By Annemart Berendse
Do you know that feeling? That you're walking through a hardware store or a toy shop and see something that's just great for quilting? I have it all the time! It may be something stupid, it may be something handy, but you know, when it's handy, it's mine!For instance, I have a simple door viewer in my quilt room. The size of the room does not grant the name quilt studio.;-) And the door viewer is not in the door, it´s among my quilt notions. Many people do not understand why I would have a door-viewer. Well, actually, it's simple. I use it to check contrast in quilts. As my room is not very big, and I can´t take distance from a design, I use this.
Another option to do the same is using binoculars the other way round. Or have a huge quilt studio!
What do you use that is definitely not meant for quilting?
Have fun quilting!
Annemart
I don't have anything - but I am going to watch this topic and see what everyone else says - maybe I can learn something good!!
ReplyDeleteKaren
My sewing corner has a variety of office supplies - binder clips for holding together stacks of cut fabrics, different styles of pencil cases to organize things like cutting tools, another for needles. And I have a lot of repurposed things, like 2 retro hard-sided suitcases that I use to organize hand-projects, and some round cardboard boxes that used to hold brie cheese and now hold pins and notions.
ReplyDeletei have tried the backward binocular thing before but never even thought about getting a door viewer! what a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteI love this topic!
ReplyDeleteToothpicks for needleturn applique
Stitch Fixer (made for needlepoint) for needleturn applique
Mylar Washers from the hardware store for circle templates
Plastic dip container with hole cut in lid for portable trash container
Cardboard tubes for binding storage.
Cardboard box, plexiglass & undercabinet light for lightbox
Homemade lap desk from flannel covered 1/4 inch thick board
Plastic shoe boxes and pencil cases for storage
I can't take credit for this one because I saw it on a blog, but one day when I was feeling kinda "blah", I went to the local antique mall and found a cute little dish. I went to Wal-Mart and got some magnets and glued them to the bottom of the dish. Now I have a cute place for my pins instead of a big blue magnet thing!
ReplyDeleteI use a finger cot [rubber finger tip] from the office supply place to pull my needle through when hand quilting! So much easier on my arthritic hands. Fun topic!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't manage without my sandpaper covered board to trace templates on, and sandpaper strips backed with double-stick tape to cut and stick to the back of templates. I love the tiny zip-lock baggies to put block parts in once the pieces for that block are chosen. And metal cookie tins to store cut and marked fabric squares, one, two, three, and four inch, each in a tin and ready to use. And though I don't have one of those door things, I have a reducing glass that does the same thing.
ReplyDeleteafter reading these the only thing I can think of that I buy that doesn't come from the sewing section of the store is the cardboard boxes that I use for storing scraps in -- they are supposed to be used for storing photos in as that is the section of the craft store that I find them at.
ReplyDeleteYou guys have some good ideas.
Karen
I use alot of things which have already been mentioned such as the zip lock sandwich bags but the implement I use all the time is the needle probe from my disection kit. I dropped it so had to replace it but the fine bur point it developed has made it indespencable with both unpicking and holding small pieces of material in place while sewing right up to the needle.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent work,!!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Anna