Oklahoma

We pitched an old dishwasher. The utensil container is all plastic and holds my scissors and rotary cutters quite well on my cutting table in an upright position. Vintage metal pill containers hold needles for traveling. Drawer utensil dividers fit perfectly in my cabinets in the quilt room and hold all my various items.

A no longer used TV remote control holder for scissors, rotary cutters, pencils, markers, and some rulers.

mollysmom2004
 

I use empty kleenex boxes next to the sewing machine to put cut threads, empty thread spools and trimmings in and empty them about once a week. Spice racks that rotate for buttons, I glue a button on lid so I know the color of the buttons in the jar.

I use a new chop stick to push out corners. Works great.