Monday, April 6, 2015

Pool noodle hacks for quilters

These ideas are not original, and many quilters have been using them for years, but if you haven't seen them, they might just give you a 'why didn't I think of that?' moment. The humble polystyrene pool noodle (about $2 in a $2 shop) is light, easy to cut to the size and shape you need, and have found a range of uses amongst quilters ...

As a block roll, with the outer edge secured by a pin or two.
Large and small quilts can be rolled around a noodle.
Small quilts can be layered (this one has two mini quilts layered together).
As a pin cushion, especially useful to keep basting pins secured and
open without tangling (see Deborah Louie's blog post, here).
Store pre-made or left-over binding without creasing, secured
with a pin - easier to find than free floating strips!
Would work for pre-cut strips, and bias strips.
 
Being hollow, the noodle can easily be cut cross-wise or
length-wise with a bread knife ...
A length-wise cut will give your pin noodle a stable base.
They come in lots of colours, so you could colour coordinate, or colour code ... lots of ways to get carried away.  Google 'pool noodle craft' for more ideas and tips than you can or want to ever use!

Brenda Gael Smith's blog post on her blog Serendipity and the Art of the Quilt about a series of textile conservation workshops she attended includes reassurance about the safety of pool noodles for storing/rolling quilts, and additional tips, and some very useful tips on packing and mailing quilts.

3 comments: