Phone books
 

Raising hand, "Me, Me". Mine are the smaller books.

You've been peeking into my diva den.....

Yes me too I’ve found they are perfect especially the bigger ones. I have enough for my lifetime. ��

I have one. I think it will take me a lifetime to use it all up.

Me too. I haven't had a landline in years but somehow they dropped one off. I wouldn't have kept it if I wasn't a member of this board! :)

I have a few as well

Sadly our phone books have gone by the wayside. I threw my big ones away when attempting to clean house.

I tossed the ones I saved. I never used them when I did foundation piecing anyway. I discovered Staple Stuff and that is all I use now. The books are still available at most lobbies of corp offices, city centers, large apart complexes, hospitals, and court houses every year. The city center in my town gets a load of them that are put in the lobby for anyone to take as needed.

My hand is up! I even collected some from non-sewing neighbors!

Just a funny piece of trivia...I was a sales rep for Verizon and then AT&T, selling yellow page advertising(since retired). I was there about the time that folks were getting rid of their landlines in record numbers and our business was a hard sell. I always used the line "You wouldn't jump on your computer to call a plumber if your house was flooded" but that was before everyone had smartphones! I am so glad i don't have to depend on my salary from that source anymore, as no one uses them, thus no businesses want to advertise in them. Large Orange County CA (5 thick directories to cover the area) have dwindled to a meager small book in each area. So hold onto those books!

Yes, I made my first string blocks using a telephone book pages. I liked sewing with the phone pages.

I have a couple of phone books, reg. size & small. 1 is delv. each year plus I can go to the power comp. offices & get more if I want/need them.

I saved a couple for a year (because someone said the ink needed time to dry out) before using them on a paper pieced block. The problem was I couldn't see the lines I drew on them , so they were no good to me.

I never did find a telephone book when piecing, so I used a "financial prospectus" book from my financial advisor. They use the same thin paper with no problems.

My friends cut the pages to size and do string quilt blocks on them. They work great for that.

I have a couple

I also have several of differing sizes. I use them all the time for string blocks while trying to use up some of the scraps. I currently have about 55 6.5” blocks made. I cut down the larger pages to the size I want to use and have at it.

I have cut squares ready to use in two sizes.

I have a "collection" of books, from a 1990's edition of Boston Yellow Pages (very thick) to the scrawny local books. I will probably pitch them when we move as I don't use them for paper piecing. Thought I would use them, but I tend to use copy paper instead. For string quilts, I've found adding machine tape rolls (available cheaply on eBay and come in various widths) work really well.

One question on using the phone directories...is there any problem with ink transfer to your fabric? Just curious.

I hadn't gotten a local phone book in several years. They were so big you could lift them as weights. This week I came home and I had gotten one, except that it was so thin. About the size of 3 magazines put together. Boy how home phones have went down with cell phones out.

ILoveToQuilt, I have not seen any ink transfer when I use the phone book paper.

Thanks, Alva! This is something I've always meant to ask.

Me too! I’ve got string blocks going using a 5x7 phone book. I did a black strip crosswise (consistent size) that will them form a diamond when sewn together.