Tools imported from other interests?
Bert
a GIANT roll of duct tape) got me to wondering what other tools we may
have borrowed from the garage, office, kitchen, etc.
I know many people like to use a grapefruit spoon to help close safety
pins when pin basting. And I have read a lot of references to
rubber-nubby gardening gloves or rubber finger-covers to help grasp the
fabric when machine quilting.
During my too-rare forays into garage sales and thrift stores, I am
keeping my eyes open for a nice fold-out tackle box.
I have borrowed a couple of small easy-to-use clamps from the garage. I
just squeeze them and put them along the edge of the workdesk and the
end of the fabric (or a small top) so I can pull/straighten from the
other end. (I promise to return them to my sweetie as soon as he
mentions they are missing...LOL)
I have a folding portable wire laundry rack that is wonderful for
hanging strips (or even blocks) from. I stand it next my teensy sewing
table and just grab whichever strip I want. The rack folds down to
almost nothing; I am thinking of putting a hook on it to hang it from
the back of the door when not in use. Hmmmm, I could probably use
clothespins to leave the strips on it while hanging...
So what other tools have made their way into your quilting bag of tricks?
Roberta in rainy Ramona, CA
bklimas at home dot com (when it is working grrrr!)
Krysia Thompson
someone ran a thread entitled "Items not bought in quilting
shops" or something to that effect. What a wealth of info! I've
got it all saved, so... contact me privately
Krysia
K.T. - starannie opakowana
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Kathy Riley
Cloth surgical tape. I wrap my "underneath" finger with it twice. It protects
my finger while hand quilting, gives me just the right amount of "traction" so
I have excellent needle control, and enables me to produce fine, even stitches.
I won't be without it
Kathy
"Work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt....and dance
like no one's watching !"
Quiltmom
you buy that finger wrap at the quilt shop you get a few pieces. Yo-Yo tape
cost me $2.50 for the roll, and actually works better for me because my
hands and fingers are small.
I like to use the BIG binder clips to hold the backing down on the table
when I baste. I think a box of a dozen cost me about $3.50
Quiltmom
"Bert" <seeb...@forrealaddress.com> wrote in message
news:3A5F4F79...@forrealaddress.com...
Quiltmom
Oh and just thought of another thing too... the round dot stickers that you
get at stationary stores are great for appliquéing circles.
I know more things but can't think of them at the moment Cuz LN is holding
my half of our brain hostage ... I Really NEED my part of the brain back....
Quiltmom
Quiltmom
"Krysia Thompson" <krysia_...@fmlc.unn.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:62mu5tkjn4d8hgnaq...@4ax.com...
Krysia Thompson
post,
Krysia
TwinMom
measure seam allowances) to roll out cookie dough? I bought them as a quilt
supply, but never used them for that! For Christmas baking, I use them to
roll out cookie dough at ¼" on the counter, and when it was supposed to be
1/8" for Linzer's, I lined them up next to another cookie sheet to make the
space thinner. Oh yeah, and my sewing desk is actually a "computer desk"
and the machine sits on the keyboard shelf so I can lower it to the height
of the rest of the table for machine quilting. I also use "post-it" notes
to hold some of my FPP pieces in place while sewing. ~L
"Bert" <seeb...@forrealaddress.com> wrote in message
news:3A5F4F79...@forrealaddress.com...
TwinMom
and I could iron over them to "set" the seam.
Krysia Thompson
someone hits me with some unexpected mysterious name/object/etc
Krysia
K.T. - starannie opakowana
Pat Winters
have adapted for use in quilting. The rubbery
mesh shelf liner to lay across contents in a box
if they jiggle too much (i.e. bobbin box) ....
parts drawers are great for buttons and more ....
adding machine tape for drawing the complete
border for quilting ..... travel cases for
cosmetics and lingerie for containing supplies
&/or projects .... conference/security badge
holders for scissors, guild badge .... eyeglass
case for rotary cutter .... mouse pad for for
scissors and more (protect table) ... and my
FAVORITE is a semi transparent toy car container
to store about 40 spools of thread for $5.00 in
toy place, and not the $14 charged by *some*
quilting specialists. TTFN, PAT in Virginia
Quiltmom
table kept my table top ironing board on one side and my cutting board on
the other with the sewing machine in the center on the keyboard tray that
can be moved to a height that is comfy for me. I say HAD because my corner
computer table now is home to not 1 but 2 computers.
I did get a folding computer table that had a keyboard holder that you can
use either up or down, but I don't like it as much. I can't keep everything
out for long anymore because now I have to sew in the family room down in
the basement. but the Pool table (we have an insert to make it seem like a
large table and a cover to protect the felt) does make a great spot for my
cutting mat and also to baste but I do need to use tape instead of my binder
clips.
Quiltmom
"TwinMom" <twi...@techie.com> wrote in message
news:3a5f6f59$0$1...@news.impulse.net...
The Brown Family
palms.....works great when the fabric slips, my hands are small also and
these fit snug. I also use a microwave stand we don't use anymore and store
some fabric in the bottom (among other places) open the top and I have my
table top ironing board and iron on it.....works great.
For those who have machines that embroider, I just read recently, but
haven't tried it......to undo the embroidery (in case, heaven forbid
something went wrong), to use a mustache trimmer on the right side to take
it out and it won't harm the fabric. I usually work, somewhat patiently,
taking forever, picking away with my seam ripper.
Lorraine
"Quiltmom" <pe...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:U8J76.45138$1M.99...@typhoon.ne.mediaone.net...
Bert
simulated leather cover. It is great for all those things (and a great
height for her) PLUS she laid out a lot of Strips that Sizzle blocks on
the cover and it was easy to spin/rotate them to her heart's content to
find a layout she liked. She doesn't worry about complaints that the
table is out of commission because she is the one who wanted and bought
the table to begin with! (Not originally for quilting, of course, but
that takes us back to the topic of this thread!)
Roberta in Ramona,CA, where the sun just came out
bklimas at home dot com (where the email also seems to be working again.
My luck seems to be changing just in time for the weekend!)
NBennett
set, but the pieces have several different convex and concave curves on them.
I use them to draw quilting line patterns on my quilts.
Also use children's washable markers to mark the lines.
Nancy
Florence Davis
Florence
Nurse Ratched
>you buy that finger wrap at the quilt shop you get a few pieces.
If you donate blood in Tampa, you get about 18" free wrapped around your
donation site. (Of course, they don't realize it's really finger wrap for
quilters!) If you donate *platelets*, you have *two* sites, plus you can
donate twice as often!
Nurse Ratched (remove "cuckoo" from address to reply)
Sacred cows make great hamburgers.
miste...@mindspring.com
tray beside my machine for spare feet, fray check, silicone, chalk and
tweezers. I find the flat edged sort of square-ended manicure wooden stick
works great for sharp corner punching and also for sneaking in a little
ease. Not nearly as violent if you happen to hit it with the SM needle.
Polly
"Florence Davis" <ren...@azstarnet.com> wrote in message
news:3A5FA27D...@azstarnet.com...
Sue
ray film for template plastic.
-
Sue
four...@home.comnews:3a5f6fa6$0$1...@news.impulse.net...
sarah curry
What? WHY? How come you're not gonna share? (hate that word, but it
fits, right now :-) ) ESPECIALLY with your ol' mum, and all ...
Grins,
Sairey (who uses duct tape for dang near everything (this acrod didn't
fall far from the tree -- my daddy pretty much said if you couldn't fix
it with duct tape or balin' wire, it prob'ly wasn't worth fixin' :-) )
Bert
Duct tape and bailin' wire are great, but there has to be room in this
world for anything as creatively named as Gorilla Snot! (Don't want to
think about their logo, though...)
Ducking and running from anyone picking and grinning!
Roberta in Ramona, CA
bklimas at home dot com
Chickenlady
greaseproof paper, sandwich bags (to sort out the fabric that I need for
eachparticular project), very tiny stacking boxes (pinched from DD#2's toy
cupboard - for the same purpose) old jam jars (to sort buttons by colour)
an old wicker shopping basket minus the handle (masquerades as a knitting
basket - not really quilting though) a mouse mat (to stop my footpedal from
slipping) micropore tape - to protect the under finger while hand quilting,
a ball of string (I forget what I needed it for but it was put in the sewing
basket anyway!) - several of DH's small screwdrivers - I can never find the
one that came with my machine! and my sewing basket was originally
designed as a baby's layette basket (the pretty lined things that you are
supposed to put all the things that you need to change a baby's nappy etc
in) I was given it for DD#1 and never found a use for it, so now it is one
of the many sewing basket/containers that I have - I use it to store all my
scissors, needle cases, rulers that sort of thing. I also keep templates in
a large brown envelope.
Chicken
NBennett <nb2...@idirect.com> wrote in message
news:3A5F934E...@idirect.com...
Mocha
underneath the quilt. Just the clear stuff so no one notices. You can feel
the needle very well and it offers a protective layer, haven't bled on a
quilt yet...........
--
mocha
---
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Krysia Thompson
Shall we compile our own list, too. I can edit.
Krysia
K.T. - starannie opakowana
Joan8904
borders (and taking notes). Can also be used for paperpiecing flying geese.
joan o'reilly
311 fan club
8904 florence drive
bellevue ne 68147
http://joansquilts.eboard.com
Judy Fearn
>
> >So what other tools have made their way into your quilting bag of tricks?
>
> Cloth surgical tape. I wrap my "underneath" finger with it twice. It protects
I wish! But since I'm allergic to the adhesives (even the "sensitive
skin" formulas), I'm stuck with quilting until my finger hurts, then
taking a break for a day or so (during which time I'll spin some wool,
knit, or do something with the ton of beads I have).
Judy in MN
Nurse Ratched
>skin" formulas),
Try the quilt wrap stuff. There's no adhesive in it--it sticks because it's
rubberized. That is, unless you're also allergic to latex....:(
Barbara Pinocci
section of the drugstore.
Barbara in Virginia
shhdesigns
I use that rubber shelf liner stuff. I keep one length to place under my
sewing machine when going to a class and the smaller piece to go under my
foot pedal. I keep it in one of those turquoise craft totes that are in
most craft shops. I keep a small recycled baby formula bottle filled with
push pins for my design wall. I have an extension cord and surge protector
in there.
Also and this is a very important item a plastic cheese board with a wine
stopper and knife for those all important social breaks we need to take on a
retreat. I have my drafting circles, and flexible curve in a recycled
cosmetic bag along with drafting pencils and rulers for drawing.
--
Sandi in New West. B.C.
"Krysia Thompson" <krysia_...@fmlc.unn.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:e5f06t8omt2upk7c6...@4ax.com...
Roberta Zollner
plierswith a LOONG thin "nose"), which surgeons use to pull the needles
through. It has a sort of clamp at the hinge so you don't have to use force
to keep the tips gripping. Great for turning cloth toys right side out, for
fishing out teeny bits of things you may have dropped down into your various
machinery, for boning fish, used it a couple of times to unscrew a light
bulb end when the glass part had gone out with a bang. Also works for
pulling needles.
Roberta in DK
"Bert" <seeb...@forrealaddress.com> wrote in message
news:3A5F4F79...@forrealaddress.com...
> The duct tape reference (for picking up stray threads, and I would need
> a GIANT roll of duct tape) got me to wondering what other tools we may
> have borrowed from the garage, office, kitchen, etc.
>
> I know many people like to use a grapefruit spoon to help close safety
> pins when pin basting. And I have read a lot of references to
> rubber-nubby gardening gloves or rubber finger-covers to help grasp the
> fabric when machine quilting.
>
> During my too-rare forays into garage sales and thrift stores, I am
> keeping my eyes open for a nice fold-out tackle box.
>
> I have borrowed a couple of small easy-to-use clamps from the garage. I
> just squeeze them and put them along the edge of the workdesk and the
> end of the fabric (or a small top) so I can pull/straighten from the
> other end. (I promise to return them to my sweetie as soon as he
> mentions they are missing...LOL)
>
> I have a folding portable wire laundry rack that is wonderful for
> hanging strips (or even blocks) from. I stand it next my teensy sewing
> table and just grab whichever strip I want. The rack folds down to
> almost nothing; I am thinking of putting a hook on it to hang it from
> the back of the door when not in use. Hmmmm, I could probably use
> clothespins to leave the strips on it while hanging...
>
> So what other tools have made their way into your quilting bag of tricks?
>
Roberta Zollner
Come in various widths, you can use them for ironing your Celtic strips, and
they don't fry your fingers like the metal ones when you take them out.
Roberta in DK
"Sue" <four...@home.com> wrote in message
news:xxP76.999012$8u4.20...@news1.rdc1.bc.home.com...
Chickenlady
ends - oh and the computer chair (a wheeled office type chair) that I steal
so that I can whizz from one end of the room to the other, from the sewing
machine to the ironing board and over to the shelf where I keep the fabric
whithout having to get up. DH has to use an ordinary dining chair when he
is playing on the pc if I ams ewing (must get a second chair) - plastic
plant misting spray bottle to dampen fabric, spray starch, spotlight type
desk light (I bend it down so that it is low enought to shine through my
sew-steady table and that makes me a wonderful light box) I have several
leaver-arched files to keep patterns that I have printed out in. A very old
school trunk (the sort that kids took all their things to boarding schools
in) to store the excess stash that won't fit on the shelving unit (only
things that aren't used very much stored here)
Chicken
Chickenlady <Chick...@sutcliffe88.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:93o7kc$vc1$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
Julia
Took a bit of getting used to, but now I love it. I got it
at a local quilt shop (All in Stitches). I think it's made
by Clover.
R&M Vaughn
I've ripped out a seam. Also to get nasty little pices that have gotten
lodged in the machine.
Use a crochet hook to grab the loop when I pull the bobbin thread to the
topside when quilting.
Use hair clippies (known as binding clips to quilters) for all sorts of
things besides holding binding -- holds sets of pieces together nicely -
Have a drafting chair to quilt in as I've raised my whole quilting table to
35 inches.
Used PVC pipe to raise the table to the height that we wanted. Just slip it
on each leg. Easy to put on and take off. I used to only put them on when I
was pinning a quilt.
Midge
Bert wrote:
> The duct tape reference (for picking up stray threads, and I would need
> a GIANT roll of duct tape) got me to wondering what other tools we may
> have borrowed from the garage, office, kitchen, etc.
>
> I know many people like to use a grapefruit spoon to help close safety
> pins when pin basting. And I have read a lot of references to
> rubber-nubby gardening gloves or rubber finger-covers to help grasp the
> fabric when machine quilting.
>
> During my too-rare forays into garage sales and thrift stores, I am
> keeping my eyes open for a nice fold-out tackle box.
>
> I have borrowed a couple of small easy-to-use clamps from the garage. I
> just squeeze them and put them along the edge of the workdesk and the
> end of the fabric (or a small top) so I can pull/straighten from the
> other end. (I promise to return them to my sweetie as soon as he
> mentions they are missing...LOL)
>
> I have a folding portable wire laundry rack that is wonderful for
> hanging strips (or even blocks) from. I stand it next my teensy sewing
> table and just grab whichever strip I want. The rack folds down to
> almost nothing; I am thinking of putting a hook on it to hang it from
> the back of the door when not in use. Hmmmm, I could probably use
> clothespins to leave the strips on it while hanging...
>
> So what other tools have made their way into your quilting bag of tricks?
>
sarah curry
>
> Sairey,
>
> Duct tape and bailin' wire are great, but there has to be room in this
> world for anything as creatively named as Gorilla Snot! (Don't want to
> think about their logo, though...)
>
> Ducking and running from anyone picking and grinning!
>
And *I* don't even wanna THINK about that!
Howling,
Sairey (who would reach for gorilla snot with some trepidation, but it
MIGHT go along with the gorilla rack I use for a cutting table ...)
vze2...@mail.verizon.net
LQS. Kept the materials together from each step--because it's just too easy to
get them confused.
Jane in MA
SandySmth
seen mentioned: a lint roller.
My design wall is Pellon fleece thumbtacked to my studio wall. It collects
threads from all my projects, so every once in a while I take the time to clean
them off. I used to pat the fleece with wide masking tape wrapped around my
hand, but using a lint roller is much easier. Mine has a plastic handle with a
replaceable roller that has 60 sheets of masking tape. When one sheet won't
pick up any more threads, I peel it off and use the next sheet.
Sandy
in Chapel Hill, NC
Lorilynn King
The single bladed ones are good for cutting out appliqué templates from
stencil plastic. The double bladed ones are good for cutting out
quilting stencils (although I don't do that so much any more). Instead,
I use tissue paper -- I have the quilting design printed on a piece of
regular paper, and I staple multiple layers of tissue paper to the back
side, and then use my sewing machine (without thread) with the darning
foot (and feed dogs lowered) to needle-punch the design into the tissue
paper.
Zip lock bags in all sizes are very handy for keeping projects or parts
of projects together. I also have been known to take my kids to eat at
Pizza Hut just so I can get a few extra boxes to store projects in. I
also work bingo sessions as a fundraiser for one of my kids' activities
-- some of the supplies come in sturdy cardboard boxes that are
wonderful for storing projects in. At work, when someone gets a new
notebook computer, they just throw the box away that it came in. These
are really nice because they have handles.
And, of course, I couldn't live without my computer. EQ4 and the
drawing programs I use are invaluable for designing quilts; I can use my
own scanned fabrics, and print out templates and FPP patterns.
My digital camera is a valuable tool as well, especially when I'm
playing with a layout. I can take pictures of several different layouts
of my blocks, and later compare them side by side. I also get a kick
out of documenting the progress of constructing a quilt.
--
Lori in Colorado (a.k.a. JJoQ)
http://www.users.qwest.net/~lsquared/
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
deMoMo
quilting tools! However, I was in a LQS the other day with my FIL, MIL
and DH. DH and FIL were trying to figure out all of the other things
that could be done with the quilting notions! My FIL builds and flies
RC planes, and he was looking at some items with interest for that
hobby. But I get the feeling that the discussion deteriorated
quickly....I'm not sure that I want to know how they were going to
import some of the notions!
- Melinda.
In article <3A5F4F79...@forrealaddress.com>,
--
www.angelfire.com/ny4/demomo
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
Bert
(snippety snip...)
> My digital camera is a valuable tool as well, especially when I'm
> playing with a layout. I can take pictures of several different layouts
> of my blocks, and later compare them side by side. I also get a kick
> out of documenting the progress of constructing a quilt.
>
> --
> Lori in Colorado (a.k.a. JJoQ)
Then Melinda added:
> > I hardly have any "real" quilting notions, let alone "not quite real"
> > quilting tools! However, I was in a LQS the other day with my FIL, MIL
> > and DH. DH and FIL were trying to figure out all of the other things
> > that could be done with the quilting notions! My FIL builds and flies
> > RC planes, and he was looking at some items with interest for that
> > hobby. But I get the feeling that the discussion deteriorated
> > quickly....I'm not sure that I want to know how they were going to
> > import some of the notions!
> >
> > - Melinda.
Lori, The digital camera is an excellent tool! I use mine for
user-friendly technical writing and had a quilting application not too
long ago.
During a recent visit to my mom, I walked her through the process of
putting one looooong double-fold binding on a quilt. Some time passed
between the demo and when she actually needed to do it. She called me in
frustration after trying and trying to remember how to turn the corner.
Have you ever tried to describe something over the phone that is SO
simple to show? I told her to check her e-mail in an hour. I mocked up a
quilt (potholder-size), used contrasting thread (like on all the TV
shows!) and took step by step pictures. I sent them to her in an e-mail
with basic text in between. It worked well, and she even printed it out
for next time!
Melinda, we were perusing the vendor stalls at an aviation fly-in a
couple of years ago when I spotted Olfa blades on sale at a very
attractive price. (I bought several, of course!) It seems that there are
some people who use rotary cutters for cutting the fabric for
(naturally) fabric-covered airplanes.
Roberta in Ramona
(who is fascinated with the inventiveness in this group and has learned
a LOT)
bklimas at cts dot com
Judy Fearn
I wanted to cut a lot of hexagons in two different sizes and decided
my paper patterns weren't going to hold up. So.... I went to the
building supply store, conveniently placed next door to JoAnn's, and
bought a sheet of plexiglas. DH has a plexiglass cutter (it looks
like an evil scraping thing) that you use somewhat like you'd use a
glass cutter to score the plexiglas. You run it across the score a
couple more times, put the score along the edge of the table, and use
your hands (or pliers) to snap off the extra bit. Worked like a
champ.
Also use a scroll saw to cut different shapes (like curved pieces).
Judy