More Quilting Tips

To make a super corner poker, especially for those long pillowcases, take a metal skewer (sell at the Dollar Store for shish kabob) and blunt off the end of it with a small metal fingernail file. It’s long enough to get into the deepest corners.

When I have to rip out a seam, I use a strip of scotch tape on it to pick up those teeny bits of thread.

In the same vein, make a loop of wide tape, the cheaper the better, and stick it at the edge of your sewing table. Thread tails that you trim will stick there instead of missing the garbage can. When you are finished you can pull it off the table and pick up any ends just lying around

To keep "helpful" cats from pulling pins or threaded needles out of your pincushion, store it under a clear glass cheese dome. You can often find domes at a thrift store.

Ask someone who hunts to save you the plastic inserts that hold bullets and shotgun shells. Attached several together for stability and you will have an organizer with one little hole for each tiny pair of scissors, machine screwdriver, seam ripper, marking pencil, chalk, etc.

You can also tape a piece of cut drinking straw to your sewing machine with blue painter’s tape to hold your seam ripper or stiletto.

Check your local glass company and ask if they have any scraps of acrylic they would like to part with. You can either cut them yourself or ask them to cut into templates or bottoms for your purse and tote bags.

A quick way to sharpen your straight pins and needles is by running them through your hair.

When changing your rotary cutter blade, try to turn it over and use the other side. It will extend the life of the blade if there are no nicks.

Need a portable ironing table near your sewing machine? Check out your local yard sales for a wooden TV tray. Pad with two layers of cotton quilt batting staple in place. You can cover it with the insulated (silver) ironing pad or make a removable cover by measuring the top and adding enough extra to make an elastic casing. This is perfect for those who do paper piecing.

Check out your local thrift store for mug racks for holding your scissors, rotary cutters or anything you can hang.

A wine rack can be re-purposed to hold rolled pieces of interfacing or stabilizer.

For more quilting tips, see the "labels" section on the left side of the blog for more links!