all 3 of the blade sharpeners I bought are useless

Rotary blade sharpers, that rule grip with the suction cups, the rotary mat that turns, the Fons and Porter mat .. that has no lines. Oh and that can of June Tailor spray basting... the smell!

A long squared see through 1/4 inch marker from dritz I think...its not a tru 1/4, its bulky too.

That is easy a bobbin winder. My sewing machine is pretty picky about tension and the bobbins wound on the bobbin winder were not right. I had to take it back.

The people I know with walmart machines didn't even know there is such a thing as a sewing machine dealer. If they didn't buy the least expensive machine offered, they didn't think they were going "cheap". My first machine was a walmart brother and it lasted 20 years, my next machine was a $200 kenmore from sears and it was fantastic. I use an expensive Bernina now, but it is a luxury good, and I know that.



Notion that I wish I hadn't purchased: yo-yo makers.

I teach Learn to Quilt classes at my LQS and lots of people come in with $99 Singers, etc. We need to be kind...these newbies do not have the experience and years of quilting that many of us do. I am very lucky to have a Bernina that I just love, but many people do not know that there are shops that specialize in better quality machines, or they may not have the financial resources to buy a great machine. I teach everyone who comes to me, regardless of their machine quality, and usually, once they see what a good machine can do, they begin saving to buy a nicer machine.

Worst -------General's chalk markers. They are great until you have to sharpen them. The chalk continues to break every time I try to sharpen them. Grrrr

Bobbin winder. just doesn't work.

I made the mistake of buying one of the ring holders for my rulers. You have to take all the ones in front off to get to the one you need. Now I use it to hold stencils. What a waste.

It has it's uses; but I am not impressed with the Mini Clover Iron. I HATE the Dritz Basting Gun, the needle leaves a hole in the fabric and I always worry that I will cut my material when removing the basting, so I hand baste.

BLADE SHARPENER! It was an ugly chapter in my quilting experience.

Please take the time to learn how to use the strip die. The 2-1/2" die is the one I use the most. I think you'll learn to love it! It's perfect for binding, and i also use it for sashing and some border work. Since I figured out how to use it, I've bought other strip dies, and I can use them to cut squares by the dozen, too.

Forgot about that! I have one of those too and it now hangs in the closet, all by itself, empty!!

I haven't given up on it YET! I will at least try it before I decide whether I will keep it or not!!! I haven't made one cut with it yet . . .

Totally agree with you here. Me too!

I bought one, didn't like it because it didn't turn nicely for me (operator error I've since learned), sold it, then a couple of months later decided I really wanted one, had a 60% off coupon for JA's and got one. I actually use it more now that I know the proper technique. Not my worst purchase ever!

Well I agree about the blade sharpener. It really does not work. I have heard that the electric one is much better. I have so many gadgets it is hard to say whoch one I don't like. I don't use them all but I have them when I need them. Luann

Worst gadget? has to be thimble...I just can't use one...been hand sewing for 30 years or more...can't use a thimble...I'd rather poke my fingers!

I bought two machines at Walmart...Singer 2662 (was on the sale table at Christmas...marked that the feed dogs didn't go up... one turn of the hand wheel backwards...up they came..great basic machine). I also bought a Brother SE270D embroidery/sewing machine...and I love that little machine! I did have a problem with timing on it...third time to dealer...I finally figured out my error...read the manual...I was embroidering with 50 wt thread in the bobbin...instructions said to use only 60 or 90 wt...ooops! Not one problem since.

On the Singer...had the original buyer read the instructions...she/he would have seen where it said to bring the feed dogs back up, you had to not only flip the lever, you had to turn the hand wheel 1/2 a turn backwards, then forwards...I found that out when I first got it home (my machine was packed for a move)...and I was trying to set the needle in an exact spot on the fabric..turned the hand wheel backwards to bring the needle back up to move the fabric...when I went to set the needle again...the feed dogs popped up...best 45.00 I ever spent on a new machine!

I learned a lesson with that one..and the Brother I got a few months later...read the instruction manual before using the first time!

I now have a Singer Futura CE150 & love it. I use it mainly for embroidery...and my Little Brother Disney machine...it's my favorite for sewing...self threading (really...you pop in the cartridge & it threads the needle!), and cuts the thread at the end of the stitching (just press a button). When embroidering...it cuts the thread at the end of each color run...Nice because the cut threads are all pulled to the underside...do fuzzies on the top.

I think my least fav items are - ruler with a lip to hang onto the end of the table (threw it away), a ruler in a bright florecent color (Bright neon yellow) someone told me fabric would show up better etc I hate it. I also hate anything made by fiskers seriously htere stuff is garbage the rotery mats dull your blades and most of the scissors dont last ...

I started with one of those cheap walmart singers - I didn't know if I would really like quilting and just wanted to try it - it worked great for months - then decided to upgrade - husband talked me into a Sapphire 875Q - I was scared of that machine - was afraid I would break it - now 2 yrs later - I love my Sapphire - still have the cheapo walmart machine and its a great backup when I send mine in for maintenance - since then have added a longarm to my mix. I think the only thing I regret buying are some books that I don't use and some of the marking pens that disappear before I finish - I know have the frixion pens and love them. I guess thats it.

I do use my rules-but hate, just hate the bobbin winder. I find if I wind bobbins on it my machine-a Babylock- just does not like them and it throws the tension off. I wind several bobbins (on the Baby)at a time put, them in a dish and then just switch when the bobbin in Baby is empty. No tension problems and no waste of thread.

Plastic sewing bobbin holders with lids. I just throw the lids away and store the bottoms in a drawer, rotary blade sharpeners are lousy, even with a strong arm doing the sharpening, last about 5 minutes of cutting, ink jet fabric paper - duh, pictures washed right out.

I agree-not everyone can afford an expensive machine. I have a Singer I bought at Costco(it was a 500$ machine on sale for 89$-previous year model) and it works great. I use it as a back up machine. After I took a couple of classes and the teacher complained about my machine because it was mechanical and made more noise than the electric computer models. I bought a Babylock. I am lucky as my husband has a good job and we could afford it. If I didn't I would have stuck with my Singer as a main machine and done okay.

Bobbin winder, and mini-iron that wouldn't stay upright and was easy to get burned on.

Well, I have been using a cheap Walmart Brother for over 7 years with no problems at all. It is not fussy about thread or fabric and I only cleaned it once or twice during this time. I have been very happy with this machine. So much so that I got a similar low cost Brother to keep at my son and daughter in law's house and I have used that on various things over the years with no problems. Then, someone gave my other son an even more basic cheap Brother and I sewed on it several times with no difficulties. These machines may not be top of the line, but, these three have given me no problems at all.

I also bought the Gingher seam ripper. Has anyone bought the replacement blades? They are advertised as being an improved design, but I don't want to throw even more money away on this poorly designed object so I haven't bought them.

I guess I am in the minority because I use the blade sharpener and while it isn't the cat's meow, it does smooth out the blades for a while longer.

What I don't use are many of my rulers, the Gingher pinking sheers (waaaaay too heavy), the wooden mini-iron (what a knuckle burner), the lighted magnifying glass that hangs around the neck and neither lights nor magnifies. (Should have sprung for the expensive one.) and the cutting mat on a lazy Susan. For a while I also thought I would get into marking with stamps so I have a nice assortment of stamps cluttering up a drawer. Heavy sigh.

I bought one and never used it. Sold it on Ebay.

When you get you rotating mat there is a black "protector" on the back. Remove that and it will turn easily. I do put the "protector" back on when I store the mat. I use mine for cutting small pieces as it does "sag" toward the outer edges so you will want to stay in the middle.

I would have to say the angler tool, easier to do it myself!

I love this thread. So many gadgets listed are either ones that I've tried or ones that I've considered. I, like another quilter on this thread, have to claim the Accuquilt Go and many strip cutting dies in various sizes as my worst. When I started quilting last year, I had to have it, but since then I've discovered the June Taylor slotted ruler and that works so much better for me. I ought to post the cutting dies for sale because as it is, they are just sitting around in the special little die holder. (I like the die holder;) )

Kathy....I use a shower ring holder for stencils and for some rulers...works great as you can swing it around to take out what you need..

I have been using the same pair of Fiskars scissors forabout 15 years without problem. And for over half that time, I cut and sewed everything by hand!

I bought an Accuquilt Go Baby that I don't think I will ever use for quilting. I'm going to give it for my DD. I would rather cut my pieces with a rotary cutter.

I'm thinking of buying a brother from wal-mart. But it will be used to take to guild meetings. My Janome is just too heavy to take to and from. That will be the only time I'll use it. That's probably what those lady's do that bring them to lessons.

Why don't you sell it? What is it anyway?