GrammaSue

I buy a calendar...twelve patterns but if you never use them, at least you had a calendar for the year. I use it to keep track of my quilting bees, Guild meetings, and classes.

cashs_mom

One of my friends who has been working in the sewing industry for years told me to never have anyone but Gingher sharpen your Gingher shears. I have a pair I've had for over 20 years and so far I've never had to sharpen them. But then I'm a scissors Nazi and threatened by husband with death or worse if he so much as touched my sewing scisors.

zennia

This sums it up pretty well for me to.

quilterpurpledog

I am looking at that notation about fifteen pages of comments-that says it all, does it not! I have some of those rulers that are one use also-wish I had the money. I have too many patterns that I have purchased and not used. But, I guess if I had the money I might buy something else that I might not use either. Wouldn't it be fun to have a giant garage sale and get rid of the stuff we are talking about.

Mailmanldy

I bought the Alex Anderson 4 in 1 tool, and put a bit of painters tape around the spindle that holds the end pieces on... haven't had any issue with them falling off when I go to use it now, and still easy to remove the ends when I need the tool on the inside. However, for the cost of the thing, I shouldn't have had to do that... but I would rather have to "fix" something and get it working properly than let it sit in a drawer not being used.

A couple of notions that I just recently got and am LOVING... the QTools Cutting Edge and Sewing Edge.

The Cutting Edge ones are vinyl strips that you put on the bottom of your ruler, along the line you want to cut. And it butts up against the fabric to keep it in place while you cut. I use that on my Creative Grids rulers. I do take my time to get it on as perfectly as I can, so it is straight and even... if you don't then it is useless... but when done properly it works great.

The Sewing Edge is also vinyl but with a sticky back, that you put on the bed of your machine, at your seam allowance, and it sticks. I have mine at the 1/4" and it lines up perfectly with the edge of my 1/4" foot, and much easier to keep the fabric straight going into the foot. Again, you need to take your time and get it lined up precisely, not just slap it on the bed and hope for the best, but when it is on there, it doesn't move. You may need to clean the machine bed with a bit of alcohol to make sure there isn't any dirt or oil so that it sticks well. I can't compare it to any of the other seam allowance type gadgets since I never tried any of them. But compared to just using the 1/4" foot, with or without a guide on the foot, I love the QTools Sewing Edge.

The prices for either of these is under $10, but seems "expensive" for a few pieces of vinyl, but since I got them and started using them, I absolutely love them.

rusty quilter

This is a great thread! Can't believe how many of those "gadgets" I bought and never used as well....

Judith1005

Hi NoraB, I don't get subscriptions to magazines. But, have seriously stopped buying so many. I find that most, not all the patterns in the magazines are the same. Just different fabrics. I do enjoy buying Quiltmakers 100 Blocks magazines. It usually comes out 1 or 2 times a year. I figure if I can make a block, I can make a quilt. And, someday maybe that will stop. There are SO many free patterns on the net. So, I do purchase other magazines at times. But, my purchases are few and far between. (Sorry quilt magazine manufactures.) That has also done a lot to help stop my impulse buying of fabric. Having a compulsive, collecting personality comes with it's own challenges.

Judith1005

I think my biggest waste of money would be cheap seam rippers. They are dull and work like cheap seam rippers. Never again. Just pay a smidge more and get a nice one. If I didn't loose them in the sewing room all the time, They practically last forever. And, I truly wish I could just buy another one like the one that came with my sewing machine. I accidentally broke a small piece off. Was the best ripper ever.


Thanks for all your comments. Your saving me money that can be better spent.

Greenheron

In the 1980s, an oval hoop on a flimsy stand. I'm thinking of inserting fabric and using it to display doilies.

QuiltnLady1

Single use rulers -- now I don't take a class if I have to buy a special ruler for the class. Blade sharpeners -- I have had several and they all got donated. Fancy needle threaders -- haven't got any of them to work so I use the little silver one that I have been using for many years.

I did not buy it, but I wanted to take a class to do a quilt out of a book I had and was told that since I did not buy the book at the shop I had to buy it again (decided not to do the class).

Incidently, I love the shape cut rulers -- I use them all the time.