I have a lot of old threads inherited from my mother-in-law and also a friend's mother and I just love them. Not only are the wooden spools lovely but the threads themselves are sometimes particularly lovely too and impossible to get now - gorgeous colours (my mother-in-law was particularly fond of turquoise and coral) and they have a lovely sheen too. A lot of her threads were for hand sewing so they are a heavier weight and are wonderful for machine applique because they make it look like it was done by hand. I always test the thread by checking if it breaks easily between the spool and my hand. If it doesn't break with my hydraulic force then it's good enough for me! So I am always torn between wanting to keep them because they are so lovely and using them because I hate to waste anything. Probably the solution is to use most of the thread but keep a little on the spool for the memories

I understand! It's just that I was quilter51 when I started with TQS, now I'm actually quilter56!!!
Somedays I feel like old worn out thread...

Loved reading this string of posts - good info and great pix. Hey, quilter51, my body may not be improving with age but my mind, spirit and quilting sure are!

My answer would be - new threads are always better than old threads.
I wouldn't use old thread with new $10/yard fabric because threads absorb moister with humidity, then dry out over and over which degrades the thread. Light and temperature will affect threads, too.
Alas - I'm not improving with age, either!

Rosemary, you are so creative and funny. I'll bet your daughter will have lots of great memories of her childhood.

Patti

Those costumes are great. I bet they were a hit.
Looking forward to new the Harry Potter movie but sad it's the last.
Hoping you are having a great summer!

Ahh Shucks -
I'd seen the fur fabric on the sales table at the East Yorkshire Embroidery Society, the following week Isabeau told me about the Harry Potter Day, and besides knowing that she loves dogs I could just 'see' the Fluffy costume in my mind's eye, you know how it is - if you can see a project like that, you just want to get on and do it .
Back at next month's meeting I acquired all of the brown & cream fur fabrics and a huge length of browny cordory (3+yards) for about a fiver(£5), and set to work, the same pattern pieces for all three heads (with obvious variation for the middle one). When put together I ended up having to stitch the heads together about ear level using my quilting invisible thread because they kept on flopping so much. However this was obviously going to be too awkward to wear for the whole school day so using a 19C tailors pattern book I had I also made her an 'Oxford Scholars Gown' from spare lining fabric (I'd been given a sackful from a previous seamstress's stash of all different colours, a wonderful acquisition as I also sew garments as well as quilts) and her stripey tie which I mentioned before.

Wow - what a mom!

Your daughter is lucky to have a creative handy mom to whip up such cool costumes. They are spectacular.

That is so funny!! You are a really cool mom (mum?)!!!

love that FLUFFY outfit - fabulous - i bet she was the star of the party - way cool

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The extra heads were filled out using a papier mache'd balloons so they weren't too heavy, which wadding would have been.

So you see crazy headwear projects are nothing new for me!

I haven't heard of any special Harry Potter 'do' being organised around here, but 2 years ago school had a Harry Potter day and a disco/party in the evening.
For day wear I assembled -
And
Daddy didn't have any striped ties, but I had a 60" x6-7" scrap of stripy fabric, which I cut into bias strips and re-assembled to make her tie - the fact that the stripes also matched was pure luck, given the amount I was working with.

Then for the evening party -

Many thanks! I will share your lessons with my friend and explain how wonderful quilters are! Not only will she know how to decide about her thread--she'll also know to use the reels to make tanks AND that she simply must become a quilter because you girls rock!

Wendy