Sandy and I were off to the LAST of the deceased quilter’s garage sale…Yes, these garage sales have been going on for over a year…and there is still tons left!! It was our last hurrah…sort of speaking..and everything was half price!
Sandy bought tons of fabric while I looked more at her UFOs…I know…I know…I have plenty of my own UFOs! Why am I looking and buying someone else’s? Sheesh! It’s a sickness, I tell ya’!
…Have a peak at some of the things that I bought….
I loved this striped fabric and there was tons of it! These pieces range from fat quarter size to 1/2 yard lengths…plus a bonus of 14 blocks finished! This package was $20!
I am a sucker for nine patches and WHO could say NO to these lovely little beauties? Apparently NOT me!! All hand pieced and beautifully done and for only $30! There is a corner of the quilt done but I’m thinking of taking it apart…we shall see…
I bought these blue fish? blocks…and tons of fabric to make more!
And four completed baskets blocks and lots of homespuns and shirting (and templates) to make more!
And of course I bought fabric…I will be using these three large 3-4 yard pieces for backings ($2 a yard).
We are hoping that this is IT for the Garage Sales. I know…we could just say no more…and we have in the past but when the sales get lower than half price it’s REALLY hard to say no. But NO it is…right…right?!
The Results of the Blade Sharpener…I know… it doesn’t get any more exciting than THIS!! A lot of you wanted to know if the blade sharpener really did work…wish I had better news!
So here I am…I rotated my two dull blades 12 times on both sides…
Now for the test…I fished scraps out of my garbage bin for the test…these strips were sliced apart and SHOULD be falling apart! NOPE…still stuck together with a multitude of little threads! Maybe I need to press harder…
I did another test…pressing harder…and still no luck!
I put the other newly sharpened blade in and tried another scrap..and LOOK…it was even worse!
I redid the test and the top layer cut through but the second layer of fabric is still stuck together with threads…nope, no cigar!
I will be throwing both blades away and buying some new…DARN!! OR do I need to rotate the blades more…maybe put some elbow grease behind each turn? Anyone ‘out there’ have any luck with these sharpeners…what did I do wrong?? Should I give it another chance…? Or should I just toss and buy? Geeze, where is JoAnn when you need her?
Have a Sunny (and Sharper) Sunday and thanks for checking in!!~P
Nice finds and love the nice patch piece, I think I would leave it and finish it. I got a sharpener and wasn't impressed, not sure why they sell things that don't work.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Love the "loot!" - I would have had trouble leaving those items, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review on the sharpener - I think I will stay away.
Great finds, I really like the fish blocks. I've seen a couple of reviews for these sharpeners and the results have all been the same...thumbs down.
ReplyDeleteRaspberries to the claims of the manufacturers :(
Same here, the reviews I have seen were all thumbs down for the sharpeners but I was hoping this was a better one. I did buy some off brand blades from eBay, will let you know how they work, $2 each versus $6-7 each even with a 40% off JoAnn's coupon. I can't even buy them wholesale for less than $6 each!!
ReplyDeleteMmm, I've been burnt buying sharpeners before as well, but. . .I actually found one that works really really well--TruSharp. It's electric so I don't have to wear out my wrist turning the blade. I'm still sharpening the same blade for about 6 months--and I quilt a lot! Truly recommend TruSharp.
ReplyDeleteLurking Linda
That 9-patch was truly a great score. As was the sweet little baskets. You should have lots of fun finishing up these UFOs.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you get Rick to sharpen them, then if they aren't sharp enough maybe he could google a better fix? He must have some tools in his shop that would work.
ReplyDeleteHey love your loot!!! I would try again with the blades but put a little pressure on them and a few more rotations of the machine.
ReplyDeleteRather than replace blades I check the condition of my mat. I ended up buying a very large one for my 36"x48" table. When I am cutting MANY flying geese I use the 18" x 22" mat on top of it so as not to wear out the large one. An even smaller mat can be rotated easily for 3-1/2" or 4-1/2" half square triangles. Please try a new mat with these sharpened blades. It will be interesting to see if there is a difference.
ReplyDeleteGood loot...and go look again. It may get cheaper yet.
ReplyDeleteI read about rulers with some kind of edge that helps sharpen your blades as you run it along the ruler. I have my doubts.
Wow great finds! At those prices~ I would go back again. ;-) LOL Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteGreat fabric deals.. Especially at todays prices..
ReplyDeleteI don't think I will be investing in a sharpener based on your trials. I once, the operative word being once, bought blades that he been re-sharpened from a place here called Harbor Freight. That was a waste of my money too.
Hi! I have seen the same reviews on the sharpener ....
ReplyDeleteIf you press harder to cut, it cuts your mat, so I do not think that is the answer, but you made have had nicks in the blade, causing the missed threads with cutting, I notice it sometimes if I do not care for my blade...
I will be looking for the tru sharpe sharpener, thanks for the tip.
Take care all, Leslie
Ohhh...love the baskets, the 9-patches, and those stripes! You definitely scored again!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with your blades could actually be a problem with your mat, Do you line your ruler with the lines on your mat? Do you always cut in the same place over and over?? Try putting your fabric diagonal to the lines on the mat, and using the lines on the ruler to cut your fabric, you might be surprised.
ReplyDeleteGreat purchases....has made me think about my family selling my stuff off....eek! Love those baskets.
ReplyDeleteI have a different blade sharpener than yours. I think mine is made by Dritz? I have had it since last Christmas and just used it for the first time today. My results were about like yours, so it's new blades for me the next time I'm near a Joann Fabrics store.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience you did with the blade sharpener. Waste of money! Took my dull blades to a knife shop, and the specialist there couldn't sharpen them either. So now I have a collection of used blades, which I have saved in hopes of someday being able to use them again. Am intrigued by the Tru Sharp recommendation and will look into that. Regarding your new fabric acquisitions: SCORE!!
ReplyDeleteLove your loot...you always manage to get the best garage sale buys.
ReplyDeleteI have that blade sharpener and same for me, totally waste of money, and it came from the states so cost heaps here down under, I'll just buy new blades now.
I used to send my dull blades to a place in the midwest -L.P.Sharp Maybe they are still in business???
ReplyDeleteAlways came back great-he would exchange your blades for sharp ones of like kind and quality-I was always satisfied.