Quilt Pins & Needles

My daughter playes soccer and while helping her put on her shin gards it hit me... pin cushion.... she used the shin gards that look like socks without the foot part of the sock... I made a cut at one end to slide the gard out of the sock .... I turned it over and put it back into the sock.... now I can place the whole sock over my arm with all the pins I need to pin the quilt... the guard stops the pins from touching my arm.... I use a comercial quilting machine and this works great.... Belinda Anderson

Keep an empty pill bottle near your machine.  As  you break a needle, change a needle or bent pin place the item in the pill bottle.  Once the bottle is full dump in the trash.  This makes for a safe disposal not only for yourself but your local trash collector.

To make it safe, I took one of my husband's empty mint containers (Icebreakers) and turned it into a repository for used needles, pins and rotary blades.  Once it's full I'll tape it up and toss it in the trash.  No one can cut themselves on any of it!

I save my old pill bottles.  I remove the labels and keep them in my quilting basket.  Whenever I have a dull or bent needle to throw away, I put it in the old pill bottle.  Then when it is full I tape the lid on and put it in the trash.  This way no one gets stuck gathering trash.

I have trouble bending over to pick up dropped pins and needles.  One day while in the automotive store I saw a TELESCOPIC MAGNETIC TOOL used for picking up screws and bolts.  I bought this  (for less than .00) and it sure is wonderful........I Keep it beside my sewing machine all the time!! If you drop a pin or needle just slide it out and viola! pick it up without bending over..........Goes real nice with my magnetic tray I use for my pins instead of my pin cushion!!

You know the emery board you use for your nails, well it is not just for nails.  Use it to sharpen your marking pencils and to take the burrs off your templates

Use superfine pins when pinning; larger pins may leave a big hole depending on the type of fabric used.

Cut a 3.5 to 4 inch circle of fabric, gather with a running stitch of heavy thread. (no need to turn fabric under).  Gather slightly and stuff with leftover batting. Draw up thread and tie off.   Glue gathered end into a plastic soda bottle cap.   Finish pin cushion by adding self stick Hook & Loop to the bottom of the cap (the soft part).  Stick the othe half of the Hook & Loop to any convienient place in your sewing room.  (I stick mine right on my sewing machine).  But they are so easy to make, you can have more than one.  If you want, you can glue ribbon, ric rac or beads to the bottle cap.     Diann Becker

 I keep film boxes  ( the small black boxes for 35mm) near by to dispose of  used or broken needles. Thay way a child or pet cannot be hurt by them.

AFTER I THREAD MY NEEDLE W/18INCH THREAD, I PLACE IT ON A EMBRODRY BOBBIN.

THEN WRAP THE THREAD AROUND THE BOBBIN.

 THEN TAPE IT TO THE BOBBIN.

THIS WAY THE THREAD & NEEDLE DO NOT GET TANGLED UP WITH THE OTHERS.

THE PLASTIC BOBBINS WORK BEST.

AFTER I HAVE THREADED 20 OR MORE NEEDLES THIS WAY, I PLACE THE BOBBINS ON A KNITTING STITCH SAVER.