Thrifty Thursday

Take advantage of free patterns.

With all the free quilt, block and quilting patterns available on web sites and blogs, I amazed that any of us still buy magazines and books on a regular basis. The first site with lots of free patterns I remember finding was Quilters Cache by Marcia Hohn. It has LOTS of blocks and is easy to search by size or name. It can be a bit overwhelming due to the shear volume of patterns, but wow, what a resource. Several years ago I discovered Quiltville where Bonnie Hunter has great patterns and organizational tips for using scraps. She also posts mystery quilts, the next of those is due in November I believe. My most recent discovery was Sentimental Stitches where my new favorite Midget Blocks are posted. Don't forget about block of the months like Amy's Passions and Morning Glory Designs. Not to mention all quilt alongs periodically hosted by fabulous people like Crazy Mom Quilts and Judy at Patchwork Times. In fact, the problems isn't finding a great idea for a quilt, it is always that there are too many great ideas and too few hours in the day. So bookmark them, save them for later, but make sure you take advantage of all of the inspiration, free for the taking.

Thrifty Thursday #4

Thanks to Amy for today's Thrifty Thursday suggestion. When traveling to the farm on weekends she carries safety pins in an empty Crystal Light container. It is a convenient size with a diameter of 2.5 inches and height of 6 inches, and has a snap tight lid.
That got me thinking about what else a Crystal Light container could be used for. After digging out my clover yo-yo maker, I realized that it was the perfect size to hold the Clover small circle yo-yo maker. (It was at that time that I also discovered that the 3 inch circles from the GO cutter fit just perfectly into the small circle yo-yo maker.)
I bought several yo you makers ages ago, thinking that yo-yos would be nice carry around hand work, but I just don't ever seem to get to it. It bugs me that when sewn together, they make a quilt with open spaces, more like an afghan than a quilt really. I used to try cuddling up under afghan and get frustrated when my toes would get stuck in all the holes.
Now, hexies on the other hand, are all the rage right now. I can see why, these shapes actually fit together in lots of interesting ways to make fun patterns. When sewn together, they make a quilt top that isn't full of wholes. So, for those working on hexies, a Crystal Light container is just the right size to hold your work in progress along with papers, fabric, scissors, needle and thread. The lid snaps on to keep it all safe and organized, and it is just the right size to fit into the cup holder of your car or the bottom of your purse. The key to getting work done is having something ready to go when you are dashing out the door, so how about putting together a little sew on the go kit of your own?

Thrifty Thursday #3

I saw this little manicure set at the checkout stand while buying groceries. It was $1.97 and had all sorts of tools that would be handy for quilting. The tweezers are handy for pulling stray thread, the rosewood stick make nice stilettos for guiding fabric under the presser foot or poking out corners. The fingernail clippers are good for clipping threads, especially in places that don't allow scissors. The quilt shop sells official quilt police approved versions of lots of tools like these, but how much nicer is it to find them reasonably priced? Next time you are wandering the aisle at a grocery, discount or drug store, think about creative uses for the things you might already have around. Have a thrifty Thursday.

Thrifty Thursday #2

Millions of Things to do with a Mason Jar

Thanks to Candace for today's idea about how to mason jars.

Lots of people have jars around for canning purposes. You can buy them by the case at Walmart at a very reasonable price. Even those of us who have never canned a vegetable have some hanging around in the dusty dark recesses of the pantry.

Here is a link to the idea that Candace found for using a mason jar without the lid to hold fray check and sewer's aid. It was on Erin Erikson's blog which is a new one to me, but definitely one that I will be checking out soon.

That got me thinking of all of the fun ways that a simple canning jar can be used around the house. I have two that I use to hold buttons. Since I started recycling shirts into quilts, my button jar runneth over. By taking a leftover square of fabric and a bit of extra batting, between the lid and the ring, you can make a happy little pin cushion out of the top. How cute is that? Along the same line, how about making a pin cushion on a jar and then filling it with sewing themed gifts for the favorite quilter in your life? There is room for little scissors a spool of thread and a few decoratively rolled fat quarters.

Every year for Christmas, I get some version of Friendship Soup from my mother-in-law. It usually contains pasta or rice along with beans and seasonings and the directions as to how to cook it. It is a nice way to give a homemade gift that doesn't have to be consumed right away.

Another one that I would love to try, but haven't yet, is cake in a jar. There are two versions. You could put the ingredients for a cake (or brownies or quick breads) into a jar along with the directions as to how to bake it in a regular cake pan. The one that looked highly adorable though, was an already baked cake. Apparently you can put cake batter into a canning jar, and in the process of baking, you can get it to seal. I guess you can do it with or without frosting, but how fun would that be to get or give as a gift?

So thanks again to Candace for the mason jar idea, if you will send me your snail mail, I'll send a thrifty surprise your way. Stay tuned for more ideas coming your way, each and every Thursday.

Thrifty Thursday

I get such a kick out of Tool Time Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday that I thought I would try my own version called Thrifty Thursday. I am going to be talking about inexpensive or free items that can be used for crafting. I'm not sure if all the ideas will be quilt related, but I'll see how things develop.
Today I am featuring Lunchable containers. Most Mom's know what these are, all too convenient little lunches with lots of packaging and little nutritional value. I don't let the kids eat them often, but with trips to the beach, zoo and parks in the summer, it is an easy and quick meal on the go. Most of the little containers have dividers for meat and cheese and could be useful for craft projects like beading or painting. The one I like though, is a little bigger at 5 by 7 by 3 inches and is just the perfect size for holding little quilt squares in various stages of construction. I have one next to the machine holding squares ready to be sewn and another with the sewn squares ready to go to the ironing board. Another holds the ironed blocks ready to be put away or used. They are just the right size to fit in my plastic organizer drawers, so when I collect a few more I might use them to separate squares or scraps by color or value. If you don't have kids or don't let them eat lunchables, look at the packaging on the foods that you do buy, are there any that are a convenient size or shape to work for you? Maybe a strawberry basket, a chip tin or a bakery container? Give it some thought next time you are shopping or browsing your pantry.
So do you have thrifty ideas to share? Send me your thoughts, and if I feature them on a future post, I will find a thrifty little gift to send to you. Maybe a square of recycled fabric or a nifty gadget. Leave me a comment or send me an e-mail. I hope you are all having a thrifty day.