A little tip for saving thread

**homesteadmamma** · 01-10-2003, 08:29 PM

Thread is expensive and in quilting you use a lot of it.

Here is a little tip I read in The Diary of Mattie Spenser today which I plan on using. I had never thought of it before but it can be done.

When were finished the tops of our quilts and you get your quilt ready for quilting, most quilters baste their quilt before pinning it. In the basting of your quilt (especially if it is a queen size one) you use lots of thread.

Mattie in her book, kept all the thread she used after basting.

I now plan on doing that. When hand quilting, the thread is perfect and if you plan on doing it this is how I'm going to do it.

I will cut a piece of cardboard and once I pull the basting out of the quilt, I will wrap it around the cardboard. Then when I hand quilt, I will just cut of the length of thread I need to use.

Just a little tip for you!!

**captclearance** · 01-10-2003, 08:37 PM

That is very frugal....... Good for you...... waste not, want not !!!!

**Michelle** · 01-10-2003, 08:39 PM

Great idea CJ--thanks!

**Missy** · 01-11-2003, 02:55 PM

I do something a bit similar...instead of using a piece of card board, i use a paper towel roll or. And I wrap the thread around the paper towel roll (or toilet paper roll). (This is one of my Grandmother's ideas she uses when she quilts and reuses her basting thread).