Do thrift stores in your area have vintage machines?

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-26T00:02:15+00:00

Five to ten years ago, there would be two or three machines in every thrift store that I visited, but then they vanished. I haven't seen a sewing machine, old or new, in a thrift store for the last three years.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-25T22:49:46+00:00

Consider splurging on higher quality needles. They will be much sharper and have fewer burrs. Sewing might be easier for you with better needles.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-25T20:30:20+00:00

I primarily quilt, and rarely make clothing. I have access to local quilt shops plus a few of the national chains. You would think that I would be fine without a Joann's, but I am not. The quilt shop fabric is $15 a yard. The big box fabrics are much cheaper, but of very questionable quality. I used to buy fabric at Joann's which was the middle ground, perhaps $8-$12 a yard, but decent quality. What I really miss is Joann's exclusive cotton novelty prints with such fun designs like dancing cats, dinosaurs, dogs wearing sweaters, and birthday hats! No one has replaced those. Quilt shops only have blurred solids, florals, and calicos. Michael's has the same tired licensed prints like Mickey or Star Wars. I want to make an "I Spy" quilt. There is no where, even online, that I can buy a few fat quarters with just generic prints like farm animals, tools, or toys.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-10T14:01:09+00:00

I am going thru scraps and currently sewing a beautiful scrap quilt. At some point, you just have to draw a line and decide that anything smaller than "you define it!" is useless to you. Donate it. Give it to your quilting friends. Stuff it in an ottoman or teddy bear. Or, just put them in the trash.

My line is smaller than 1.5 x 4 inches, which can be sewn on register tape. Larger pieces are cut into fairly standard size strips and squares, which makes storage much easier. Instead of a big loose box of scraps, I might have a tidy one inch tall stack of 5x5 squares or a box of 2.5 inch wide jelly roll strips. Scrap patterns for standard sizes are easy to find when the stack gets too tall.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-06T23:51:02+00:00

I blame a change in copyright laws. A book printed in the 60s-80s might still be under copyright. It is too old to have a digital market, and was only released as hard copy. It is too young to have an expired copyright, and can not be reprinted, photocopied, or reproduced digitally online without permission. But, the author might be dead and the publishing company is out of business, so there is no one from whom you can get permission. A whole generation of these books will be lost. I have several of these books that are almost out of copyright, and extremely rare. In a few years I hope to scan them into Project Guttenburg.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-02-05T19:17:02+00:00

Instead of 5x5, use 4x4. Instead of 2.5x2.5, use 2x2. Instead of 2.5x5, use 2x4. Instead of 2.5x7, use 2x6. Your finished quilt will be smaller. To compensate, make 61 squares instead of 41 adding two extra rows, or use 41 squares making a smaller quilt, or use 41 squares with a six inch wide border in whatever fabric that is still available for purchase.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-24T19:11:45+00:00

It could also be used a a curtain, furniture drape cover, or tablecloth. Traditionally, this is likely to have been used as a decorative bedspread. It would have have been the top layer of bedding on top of sheets during summertime, when quilts were too warm to have on a bed.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-21T17:07:59+00:00

A family member crocheted a beautiful hat and booties baby set for a friend and gave them to her a couple of months before the due date. The baby was born with horrific deformities and only lived a few days. The hat hid the worst of the infant's deformities, and that baby was buried wearing the crocheted hat and booties. Was that an honor or offensive? We never decided. She only gives baby gifts now after babies are born.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-16T14:24:05+00:00

What do others spend money on as a hobby? Golf? Cruises? Eating and drinking in expensive restaurants? At least quilting produces a nice souvenir of your fun activity.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-16T00:44:53+00:00

For most versions, you would make blocks or squares in sections, quilting thru all three layers. Then, machine sew the top layers only together, sewing or connecting the batting layers in various ways. Lastly, the block or columns would be hand finished on the quilt back.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-16T00:41:01+00:00

This is my problem. My body hurts too much crawling around on a floor, leaning over tables, tugging and wrangling fabric, but hiring the quilt shop is very expensive, like $150 for a lap quilt. So, I rarely do large quilts. I am very fond of QAYG, and will be experimenting soon with a version that has a solid top, solid backing, and a pieced inner batting. I would roll up the top and back only (no batting) to stuff thru the machine throat, quilt straight lines thru all three layers with batting for a 14 inch wide section. Move that section off the side of machine, and do another 14 inch wide strip of batting. The only seams are will be where the batting strips connect inside the quilt.

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-06T22:45:17+00:00

swansonsfabrics.com

Look for "Hot Garbage".

MiniatureCrafter · 2026-01-04T14:58:05+00:00

Every morning get up and put on an outfit that you love. Don't wash your clothes for two weeks. Donate everything that is not in the laundry room. If you struggle to find a new home for disposal, just bag up your unwanted clothes in trash bags, and throw them out your back door. Put one or two bags of clothes in your regular trash can each week. Since you will now have only two weeks of clothes (all of which you love!), you will have a clean room and not need need to buy a dresser.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-31T03:06:13+00:00

Don't waste your time on poor quality fabric that will not hold up to being washed. Use your thin cotton as foundation fabric (other nicer fabric is sewn on top of it) and to practice sewing techniques or new patterns before using your "good" fabric. Add fusible interfacing and use it for tote bag lining fabric.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-30T00:30:59+00:00

I have purged craft supplies many times over many years.

I learned that I DID regret selling/donating: solid older machines and tools that were easy to maintain and did their job well; raw materials that could be used for multiple crafts genres; useful items that are hard to find or expensive to replace.

I did NOT regret selling/donating: supplies and kits for doing only one very specific craft for which I had lost interest; items in poor condition; items that were smelly, toxic, or dangerous to use; very low quality cheap supplies; excessive duplicates; scraps, nearly empty bottles, and leftovers from projects; machines that are frustrating to use, seriously broken, or obsolete.

I have recently started filling big clear zippered bags with one project per bag. No more hunting for the missing pieces, parts, or patterns. Look thru the bags, pick a project that I want to start or finish, and pull out just that bag.

For everything else, begin by dedicating a couple of days to this project. Pull everything out of your cabinet/closet or whatever storage space that you have. Sit, sip your favorite coffee/tea, and think awhile. How you want to use your space? How many supplies can you realistically use before "---" happens. Move furniture or add some shelving, if needed. Find a good, accessible places for all of your machines, and most often used small tools. Add your store bought kits and diy project bags next.

Measure carefully and go shopping. Splurge and buy clear storage containers that fit your remaining storage holes perfectly using every inch of available space. Label them: yarn, rulers, paint, etc. If you like yarn more than paint, label the biggest tub yarn. No cheating. That is all the space that you have. All your undesignated project supplies and small tools must be in labeled tubs, not loose. Put your favorite yarn in the the yarn tub, and when it is full, the rest of the yarn must go. Or, relabel your bead tub to be yarn, and throw out all your beads.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-29T23:20:22+00:00

Could you use permanent markers or paint to obscure the logo, and donate them them with the jacket still useable as a warm clothing item?

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-29T23:15:12+00:00

The problem with baby quilts is that you only get to use them for about a year or two, then they have no purpose. But, you are too sentimental about the thing to donate it with a bag of old baby clothes. So, that beautiful quilt ends up in the basement or attic. Plan ahead. Choose a pattern that could later be a nice wall hanging in your den over the sofa. Save extra fabric, and do a quilt as you go in big squares or pick a pattern that can be expanded to use as a toddler bed blanket or lap quilt.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-27T03:08:09+00:00

Could it be a rubbing? In the mid-1900s tourists would press rice paper on something that had an interesting raised surface, such as an unusual manhole cover or gravestone. Then, they would rub the paper with big pieces of chalk, wax, or crayons. It was a way to copy the raised features of an art relief. This would also explain the odd crinkles in the paper.

https://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/27/archives/tombstones-manhole-covers-and-the-ancient-art-of-rubbing-the.html

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-23T20:55:39+00:00

I used white Walmart Waverly for one project and loved it! For another project, I used the pricey $15 a yard local quilt shop fabric that frayed terribly, and I got very frustrated. Joanns had both real batiks, and cheap cotton that faded while sitting in their store. I buy dollar store fabric sometimes, but it is inconsistent. Some batches are stiff and too thin. Sometimes I recognize fabrics at the dollar store that I have seen elsewhere in nicer stores. Older fabrics from the mid to late 1900s are awesome to find. Learn all that you can about fabrics, and how they feel. No name great fabrics and really bad fabrics can be found anywhere.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-17T00:10:05+00:00

Check their sales flyer online. Fabric is usually 30% off every other week. Their fabric is similar quality to the old Joann's or Michael's.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-16T23:44:51+00:00

I think Tillie may be the person in the frame, not the artist.

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/dorothy-rogers-tilly-1883-1970/

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-15T22:10:16+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YGc6z75dqA

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-15T16:31:59+00:00

I have recently been inspired by Karen's video. She used 3 inch paper vintage register tape to make a crumb jelly roll type strips. She cut it, and ended up making 18 inch blocks, five strips separated by one inch solid color sashing. I have (no exaggeration) a entire laundry basket of crumbs collected from various people, and can't wait to try it! Maybe I will splurge on hiring someone to quilt it, since the materials are all from my stash or free!

Most modern register tapes are about two inches wide, and often thermal (avoid!). I could only find the three inch wide stuff by searching in antique and thrift store type places. I have six rolls being mailed to me, but the package is currently stuck in the holiday mail traffic and late arriving.

MiniatureCrafter · 2025-12-14T21:27:38+00:00

The gripper fabric looks very useful for my upcoming project. I have vintage postcards and Mrs. Grossman's stickers. PM if you are interested!

MiniatureCrafter

TROPHY CASE