There are a lot of fun tools out there for quilters--and they aren't in quilt shops

    I was in the sewing room the other day and looked around and saw several things I use a lot that aren't even "quilting tools". Thought I'd share a few---

2 sizes of clamps

****Clamps from the hardware store to clamp down the fabric for layering. I also have smaller butterfly clamps from Staples to use on thin tables.

****Ziploc bags in all sizes to hold pieces or whole projects. (I get these really big ones from work sometimes and they're really great)

****Skirt hangers to hang giant ziploc bags full of stuff

Giant ziploc bag hung from
skirt hanger

****Hangers to hang binding to keep it from wrinkling until I need it

****Masking tape. I have it in every width and use it for quilting parallel lines. Just stick it down and sew along the edge and you're all set.

Masking tape in 3 sizes

Contact paper stars placed
then quilted around

****Contact paper. I use it to cut out shapes to quilt around. Just stick it down and sew around. No marking necessary!  The stick-um lasts for a lot of uses.

Peanut jar full of ribbon, Cool
Whip garbage bowl, magazine
rack for rulers

****My Sizzix die cut machine that I use for scrapbooking. I have a great star die and use it with the Contact paper to make stars. I can stick them around the quilt and get the placement just right and then just quilt around them.

****Cool Whip containers to hold pieces for the current project (sure beats piles all over the counter!). They are also my "garbage bowls".

****A magazine holder holds my rulers

****An old peanut jar holds ribbon scraps

Lots of plastic shoe boxes hold
squares,strips, triangles, projects

****A desk caddy holds scissors, pencils, markers.

****Plastic shoe boxes hold my strips, squares, triangles, and UFO projects.

So next time you're at the dollar store, hardware store, Staples, the grocery store, or in your kitchen look at things with a quilter's eye and see if you can use anything!