do you use anything "unusual" around the house in your quilting?
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South East Michigan...at the bottom of the thumb!
Posts: 730
I buy sugarless chewing gum in a small plastic container. Don't much care for chewing gum but the container is a perfect size for rotary cutter blades. The top snaps closed and the blades are safely contained. When it is full I just throw it in the trash. I have to try some of the repurposing hints!
#23
I use old tins to put my used blades in for recycling, pill bottles for old needles, paintbrushes to clean my sewing machine. I found a utensil holder from a dishwasher and store my pens, scissors, rotary cutters, seam rippers, ruler,etc all on my cutting area.
#27
#28
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Orbiting
Posts: 1,448
I bought clamps at the dollar store to hold quilt backing on table. These clamps are the kind used to hold a table cloth to a picnic table.
After the new school year starts, I shop the discounted school items. For instance a pencil sharpener that has both a large and small hole - great for sharpening caulk pencils. Pencil boxes for rotary cutters or assorted pens and pencils for marking quilts. Desk organizer for pencils - holds scissors, large tweezers, etc. Small plastic drawers to hold misc items like needles, sewing machine attachments, note pads, etc. The various sizes of the school boxes that elementary kids have to have are great little organizers/project holders. I have one that has items pertaining to applique, another for items needed to take to a quilt class, etc. You would be amazed at the items you can get from shopping the school supplies.
After the new school year starts, I shop the discounted school items. For instance a pencil sharpener that has both a large and small hole - great for sharpening caulk pencils. Pencil boxes for rotary cutters or assorted pens and pencils for marking quilts. Desk organizer for pencils - holds scissors, large tweezers, etc. Small plastic drawers to hold misc items like needles, sewing machine attachments, note pads, etc. The various sizes of the school boxes that elementary kids have to have are great little organizers/project holders. I have one that has items pertaining to applique, another for items needed to take to a quilt class, etc. You would be amazed at the items you can get from shopping the school supplies.
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bay Area near San Francisco
Posts: 1,213
I use masking/painters tape to keep bias edges from stretching.
When I'm working with small pieces of fabric and small templates, I sometimes use scotch tape to tape the fabric to the cutting board and then tape the small template on top. Really stops fabric/template from moving.
The most unusual thing I use I got from my gynecologist. When they do a pap smear they use a long wand with bristles on one end - like a very, very long eyelash applicator (about 6 inches). It is flexible and can get into every little nook and cranny when I need to clean the bobbin area of lint. I just asked my OBGYN for a few - after explaining why - and she gave me about a dozen. Turns out she and her sister sew/quilt and she now uses them on her machine also.
When I'm working with small pieces of fabric and small templates, I sometimes use scotch tape to tape the fabric to the cutting board and then tape the small template on top. Really stops fabric/template from moving.
The most unusual thing I use I got from my gynecologist. When they do a pap smear they use a long wand with bristles on one end - like a very, very long eyelash applicator (about 6 inches). It is flexible and can get into every little nook and cranny when I need to clean the bobbin area of lint. I just asked my OBGYN for a few - after explaining why - and she gave me about a dozen. Turns out she and her sister sew/quilt and she now uses them on her machine also.
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