ALSO, years ago my dad made me a cutting table with adjustable legs. I am fairly tall, so I can make it tall enough to cut comfortably for hours if need be!

Diane in OH

I love my June Tailor Shape cut with the 1/2" slots. I use it for virtually all my cutting. I am on my second one, as I wore the first one out.

I made myself one of those large ironing board surfaces to fit over the existing board. I just hate to iron on a regular ironing board now!

Diane in OH

I have a big board, and I decided that the space underneath it was wasted when it was on the ironing board (not to mention my cats kept knocking it over when they jumped on it). I found a storage bookcase from IKEA that was the perfect size, and the perfect height, and now I have more storage...something we all look for, right?!! I just keep it pulled out from the wall a couple of inches so that when I press long lengths of fabric or a quilt, it can go over the back side freely.
Linda in NJ

Judy, that's the tool! I wear it on the middle or ring finger of my right hand, so I still have use of my index finger for picking up piece, pins, etc.

Although actually this past week I tried to pay extra attention to which tools I used most, and I found myself more often grabbing an orangewood (manicure/cuticle) stick for a stilletto -- the flat side of the "pushing" end hlods the fabrics well and slides along the bed of the machine right up between the "toes" of my presser foot. It isn't as handy as the trolley needle, but it work a littl better for me.

What is a trolly needle? Sounds like something I need, although I would probably be the one to poke my eye. lol

Two things --

1.) A peephole -- for looking at quilts on a design wall. It gives an interesting distance perspective. I would recommend a wide angle peephole. They run about $5 at a hardware store.

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

Chelley

I love this idea :shock: I will definitely keep this in mind with some of the softcover books I use over and over. Thanks for the tip.

Maybe everyone knew about this but it was new to me. I love quilt pattern softcover books but they were such a pain to use when they wouldn't stay flat. Then I found out that Office Max will cut off the binding and spiral bind the books for $2.65. Almost as good as the 1/4 inch foot. Well maybe not that good but up there.

Sewbug--that sounds like my house when I was growing up. Loved that Pepsi bottle with the sprinkler top! ritzy

I use the StaFlow blue liquid starch that can be diluted with water but I use it full strength in a spray bottle. To keep the flakes off the fabric when ironing be sure to let the starch settle in the fabric before toching it with an iron.
My mother use to dip her clothes in liquid starch that she made from the powder starch, roll them up and put in the fridge to be ironed the next day. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing day, every week. Seeing pile of rolled up damp clothes in the fridge was a common sight on Monday. When she was ready to iron, a soda bottle with a sprinkle top was always on the ironing board to sprinkle the clothes before ironing. Clothes were really ironed and starched stiff. You never saw anyone in non ironed clothes. Work and play clothes never got really dirty, the starch repelled the dirt.

Well, I haven't up to now, but might think of swapping some of his time for the right antique sewing machine.

Pat, do you rent out your DH?

Chelley

My DH cut a piece of 1/2" plywood 24" wide by 54" long, and put 1X1s on the bottom in the shape of my ironing board to keep it from sliding off. I used WnN batting to pad the board. I had a purchased heavy cotton duck top for it, with 1" lines on it, but after washing a couple of times to remove the spray sizing, it's no longer anywhere near accurate, so don't use the lines. When it gets a little more ratty in appearance, I'll probably purchase some new cotton duck to recover it. It's really so much easier to press yardage with this, and it can be taken off and propped up against the wall behind furniture when not in use.

Pat in Rockport, TX

one of my very favorite tools, that I'd replace in a heartbeat if lost, is the June Tailor Shape Cut with the 1/2" slots. I really want to get the bigger one - I think it is 18" long...

JOY