What quilting supplies/tools do you hate to spend money on?
 

What supplies/tools do you hate to spend money on? (Even if one can easily afford the cost)

I dislike spending money on a pattern that looks very easy and seems to have been around for generations.

I guess batting. I buy it by the roll. When prices go up, I do actually feel a little better about it because I feel like I got a deal.

Agreed, patterns, most of the time you use it once and your done with it. Rotary cutting blades, highly over priced for a razor blade.

I agree with batting, I haven't bought it in quantity like a roll, but it did bend my mind when I bought 7 yards of it. Going to watch for the sales with the coupons. I don't see the purpose of such a wide range of rulers - how many times are you going to use that special ruler for $$$$?

Patterns for sure. There are so many free ones out there, or I can figure it out myself from a pic. Also because most patterns they say are new to me look like the oldies.

Quilt backing, I can't afford to use bright cheery prints so when I travel the 60 miles to jo anns I take the 50% off coupon and buy enough regular backing for 3-4 quilts.

Patterns that I can figure out on my own, especially when all they do is rename an old block. OK, it may take some time to calculate the yardage, but not that much time. Rulers that work for only one application.

Believe it, or not...thread!

I agree Patterns.

I can't think of anything!

Rotary blades. Those just aren't any fun to buy.

I hate having to rebuy seam rippers and scissors after mine have gone missing. I'm doing pretty well with scissors lately, but lost another seam ripper in the past few days. Patterns are a good one. I have bought a few fairly simple ones that were really cute. I've also bought a few that I just couldn't figure out on my own. And I've bought a bunch of magazines and books with patterns in them. But I almost never made a quilt exactly as the pattern suggests. Mostly I use them for ideas.

I also hate to buy patterns -- they are single use and with graph paper, magazines and EQ I can design a lot myself or get some great inspiration and then plot it out. I have a bunch of books (most bought used) that give me ideas -- and then there is Quilter's Cache. I also hate putting out good money for templates that are needed to make one pattern that is for a class I am taking.

I hate spending money on patterns......so I don't. I have learned to design my own and to redraft those of pictures that impress me. (This for my own personal use only.)

Jan in VA

Rulers and templates that are going to be used only once.

Needles. For some reason it drives me crazy to pay for new needles and throw the old ones out even though they still look perfectly fine. I don't change the needle on my sewing machine nearly often enough (at least according to what I've read) because of this. I also can't ever feel that the needle is dull compared to the brand new ones.

New bobbin holders. I always seem to end up with just enough thread still on the old bobbins that I don't want to pull it off. For my sewing machine, sometimes I'll just use up each nearly empty bobbin on a scrappy project so I can refill them, but for my long arm I'm just collecting partially empty bobbins because I replace them at the beginning of a new row since I don't like running out half way through a pattern, then trying to match up just where I left off. Maybe I'll use them up on small projects some day.

Batting is crazy expensive and I always end up with leftover pieces that I tell myself I should sew together so I don't waste. Instead, I let my leftover batting take over too much space in my closet and I go buy more.

batting would be at the top of my list, and I also buy very few patterns cause I have been sewing long enough I can usually figure out some patterns.

Patterns. Prices are pretty high for something you use once.

I'm with you Bellaboo. I enjoy buying everything. I think it's the hoarder in me. I always feel better after I buy fabric. I stock up when I find a sale.
Sue

For me, it's quilt backing. I like to make pieced backs - do a little something special, but I hate to buy that many yards of fabric if it's not on sale. Right now, I have to wait until August to get the back I want from Connecting Threads unless I stumble over just the right thing at the right price. I've only bought 1 template, which I will probably never even use - they are often way too expensive for being a one trick pony.

Patterns, seam rippers, rotary blades and having to go back to the store to get just enough fabric to finish a project because my brain shorted out when I was buying the first time.

Backing fabric. If you buy backing of a good quality, it's expensive. But to buy cheap fabrics to use as backing is in my mind a waste of all the hours of work I've spend making the top and will spend quilting it, because the backing will wear so much faster than the top! I want to get as much use out of the back as the top of the quilt, especially for quilts that are meant to be used (i.e. not wall hangings), so expensive fabric it is...

Patterns, rotary blades and batting. Fabric as stash, I can't buy ahead unless I have a project in mind. And needle threaders because I hate to admit that I'm old enough to have problems with seeing up close. I do wear readers but I so miss how well I could see when I was younger.

I agree with rotary blades, scissors (why is a pair of scissors $20.00 or more!) and I lose those pesky seam rippers all the time (maybe that is a sign I don't need them!). Also, I can't justify the costs of patterns. I haven't bought one yet because I was given one at Christmas and to be honest I don't know if I am just an idiot or what but I have no idea how to read the directions! No problems with the free patterns I have downloaded though! I'll stick with free!

I get tired of buying seam rippers. Mine always seem to grow legs and run away. Probably because they feel like they're being overused. lol

Modern patterns and modern pattern books. I'm just not into modern. And if I ever want to do a modern quilt there are plenty in the magazines I get.

I think mine is needles and rotary blades.

I hate to buy threat. Back in the 70's I had a quilt shop. The small spools of thread was 10 cents. One lady came by and would not buy it because 8 miles away she could get it for 9 cents. I remember that so well it really hurts when I have to pay $13. for a spool. Oh yes the one now is much bigger but the memory lingers.

Rulers...especially ones you will use very seldom use.

What I hate buying I; going on an expensive course and being told you need this special,
Usually ruler to do the project. Sometimes I have the ruler at home and now I have 2.

Sorry I also hate having a pattern where you purchase the amount of fabric needed and either you don't have enough or you have a large piece left. Also patterns which donot tell about mistakes and corrections not clear.
Patterns are very very expensive and shouldn't contain mistakes.
Magazines with mistakes in should coletely replace the pattern in another date.

Harbor Freight is great for blades in the carpet tool sections. Blades are 2 in a package for $1.00 on sale and a little more otherwise. i.e. for a 45 mm cutter.

Rotary cutting blades and patterns are my dislikes, too. I do not like paying the current high prices for fabrics although the fabrics are so interesting and fun to use. I have cut back on buying fabrics "just because." Now I check my stash first and then buy whatever is needed for a specific project. I watch for sales.

Patterns for a queen sized bed that tell you you need to buy 19 yards of fabric to complete the top of the quilt. Hello, I could wallpaper my entire house with 19 yards of fabric... I get that they are trying to sell their fabric line, but how stupid do they think I am?

I have tried the blades from Harbor Freight...they do not work for me...perhaps the quality is not consistent since some ladies from QB have had good luck with them.

I hate it that patterns to download are the same price as the ones purchased at a quilt store. If I have to download and then print, it shouldn't cost the same.

I agree on the patterns they are mostly all over priced applique patterns are so easy to come by Dover books --old coloring book also books from visitor centers and even Aunt Marthas embroidery patterns lots of places and then design them myself

Have never bought a pattern, toooo many free ones! And rulers, bought some when I first started, never use them! But there are some I can't live without too.....live and learn!

Patterns. I learned to draft in my first quilting class so I rarely buy a pattern.

Hi bearisgray,I got fed up with buying patchwork magazines, they so often seem to recycle ideas and are so full of advertising. Forums like this have much more to offer.