My kids call me tightwad. I consider myself frugal. So, remember when you look at this that I’m just trying to save money and the environment as well. Recently I posted a link to someone’s blog (sorry I can’t remember the name) of how to secure the threads on your bobbins. I got excited when I saw it and headed off to Home Depot to get my plastic tubing. However, once there I discovered the tube only came in one length and cost more than I wanted to spend. I only had about 4 bobbins that I needed to secure. Besides, the only tubing I could find was too thick for my tiny plastic bobbins. I came home empty handed.
Then it occurred to me to try this. On the way home I drove through a fast food place for something to drink. Once home, and drink finished, I was just about to toss the empty in the trash, when I noticed the straw. It was a large straw. I took it to my sewing room and used my X-ACTO knife to cut pieces the width of my bobbins. Then I made a slit down the piece so I could open it and slip it around the bobbin. It works! And it’s FREE!
Later I was proudly showing off my creativity to my son and lamented that I couldn’t figure out how to keep my spools of thread from getting all tangled like this.
I found a large piece of plastic, but it’s too thick and I don’t like it.
My son came to the rescue with a piece of flexible hose that is used in a car. It was easily cut with the X-ACTO knife and fit the larger spools of thread perfectly. However, I am still looking for a solution for the smaller/thinner spools of thread. Any suggestions?
ON ANOTHER NOTE:
Quilters Road Trip is being held during the months of April, May, and June. Twelve area shops are participating. You get a chance to win a $25 gift certificate each month at each shop. Also available will be new projects, patterns and giveaways. You can get your Passports at the
Attic Window Quilt Shop for only $5.
YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS:
Blossom Heart Quilts has a nice tutorial for a helixed table runner.
PS: I'm Linking up to
Sew Many Ways today.
Until next time,
♥
Stay Calm! Stay Kind! Stay Positive!
Caroll
10 comments:
I have been using that Hugo's tape...it's vinyl, and it sticks to itself via cling. I cut a piece and wrap it around my spool Works pretty well. (also not cheap, but not that bad, either.)
I wouldn't consider you a tightwad. Frugal, creative, or resourceful are good terms. My Grandmother always told me to do the best I could with the tools I had on hand. In other words, use what you have and try not to spend money on unnecessary items. I think using a drinking straw was very creative. I currently have all my thread spools in a nice sized plastic carry case with a secure lid and carry handle. I buy my thread from Connecting threads and they don't have a top piece with the slit to hold the thread. I am very carefully placing each spool of thread neatly back in the container. For now it works but we'll see how long that lasts. lol
I'm off to find a straw, lol...oops, that wasn't me laughing...
I use little girl hair ties from the dollar store. Works great on bobbins.
I never laugh at free, and clever too.
I must apologize, Caroll! I laughed when I saw the straw! Just couldn't help it. But excellent inspiration! All my spools have slits for holding the tails, so that hasn't been a problem. I bet you'll get lots of ideas from your readers.
I'm with Mama Pea, I use the hugo tape, there is also "Thread Wrap"
which is basically precut pices of the Hugo tape, and the tiny hair ties you can get a bag of 500 for a buck at family dollar work great on bobbins!
Oh, no. I will leave it to you to figure out how to secure the thinner spools. You do use the little slit at the top to run your thread through, right? I'm not laughing. I'm just smiling. Now, personally, I teach the kids at school how to use the straws as pea shooters! Can you believe it? They didn't know what pea shooters are! But, ah ha! They do now!
I would never laugh at creative ingenuity! Great job.
That is a good idea with the straw. I want to use little hair ties but they only come in a great big bag and I don't want to pay for hundreds I don't want. At present I just wind them back up every few weeks. My reels I keep on those reel holders with the sticks in a row.
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