My Favorite Sewing Tools
Every job's easier w/
the right tools. Here are a few of my favorites...
Cutting
mat... This is one thing
that once I got it I wish I had sprung for it years ago!
It makes the job SO much easier and QUICKER!!! If you're
considering buying a mat, bigger IS better. I recently
upgraded from a 12x18in to a 24x36in b/c w/ the larger
one I can work with a regular 44" piece of fabric
(folded in half, how it comes from the bolt) and cut it
in one swipe. Having a mat saves you lots of time and
effort, and having a bigger mat saves you even more. Of
course, it is an investment. One thing I'd be weary of
w/ getting the cheap off-brand mat though is that they
can tend to dull your blades much faster, whereas
sticking w/ the Ofla (or other reputable brand) will
keep your blades sharp much longer.
Spring-loaded
shears ROCK! If you're doing much
hand cutting this saves your hands big time from wearing
out and getting sore or cramped. The short spring-loaded
snippers (on the bottom in this picture) I bought w/ a
friend's recommendation when making a rag quilt b/c it requires LOTS of
short snips and boy was I glad to have them! I liked them
so much that I got a regular sized pair of spring-loaded
shears too.
These
little
shears are handy to have
closeby the sewing machine to snip spare threads.
Hem
clips...
My mom got me these and they are so handy when you need to
fold a long piece of fabric with an even hem. They're also
nice to hold stuff in place temporarily.
Soft
thimble... I spotted this at Hobby
Lobby for a couple bucks and it is pretty nice! It's
comfortable on the finger and even has a slit for your finger
nail to stick out of! I won't ever go back to a metal
thimble!
Self-winding
soft tape measure... A sweet client of
mine gave this to me and I LOVE not having to re-wind
the tape all the time. It's fabulous.
My iron
is an important
tool for sewing! It’s amazing the difference in how much
easier fabric is to work with, cut accurately, and sew after
they’re ironed. It’s also handy for turning under edges when
hemming so you can skip pinning. Pinning is such a
drag.
Of course I have to
give props to my recent investment in a
serger,
which saves me tons of time by perfectly trimming the fabric
as it sews, and can make decorative edge hems that show on
the outside of the fabric so I don't have to turn everything
inside-out. It uses four threads at once and gives a much
stronger seam with minimal bulk. It's great for nearly
everything, though it's not a complete replacement to a
regular sewing machine. If you're considering getting a
serger, it doesn't have to break the bank. They can easily
run up into the thousands if you don't know what to get or
where to shop, but I got a Brother 1034D 4-thread-serger on
Amazon with some extras for under $200. It runs great and
does everything that a normal person will ever want to do and
more.
Don't forget to check
out What's New on my site! And sign up
for email updates HERE!!
