Things I'm glad I bought, and wish I had known about sooner

[Deborah W.]

i love my freezerpaper, magnet gudget that you put on the right side of the foot on the sewing machine so you have great 1/4", school glue for stubborn meeting points, inklingo things, sharon schamber things, och....so much, my quilt magazines,....and i wish i had know quilting 20 years ago!

Someone told me that you shouldn't have anything magnetic (pin cushion, seam guide, etc) near a computerized sewing machine as it could mess up the board. Does anyone know if this is true or just one of those things that go around? It did make sense to me as magnets are not good for personal computers but I don't know anything about how a computeriized sewing machine works.

It may have been true at one time, but I think now days, there isn't enough power in the magnets that are made to use on your sewing machine that they will do anything to your machines insides.

Thanks mailmanldy. I have wondered about the magnet thing since I purchased a computerized machine.

[Deborah W.]

I just found my packet of used 45m rotary cutting blades and would like to try to sharpen a few of them. Has anyone had success with sharpening? I saw an ad for a machine but at $70.00 I could buy alot of new ones. I have tried the $16.00 one but without success. Just wondering. :?:

[Eileen K.]

Two things --

2.) Mary Ellen's Best Press Starch Alternative -- this stuff rocks! I love it on clothing and quilting fabric!

Chelley

I bought some of Mary Ellen's Best Press Starch Alternative at my LQS and have been using it on my One Block Wonder quilts. It has helped so much in keeping my bias edges from streching while sewing the hexagons together. I just went to look on Mary Ellen's website to see what it sells for there... and I was surprsied to see that they now have gallon refill sizes. That is like getting TWO bottles for FREE.. and better yet, you don't have to buy a new spray bottle each time you run out.
I was so hoping for a less expensive way to get more of this stuff rather than having to buy a spray bottle each time I ran out. And they also have a new UNScented, so if you didn't like any of the scents they offered, or didn't want any scents in your quilts, you can now get it unscented.

Diane in Colorado Springs

Diane,
If you look on Amazon, they have the Best Press for a lot less than I've seen anywhere else.

[Eileen K.]

I'm soon buying a surgical seam ripper. I got a chance to try one out at a recent quilting class. It only costs about $4 and works like a dream.

[Margo C.]

This is the one I use, and I love it! http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?...mp;code=148507

[Margo C.]

Margo--that thing looks deadly.

My husband bought me a contractors calculator. I love it--you can put in fractions or decimals and a whole lot more that I don't know.

[Margo C.]

It's much more dangerous when I'm out of estrogen, if you know what I mean!! :lol:

[Margo C.]

I know only tooooooo well!

[Catherine S.]

Margo, that is the kind of seam ripper I have too. Love it. One of the kids gave it to me in my Christmas stocking a few years ago. I still don't know which kid. But I'm thankful. With that, a good pair of tweezers, and my good glasses, frogging is easier :lol: :lol: . Hopefully it isn't black fabric like the last quilt I did. :cry: :cry:

[Catherine S.]

Margo--I will second the surgical seam ripper. I'm considering purchasing a second one, one for the sewing room, one for the hand work corner. I have everything else I use regularly at different stations in duplicate or even triplicate. I love the hemostat more than tweezers for pulling out the bits of thread. I actually "stole" mine from my son's tool box, much less expensive at the auto parts store than at a fabric shop if they carry them.

[Pamela O.]

I just found my packet of used 45m rotary cutting blades and would like to try to sharpen a few of them. Has anyone had success with sharpening? I saw an ad for a machine but at $70.00 I could buy alot of new ones. I have tried the $16.00 one but without success. Just wondering. :?:

I send mine to http://www.lpsharp.com/3.html and exchange them for new ones. Sure you have to pay but there is no hassle. I think I got my new blades before the check cleared the bank.
I've tried sharpening and was not impressed.

[Margo C.]

I just found my packet of used 45m rotary cutting blades and would like to try to sharpen a few of them. Has anyone had success with sharpening? I saw an ad for a machine but at $70.00 I could buy alot of new ones. I have tried the $16.00 one but without success. Just wondering. :?:

I send mine to http://www.lpsharp.com/3.html and exchange them for new ones. Sure you have to pay but there is no hassle. I think I got my new blades before the check cleared the bank.
I've tried sharpening and was not impressed.

Thanks Pam! This is a very timely post for me! I used to use Tom's service for re-sharpening, and didn't realize that he now sends you new blades! What a deal!!

[Margo C.]

Wow, that blade exchange sounds like a good deal. I may just have to start hoarding my old blades.

[Margo C.]

Thanks for the tip about exchanging the blades. Since I haven't purchased my surgical seam ripper yet, I did not know that the blades were replaceable. I want to get the one that comes with a blade cover, because the blades are very sharp. This tool would make a great gift for my quilty friends--hopefully, none of them are reading this blog post.

Speaking of great gifts, for Christmas, one of my quilty friends gave me a Scissor Spot™/Pin Place™ magnet that attaches to my sewing machine via a suction cup. It took a little while for me to get used to using it, but now I love it and don't know how I lived without it. Check it out here http://www.blue-feather.com/scissorspotpinplace.html

[Pam D.]

Nancy, that is brilliant!! I have never seen them before. I am going to have to get one. Thank you for showing it to us