best wacky quilting gadget

Ok, all this bobbin winder talk has me (along with Val) thinking. WHat is the wackiest sewing or quilting gadget that you ever bought.

Also, what is the wackiest gadget that turned out to be really handy?

Taria

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Taria
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I like finding unusual uses for things- the hardware store and office supply are my fave places. I bought 3 ft. of clear plastic tubing (3/8 in. inner diameter) at the hardware store. Cut it into sections a scant 1/4 in. long using heavy duty kitchen type scissors- I got 150+ from that 3 ft. of tubing for under $5. Snip a slit in each circle and use it around my bobbins to keep the thread from unwinding and making a mess in my 8 bobbin boxes. Yeah, I need matching bobbins for all those spools of thread, Taria! VBG

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

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Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

The wackiest one that turned out to be simply wonderful is a needle puller. It's the oddest-looking thing, but you simply put it over the tip of your hand quilting needle, push the plunger, and it grips the needle so you can get it through the thicker parts of the quilt sandwich, where it might get stuck. It can be worn on the hand you're using to quilt with, though that's not required if you prefer not to, so it's very handy when you need it. No hot rubber fingers! I like mine so much that I bought a second one, just in case I ever lost it.

Reply to
Sandy

I have a Kwik Klip. I thought the price was ridiculous and didn't expect much but it really does help a little when pin basting. Actually, I even use it when just pinning a preemie quilt so I guess I do like it. My Really Wacky is cans of tomato paste. I use them as support columns for the SMs' little tables that fit around the freearms.Apparently ( ! ) I press really hard on those tables when I'm FMing and this keeps the tables' little pins from popping off. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Well .... before I'd ever heard of those fancy clips used for holding binding, I was using my DD's hair clips to hold my binding while I stitched it by hand ... does that count?

Hugs!! Connie :)

Reply to
SewVeryCreative

Mom bought: four 6 inch long nails-----replacement parts for an old fashioned simple quilting frame, the entire frame is four 2x1x96 inch boards and four 6 inch long nails. Wood worker's spring clamps--they help to hold the old frame truly square.

My wackiest gadgets: Cadbury's chocolate fingers in the long purple tin. The tin is where I hide my expensive fabric shears from my DH who would otherwise find and use them to cut wire or something equally obnoxious. So far my shears are undamaged so the tin is doing a mighty fine job.

painter's tape----used on the fabric to mark a perfect 1/4 inch seam

Elmer's school glue stick---to match two strips of border print fabric that had to be sewn straight through the middle of the printed half motifs so it could be used for a fourth border. It worked like a charm and the border looks like a solid piece of fabric. The seam is

120" long. spice cabinet for my thread spool storage Debra in VA See my quilts at
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Reply to
Debra

What an excellent idea Debra! I'm cloning it today -- as soon as I find Kidlet's glue stick that is!

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janice142

Well, I didn't buy them, but I have some dental tools that my dentist gave me. The curved pick is good for picking fuzzies out of my sewing machine and the straight one is a good stiletto substitute. Someone mentioned them here (quite a while back so I don't remember who) and so I asked my dentist if he had any that he wasn't using any more. He may have thought I was nuts but gave me some anyway! Allison

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allisonh

Piggy-backing Allison, here about "free-bees" . If you know anyone who works in a hospital-or x-ray lab - OR if you have the "oomph" to just ask -- see if they have any unusable xray films (you know- when they have to take another shot because the first was blurred or something and then they discard). These make great template material for applique designs.

Reply to
ME-Judy

I went to the dentist yesterday and they offered me some old x-rays. My dentist does some big stuff every few years, so it's about 6"x15" -- big enough to use for templates. I didn't even get any funny looks when I said I'd take it to use for quilting templates. :)

Julia in MN

Reply to
Julia in MN

Oh yes - those are great! You can also ask anyone you know who works in a biochem type research lab for badly exposed "autorad" films (I don't feel so bad if an exposure doesn't work - at least I have more template plastic LOL).

Allison

Reply to
allisonh

Would you like the whole process spelled out?

I had two mirror images to connect, so first I pressed a fold in one piece along what would eventually be the seam line. (In my case since the seam was to be near a selvage on both pieces of fabric, I waited to trim the selvage and a little more excess off after sewing. I had about an inch of fabric to trim off the seam allowance after sewing.) Then I used the glue stick to mate the fabric pieces carefully lining up the print. I applied the glue to the seam allowance area. I allowed the glue to dry, then made the seam using the pressed fold as my guide. I trimmed after sewing.

It worked a lot better than just pinning. My machine didn't have any problems stitching through the glue. Most of the glue was cut off when I trimmed the seam allowance down to the proper size and the remaining glue will wash out after the quilt is quilted and bound.

Debra in VA See my quilts at

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Debra

You forgot one of the most important factors about using Elmer's School Glue, as oft pointed out by our Polly......it's also EDIBLE!

Val

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Val

Reply to
Taria

This isn't real wacky, but... Elmer's school glue (not glue stick). Long ago -- probably close to 30 years ago -- I used Elmer's school glue to hold appliques in place for machine applique. A bit messy, but it worked better than the fusible stuff we had available back then; it also washed out so it didn't stay stiff.

Right now, I'm working on an organizer for the back of a car seat (Simplicity pattern number 3731). It has lots of binding; I'm using the purchased wide double fold bias tape that the pattern recommended. I run a bead of school glue along one edge, position the binding, flip it over and repeat on the other side. Then I press it a bit and stitch. It is working well. & search for 3731.

As has been mentioned on here before, I use Crayola washable markers for marking quilting designs. I've never had any problem with them not washing out, but I am careful not to iron over them and I also am careful to select a color that should blend in with the background if they don't wash out completely (for example, red marker for pink, blue for light blue)

The small plastic box with dividers that I use for small tools around my sewing machine comes from the tool department or the fishing tackle department at Fleet Farm, where they're cheaper than in the fabric stores. My tote when I go to retreats and classes is a rolling tool box from Menards.

Julia in MN

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Julia in MN

Sort of wacky..... I wanted to put a clear plastic pocket on a bag, didn't have any vinyl handy and it was late. And I just needed a bit, about 7" by 4" or so. I used a Ziploc Freezer bag. It works like a charm. Sewed a strip to the top of the piece of plastic and then enclosed the rest in the binding of the bag. I now have a bag with a clear pocket to display a name tag,or whatever. Will try to get some pics up soon.

Pati, > Ok, all this bobbin winder talk has me (along with Val) thinking. WHat

Reply to
Pati C.

I don't have one of these, but a friend brought the one she got to show and tell at guild meeting.... a "power" tape measure. This is a metal, "carpenter's" tape, and when you press a button it extends out to where you need it. Great for measuring when there is only one of you and the quilt is a lot longer than your arms. She loves it.

A gadget that I have an like to use is a wall paper seam roller. It looks like a tiny rolling pin on a longer handle. It makes a great "presser" when paper piecing or doing a lot of finger pressing at the machine. (note: the wooden ones work a bit better than the plastic ones. Buy them at the hardware store..... I have seen the exact same tool sold at "sewing and craft shows" for more than twice the price. )

Pati, in Phx

Taria wrote:

Reply to
Pati C.

i use one of these too! they roll so nicely! amy

Reply to
amy

What a great idea! We could all ask for one and our DH's will enjoy shopping for them.

Debra in VA See my quilts at

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Debra

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Pat in Virginia

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