Thread Catcher
 

I want to make a thread catcher, but would like some information
re: the sand to make it heavy. How does the sand not seep through
the fabric or do you line it or use something besides sand? Thanks for
info.

For small projects I sometimes buy sand in the pet department. The kind sold for bird cages. I always feel like it is cleaner. Also I have put the sand in a nylon stocking then into the pocket where it is needed. This works great for pin cushions too.

I have a pin cushion/thread catcher that I use all the time. I made a "inside bag" with a filler that looked like this:
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Then I secured the bag to the covering fabric on three sides. When I pulled the fabric to the right side - the "filler" stuck out through the hole through which I had turned the fabric, making it easy to fill and providing a secure bag to contain the sand/filling. Then a few stitches and the filling was contained. I actually filled mine with ground corn cobs (the mixture that is used for tumbling brass). I put tabs on the bag with Velcro - putting the loop side on the underside of the cushion and the cloth side on the thread catcher - so the threads/junk in the bag could easily be emptied.

If you are talking about the pin cushion filling, my pattern called for a "subway" tile (a 3x6 tile) as a base. Cover the tile with fabric with 1 side of a velcro strip. Then make your pin cushion and put the other side of the velcro strip on it. Then you can fill your pin cushion with whatever you want (I use crushed walnut shells in mine). If I make another one, I think I'll use the 4x4 square tile instead of the rectangular one.

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If you are going to use sand, I'd suggest lining your pin cushion with a fusible interfacing before sewing it

Use rice (not minute rice) instead of sand. It works well. I bought 4 of these from a friend and love them! Now if they would only empty themselves...

Mine also had a tile as the base, so that adds some weight. Along with the pin cushion, I glued on a heavy duty magnet to hold my small scissors.

I have used regular rice (not minute) to fill them...I also used strapping that comes from shipping/packages in the top of the bag, to hold it open. If you don't have any of the strapping handy...you can probably get some from a store that is going to toss it when opening a box.

Google "thread catchers" to get dozens of ideas. You can use lizard litter instead of sand. It is crushed walnut shells. However, if you want to use door hinges as a weight, you can put a pillow on top of the hinges and use whatever you want to stuff it with. As I said, there are dozens of ideas and one of them will be sure to fit your needs. froggyintexas

Thanks for information. I'll see what I can come up with.

I'm a lazy bum, I use a damp sponge. ;)

I use crushed walnut shells, they should have them at Michaels or some quilt store carry them. They also help sharpen your pins.

I have made thread catchers with the bag that hangs down and a pin cushion that sits on the table. For weight I use a tile and cover that. The pin cushion sits on top of the covered tile. For the pin cushion I use tightly packed fiber fill. To add more stability I put a piece of the gripper material you use under scatter rugs on the bottom of the covered tile. To hold the bag open I use stay/boning. You can buy that by the yard at most fabric stores.

My daughter-in-law made me one using a pint wide mouth mason jar. She used the ring to make a pin cushion and then made a bag that fits inside the mason jar. This is really nice for car trips when I do hand work as the jar fits in a cup holder and the jar can be used to store my scissors, thimble, needles etc. The bag is easily removed to empty threads. As an added bonus she put a picture of herself and my son on the underside of the pin cushion so when I get lonely for them all I have to do is flip it over and see two faces smiling at me. She bought some fabric to use for it because she said the fabric looked like me. Believe it or not I had some of the same fabric in my stash. She knows me well.

I'm making several for a fall craft show and plan to use crushed walnut shells in them. I've been told that you can get a bag of them at a very reasonable rate from pet stores as they are used for reptiles tanks. Plan on using a funnel to place them in a nylon hose bag before adding to the decorative outer bag. But for me, I use a plane old red Folgers coffee can on my cutting table....easy to empty!!

would the nut shells cause a severe reaction in someone allergic to nuts? Even the smell of peanut butter can set one off, as I understand it?

I have made several thread catchers similar to the pictured one and never had a problem with sand leaking. Guess I never thought about it. Also I did use a thick fabric like denim. Perhaps if you don't think it might be a problem, it won't be.

I make an inner bag, put it in the pincushion bag and fill with a mixture of crushed walnut shells and sand. I filled the inner bag and stitched it closed and then sewed the pincushion (outer) bag. I've used this pincushion/thread catcher for several years and have not found pins to dull or sand to leak out. Purchase the crushed shells at pet store.

Ha! I use a little plastic pudding cup. :D

I used sand, just regular playground sand that I bought in a sack at Walmart. I didn't have any problem with sand leaking out.

Dina

I have not made one myself intended to but never did get around to doing so, mainly because I didn't think I would use it that much. At our 2013 Quilting Christmas party, during our gift exchanging game, the gift I ended up with was thread catcher that one of the ladies made. She used what seems to be piece of ceramic tile for the base. It sits very well without moving on my table. I find the thread catcher really comes in handy- more so than I thought it would, now I don't know why I never took the time to make one.

my friend makes these and uses a heavy tile instead of sand! I like it much better and it never moves

I use rice for the pincushion and put the rubber shelf liner on the underside. It holds onto the table very well.

you can use rice or beans, anything heavy.. tiny pebles, glass chips (smooth)

Here's another idea... "poly pellets." They are washable, and mold to the shape of whatever they sit on. I usually buy them at Michaels. I've also used crushed walnut shells and wheat, but I like the poly pellets best.