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Quote:

Originally Posted by whereaminow

I haven't seen this one posted yet - If you have a block with many, many pieces (Or an applique block) lay out the pieces and iron onto a piece of freezer paper, one piece of paper for each block. This way you can cut out multiple blocks, have them ironed onto the paper and the pieces won't go flying everywhere if they get knocked about. They stack up very nicely.

What an excellant tip! And one I hadn't heard before, but can use beginning today! I hate it when my pieces get all jumbled together or get lost, and this would surely solve both those problems.

Thanks for such a useful and wonderful tip - everyone :)

Debbie in Austin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sashing-Sarah709

Hi guys,
Just a fast note (I still have company) to let you know that 8296 quilters have read this thread . . .

I've come back several times as I'm sure many have, so the total number of quilters isn't probably quite that high, but very, very impressive nonetheless!

At the sewing/quilting expo yesterday, one vender was demonstrating using texture magic for gathering. Sew a narrow strip where you want the gathering and then steam it. If you want more gathering, put on another strip. It made very nice, even gathering.

At one of the seminars (on notions), the presenter recommended the "new" rotary cutting blade sharpener, supposedly developed by knive sharpening experts. She admitted that the old ones don't work, but says this one does. I bit. I'll report on it when I've tried it out. It's the "Orbital Rotary Cutter Blade Sharpener" by USA Sharpeners.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaryAnna

I've almost forgot to mention my best tip....
I clean the sole plate of my iron with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser- it works no matter how bad your iron is, and I haven't had to buy that goop iron cleaner in years! remember that stuff? yuck.
I'm not sure if the eraser will work on teflon sole plates, mine is stainless steel.
Blessings,
MaryAnna

Thanks for the tip. I just tried it on my iron and it worked great!!

This is a really great site.

What a wonderful batch of tips, thanks everyone, I've learned a lot.

I have a couple of those little 48 drawer parts cabinets (I think I got it at Walmart)for all my little assorted goodies, like jewelry findings, pompoms, odd small spools of threads. crochet needles. flower stamens, odd pencils. etc, etc.

One of the midsized drawers is full of safety pins that I bought from a laundromat/drycleaner place-perfect for pinning a quilt, no rust and they're over 20 years old. I think they charged me a dollar for a whole box of them. But if you are a regular at the drycleaners you might want to ask if you can buy a box of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sashing-Sarah709

I'm new to quilting but I was delighted to pass on a bit o' wisdom I learned to another newbie last night at the quilt shop and saved her $10.00. :thumbup:

Last year when I started quilting, I bought a cone thread holder with a long arm since I needed to use cones and not spools. It was worthless because all it was just a disc with a shallow indention and a long plastic arm to send the thread to my machine. The arm kept falling off and the cone would walk off time and again. I have a wonderful elderly quilting neighbor that I visit with often and I told her of my thread woes. She laughed and told me to use a small glass jar and to take that thing back. "You'd never have made it through the depression spending moeny like that." LOL She was so right about the jars! Now I save all my small jars and bottles for cone thread holders--they're free, storage is easy, thread doesn't unravel and they work. :-D

What good idea have you had that would benifit others? How about passing them on just in time for weekend quilting? :-D

Sashing-Sarah709

I had a good idea that someone should have done a long time ago. I was sitting at my quilting frame with the quilt spread all around me. The reminder poped up about a movie that I wanted to watchwhile I was quilting and I couldn't find the remote. Now to the good idea. They should put a button on the cable box like they do on the phone base that will beep until you find the remote.

Let's see, what bits of kit do I have that you can't buy at a quilt shop.

Travel size/table top ironing board and travel size iron. It's small enough to fit on my sewing desk, you can get a 12" block onto it, and it's a nice comfortable size for pressing seams as you piece, whether they're long or tiny fiddly small ones (I do quite a bit of curved piecing). I only ever fish out the big iron and ironing board for pressing the whole top before basting.

I have a metre long (40") aluminium ruler I got from a toolshop which I love. It's light, and it's useful if I want to cut/draw really long lines as well as being handy for smoothing the fabric out when I'm basting.

I like the clear plastic boxes that are made for storing matchbox cars and I use them to store my spools of thread. They will accommodate both the skinny and regular spools of thread in a double layer. If you cannot find them in your area Menards has something rather similar with lots of sections that will hold one layer of spools. Keeps your thread clean and corralled in one place.

Oh my goodness! Thank you one and all for a great response to my question. There are so many GREAT tips for ALL levels of quilters. Sorry for my delay (I only started the darn thread) but my real life trumps my virtual life sometimes. Besides, hubby is cutier than you guys! LOL :lol:

Thanks again and I hope everyone got as much out of this thread as I did. :thumbup:

Sashing-Sarah709

The best idea I've had while quilting is to forget about supper and the laundry!