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TV swivel stand and Rotary cutting. Do you find that your hand needs to contort like a pretzel while cutting those curves? If so, you might want to place your fabric on top of a TV swivel. The TV swivel can be found at the hardware store. It basically goes under the TV. However, with quilting, you can turn the swivel with one hand and rotary cut with the other. This allows your hand to make minimal moves.
Silica Gel packs. Usually found in packaging for food, clothing, or anything that is sensitive to moisture. These packs can be placed in storage boxes along with your metallic objects (needles, cutters, thimbles). Keeps the rust away (especially on the blades of rotary cutters)
Eye glass case – great storage for rotary cutter.
Where to Find Fabric / Materials to Cut-
1. Swap meet or flea market. On occasion you will find sellers liquidating bolts of materials. Usually these materials are unused and were excess inventory or closeouts. Last Sunday I found a vendor with a selection of 30 different types of materials in bolts of 30 and 40 yards. He was selling each one at .50 a yard.
2. Garage sales. You will find quilters selling excess materials and tools at yard sales. You may also increase your chances of finding quilters selling items by going to neighborhoods that have a larger population of retired folks. Retirees seem to have more time for quilting and seem to sell off their items regularly. Garage sales in mobile home parks seem to yield good finds.
3. Ebay. Huge online auction site. Have you heard? :) Watch out for shipping costs. I like to search for auctions that are in or adjacent states. After the auction, I email the seller requesting a reduction in shipping because of same shipping zone.
4. Storage auctions. A little bit more hit and miss than the others sources listed above. Check your local newspaper for storage auction dates and times or call the various storage unit facilities and ask about auction dates. The best part is that before the bidding begins, the door is opened and you are allowed to look inside.
5. Quilting shows. Really competitive. Usually the last day, you will find blowout sales and bargains. The sellers don’t want to carry all that inventory back.
6. Estate sales. Look in your paper for estate sales. Similar to garage sales, I’ve found the best luck in retired residences or mobil home estate sales.
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