Sunday, January 20, 2008

The World's Most Unnecessary Quilting Tool

Looking through catalogs lately I've seen several contenders for this title, but today I found the winner in the Keepsake Quilting catalog: a ruler to cut bindings. One end is straight (you line it up with the edge of the fabric for straight bindings), and one end is cut at a 45 degree angle (you line it up with the fabric for bias bindings). You can buy this ruler in 2 1/4" width or in 2" width. Now since all rulers will cut a 2 or 2 1/4 inch strip, and all rulers have a 45 degree line, WHY IS THIS NECESSARY? Each ruler costs $13.50, so for less than $30, you can have two unneeded tools! My choice for runner-up would be those pins with arrows pointing left and right and up and down. Any other nominations out there?

8 comments:

Vicki W said...

That's a good one! I think there are loads of useless tools out there. I don't by a tool unless I have at least 2 uses for it and can't think of a way to make the tool from stuff I have at home.

Jules said...

I never did figure out what to do with the arrow pins...

jenclair said...

Oh, my! That is a real winner for the Unnecessary Tool category!

Rian said...

Hmmm, how about those plastic gizmos that go on safety pins?

I wish someone would invent a magic binding attacher.

Liz in Kansas said...

Right on! My first thought when I saw the rulers was "Cool" - immediately followed by "Why?". Like I don't have enough rules already?

allie aller said...

You are hilarious.
I bought a "QuickStar" ruler once for making those Broken Star quilts, and have never figured out how to use it.
That's pretty useless....

Anonymous said...

The dumbest thing I ever bought was "bicycle" clips. Yeah, right. They wouldn't hold cotton candy, never mind withstand dragging a quilt through the throat of a sewing machine.

I do have a weakness for rulers and templates, but only the ones that serve a function I can't achieve any other way.

Elaine Adair said...

Just found you! Happy for me.

Useless tools? a LOT of the markers. My favorite marker? (much of the time) good old soap sliver.

Besides, who can find all those 'things' when you want them?