mojo11

I use Q tips, baby food containers for buttons, new pizza boxes for applique, pill bottles for dull pins and needles etc, brushes for cleaning machines, plastic boxes with drawers for thread, rotary cutters and new blades, pens and pencils for marking, duck tape to make pressing boards, masking/painters tape, and the list goes on. We quilters are pretty smart.

Rumbols

Quilters are very inventive. There are lots of good ideas here. Thanks, I will be using some of them.
I use my empty pill bottles and glue the lid on with the child safety cap and then punch a hole in the top. I write used needles on the side and when I change my sewing machine needle, I put it in this pill bottle. When full, I throw them away and get another. I have several machines and each has its own needle bottle.

themachinelady

I have a large Fishing Tackle Box that has three or four drawers (can't remember which) and a deep storage area on the top. I have put all my quilting notions, (smaller square rulers, marking pencils, scissors, rotary cutters. clips for holding binding and other notions) in it and if I want to take it with me all I have to do is pick it up as I go out the door and I have everything I need except my sewing machine and fabric. I had my quilting items stuck all over the place as I don't have a sewing room before my son gave me this tacke box and now they are all in one place and I can find them and lay my hands on them at any time. The boxes that slide out the front can be exchanged if you have something special you want to take. Just get extra boxes and interchange them as needed.

I also use clean pizza boxes to store finished blocks in as well as cut pieces waiting to be pieced.

Plastic boxes for precut squares so I can grab a box of whatever size I need. Really neat for making four patches

I also have some plastic boxes big enough for my serger thread. This keeps them clean and you can see what colors you have at a glance. I often use my serger thread when emroidering designs for quilts rather than the usual embroidery thread.

I also have some plastic tape (got it at a quilt store) and it sticks to nothing but itself. Great for wrapping spools of thread, and a zillion other things and can be used over and over.

That's all that I can think of at the moment, but the tackle box is my favorite.

ThreadHead

I also use clean pizza boxes to store finished blocks in as well as cut pieces waiting to be pieced.

Plastic boxes for precut squares so I can grab a box of whatever size I need. Really neat for making four patches


I like the idea of pizza box size to store blocks in. I'm going to try to find something of similar size only in a clear plastic. I like the idea of a flat box.
I have everything else in clear plastic anyway. Here is a few, I have 8 other plastic containers, but you can get the idea from these.
Keep the ideas coming.
Syl

nstewart9

i remembered one more...I have a couple of pencil boxes that my big spools of thread (connecting thread) fit in exactly...I can take an organized selection of thread to a retreat easily! I think I can get 6 spools of thread in a box.

janRN

Weekly pill dispensers. I have a few of those containers that you put pills in for each day of the week-some have 7 spaces, some are set up for more pills. I've found that my machine feet fit perfectly in these as do bobbins. I can easily take extra feet and bobbins with me and don't worry about losing them.
I got them at the Dollar Store ( I seem to find a lot of handy gadgets there).

JanieH

Fantastic idea. I am looking at my things with a whole new viewpoint.

Annya

I use coins for perfect circles also lids of tablet bottles for the bigger size circles. Plastic salad containers to keep buttons, tiny pieces of fabrics in ---in case I need that particular color and size.

Karen Lee

I'm a little behind. I use antique glass floral frogs to hold pens, pencils, seam rippers, chopsticks, small scissors, and paintbrushes. I use a plastic candy cane (that candy came in) to hold full bobbins, chopsticks to hold empty bobbins, and old hatpins to hold bobbins on a special pincushion.

Nancy Ingham

From the office supply store, I use rubber finger tips (come in varies sizes) to grip your tiny needle and pull up thru fabric.

Attach a small piece of ‘bold’ fabric onto a safety pin. When you’re done quilting for the day, attach the safety pin where you stopped. When you go back to work, just look for the safety pin and begin quilting again. ---Or--- Use a large button for this same purpose. Slip your threaded needle into the large button, let hang on quilt; button easily marks where to begin quilting again.

I use a two drawer filing cabinet on wheels with wide-bottomed hanging files marked: Patterns, How to, Tips, and Misc. Under ‘How to’ I have labeled files: Backing, Borders, Binding, Hand Quilting, Machine Quilting, Appliqué, etc. I can easily find, refer, or review needed material and all is organized and remains clean within the closed drawers.