Quilting Aids From Funny Sources
 

The thread about freezer paper made me think of this.

As a senior, and one whose body has run out of the warranty, I have medications that come in large plastic containers. The ones that are about four inches tall are wonderful for so many things in your quilting area. For example, I have a gazillion little rulers that I've collected over the last fifty or so years. They all fit nicely in these containers and can be seen easily and stored in a small area. The chubby shorter containers make great places to store small buttons. I have a machine that I use to test my blood and the strips that are used come in a four inch high plastic container with a tight fitting lid. So I take some decorated "duck" tape and wrap the container, then it is used to store needles. Not rocket science by any means, but instead of ending up in a land fill those plastic containers help me keep some semblance of order in my sewing room.

The other day when I was organizing my sewing box I used a chopstick to store bobbins on

I oiled my machine with gun oil the other day because I don't have sewing machine oil

I hate ironing boards. I lay a thick towel on my "kitchen island" (non op portable dishwasher used as storage and prep area)

Those test strip containers fit bobbins perfectly! I use one for my "to go" bag, which has handwork I can take to doctor appointments, soccer games, scout meetings, etc.

I'm using a ton of thread in my QAYG Dresden Plate quilt.

Hancock's had 3K yard cones of Maxilock serger thread 2 for $5 so I grabbed a couple because I read that this thread could be used in an ordinary machine

I am too cheap to spend $15-20 on the thread holder or adapter though

I put a binder clip on the bottom of the cone, threaded a rubber band through the binder clip handle, attached a paper clip to the rubber band and hung it from my chandalier

Works good and I won't have to buy white thread for a loooooooong time!

I use a large pill bottle to store used rotary blades and needles. It keeps them safe from small hands and can be thrown away safely if I ever fill it up! I hadn't thought of using a chopstick for my bobbins (good idea!) but I did use one when I had my cast recently. For scratching. Really not a recommended use, though!

I use a 1 pound plastic coffee can as my thread / fabric snippet catcher. ...it's only about 4" in diameter so sits nicely next to my machine.
Use the plastic containers with lids that lunch meat comes in to hold threads and bobbins i am currently using for a project.
For a long time i stored my threads on large wooden kabob skewers stuck into a block of styrofoam in a basket

I use small metal tins with hinged lids, I think Whitman candy sell them, for small sewing kits. I sew several pieces of felt into a pad, glue it into lid for a pin cushion. Holds everything except project, even a small folding scissors.

I use that idea also, except I put one of those refrigerator magnets that come in the mail from pizza places, realtors, etc. and put that in the lid. It holds my needles tight. A small pair of embroidery scissors fit diagonally in the tin.

I recycle those medicine bottles back to the pharmacy. Too many to use myself. My husband recently emptied a blood sugar tester strip container so i confiscated it to use for used/bent pins/needles. I save some plastic containers that fruit/veggies come in and use that for small blocks. Used and washed out ziplock-type baggies are used to store scraps cut into squares for use in scrap quilts later.