What tools or products do you use from other hobbies for Quilting? Please share your ideas and I will make a list of them for us in my pages for all of us to enjoy!
03-21-2011, 06:39 PM
#131
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Atlanta area
Posts: 29
Originally Posted by pegstar
I bought a toilet brush and keep it on a hook under my sewing
cabinet....when I get threads on my clothes I just brush them
off with it...works great....My sewing room is carpeted and
it also brushes up threads off the floor which I can then easily
put in my thread catcher.
Peg
cabinet....when I get threads on my clothes I just brush them
off with it...works great....My sewing room is carpeted and
it also brushes up threads off the floor which I can then easily
put in my thread catcher.
Peg
03-21-2011, 06:43 PM
#132
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Snohomish, Washington
Posts: 2,031
Originally Posted by quilterpam
Originally Posted by SherriB
When I need to number the rows of a quilt, I use numbered beads. I put the numbered bead onto a safety pin and then pin it to one end of the row. I make sure to keep the pins on the same end of the rows. This has saved me hours of ripping.
Here are mine:
Pointed wooden skewer for turning tubes and punching out corners, also for use as a stilletto,
Plastic table cloth with flannel back for a planning board, it is portable if you need to move it to another place, and the fabric sticks to the flannel (if you have to move it, you will have to pin). The tablecloth has a little more body than just a plain piece or flannel.
Old x-rays for template plastic
Disposable surgical kit has a nice little tray to keep tools, plus has a scalpel and some hemostats and other tools (my doc gave me after some minor surgery)
Small piece of felt (cut it out in a cute shape like a flower or whatever) to pin on your shirt when you are at the longarm to stick little loose threads onto.
03-21-2011, 06:45 PM
#133
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Snohomish, Washington
Posts: 2,031
Originally Posted by seasaw2mch
I use:
washers on the thread holder of my machine so I can use the larger size spools of thread and don't run out as much.
Off set screw driver so I can get into my machine a lot easier to clean it out. The screw drivers they supply with the machines don't even fit under it so it's easy to stripe the screws out.
4 foot T-square to line things up, be it patterns or designs. Also use several metal rulers for cutting straight cuts of fabric when my quilting rulers aren't long enough.
Paint brushes for cleaning out machine lint in between vacuuming.
rubber jar openers cut into smaller pieces, used to help pull needles through quilt layers.
the boxes that file folders come in are the perfect size to hold finished blocks, much like pizza boxes but take less room and will accommodate a 12 1/2" block nicely
card board fabric cutting boards that you get at Hancocks, these have been around for years, they were designed for people to place on their table to lay out patterns to sew clothes. I use them to place over my spare bed when I don't have any other place to stretch out a quilt for layering. I use 2 side by side so they cover a king size bed . I use four of the long straight pins to keep them in place on the bed and then pin each layer around the edges and as you add each layer pull out the pins and put back in right through all the layers of your quilt. Then base the whole thing and remove the pins and you set to go.
larger 2" to 4" paint brushes to sweep up strings and dust from work surfaces.
sheet protector are a great way to store block patterns that I've cut out so I can put them into a note book stored on a shelf
C clams I always have them with me so if I have to put 2 tables together I can clamp them and they stay put. or I can clamp a long wood pole to a door way to hang a quilt that I need to take pictures of.
Spring clamps to hold up quilts for picture taking.
Curtain rod hold, I have one mounted over a 5' door way with a 2" x 1" board in it. The board is 8' long so I can hang my quilts from there when it's nasty outside and still get a picture before sending the quilts out. Not as good as taking the pictures outside but it works. Of course the spring claps above is what I use to hold the quilts up.
Peg boards, I use them a lot in my house. For holding my pot, pans, large utensils, and of course sewing and quilting things. I hate draws that you have to pull everything out of just to find the one thing you need is in the back on the bottom or to stand on my head digging through cabinets. So I use peg boards and save the draws and cabinets for things I don't need so much. Just paint them the same color as your walls and they blend right in. Great storage feature no matter how you look at it. Also to help hold the pegs in the board, after painting it add a bit of hot glue on the holes before you place the peg in the hole it will keep them from falling out. What I do is place everything on the board like I want it to be sure I have room for it all. Then I go back and hot glue the pegs in place.
Ok that should give you some ideas to pass around
washers on the thread holder of my machine so I can use the larger size spools of thread and don't run out as much.
Off set screw driver so I can get into my machine a lot easier to clean it out. The screw drivers they supply with the machines don't even fit under it so it's easy to stripe the screws out.
4 foot T-square to line things up, be it patterns or designs. Also use several metal rulers for cutting straight cuts of fabric when my quilting rulers aren't long enough.
Paint brushes for cleaning out machine lint in between vacuuming.
rubber jar openers cut into smaller pieces, used to help pull needles through quilt layers.
the boxes that file folders come in are the perfect size to hold finished blocks, much like pizza boxes but take less room and will accommodate a 12 1/2" block nicely
card board fabric cutting boards that you get at Hancocks, these have been around for years, they were designed for people to place on their table to lay out patterns to sew clothes. I use them to place over my spare bed when I don't have any other place to stretch out a quilt for layering. I use 2 side by side so they cover a king size bed . I use four of the long straight pins to keep them in place on the bed and then pin each layer around the edges and as you add each layer pull out the pins and put back in right through all the layers of your quilt. Then base the whole thing and remove the pins and you set to go.
larger 2" to 4" paint brushes to sweep up strings and dust from work surfaces.
sheet protector are a great way to store block patterns that I've cut out so I can put them into a note book stored on a shelf
C clams I always have them with me so if I have to put 2 tables together I can clamp them and they stay put. or I can clamp a long wood pole to a door way to hang a quilt that I need to take pictures of.
Spring clamps to hold up quilts for picture taking.
Curtain rod hold, I have one mounted over a 5' door way with a 2" x 1" board in it. The board is 8' long so I can hang my quilts from there when it's nasty outside and still get a picture before sending the quilts out. Not as good as taking the pictures outside but it works. Of course the spring claps above is what I use to hold the quilts up.
Peg boards, I use them a lot in my house. For holding my pot, pans, large utensils, and of course sewing and quilting things. I hate draws that you have to pull everything out of just to find the one thing you need is in the back on the bottom or to stand on my head digging through cabinets. So I use peg boards and save the draws and cabinets for things I don't need so much. Just paint them the same color as your walls and they blend right in. Great storage feature no matter how you look at it. Also to help hold the pegs in the board, after painting it add a bit of hot glue on the holes before you place the peg in the hole it will keep them from falling out. What I do is place everything on the board like I want it to be sure I have room for it all. Then I go back and hot glue the pegs in place.
Ok that should give you some ideas to pass around
03-21-2011, 06:50 PM
#134
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Atlanta area
Posts: 29
My husband used to work at Home Depot. I use one of his old Home Depot aprons with pockets in the front when I am at the longarm. Can attach blunt scissors on a retractible reel and pockets hold tools to adjust bobbin tension and change needles, brushes to clean bobbin area, "squizzors", and wet erase markers for aligning panto.
03-21-2011, 06:50 PM
#135
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 269
love the frisbee idea--what fun!
i love to use the tiny tiny tupperware containers for sewing pins and other sharp items...can easily throw them into a bag for a class and don't get pricked by pins...
i love to use the tiny tiny tupperware containers for sewing pins and other sharp items...can easily throw them into a bag for a class and don't get pricked by pins...
03-21-2011, 07:03 PM
#136
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kentucky Wildcat Country Go Big Blue
Posts: 820
I think a lot of people misread the question. I think it says what tools you use from other hobbies or crafts. Something of that sort.
I use a quilling tool for guideing pieces under the machine foot. It's thin and sharp and works well. Quilling tool was the only name on the package. No other name.
Sassy granny
I use a quilling tool for guideing pieces under the machine foot. It's thin and sharp and works well. Quilling tool was the only name on the package. No other name.
Sassy granny
03-21-2011, 07:18 PM
#137
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Redding
Posts: 56
Originally Posted by Marion Jean
I use a wooden chopstick for corners after turning projects right-side out.
Use old glass canisters for buttons - they look pretty, too.
Pill containers for small embelishments or needles
Cookie cutters for quilting and applique patterns
Oh, and tongs every time I drop something behind my sewing table - they make great "grabbers"
Use old glass canisters for buttons - they look pretty, too.
Pill containers for small embelishments or needles
Cookie cutters for quilting and applique patterns
Oh, and tongs every time I drop something behind my sewing table - they make great "grabbers"
:roll:
03-21-2011, 07:24 PM
#138
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Central, California
Posts: 450
I went to the local car parts store and bought a magnetic parts holder I keep bobbins and machine feet in it, I also have chop sticks and I use the containers from Crystal light to hold me notions while sewing :D
03-21-2011, 07:51 PM
#140
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: So. Fla now, Va orig
Posts: 1,565
The tool I couldnt be without comes from my makeup stash, the pointy tweezers, retrieves short threads, acts as awl, feeds fabric up under presser foot. Also the round reinforcement dots make great holders for loose thread ends on bobbins.
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