7 Sewing Tools You Didn㢂¬„¢t Know You Needed

I'thou e'er on the picket for cool sewing/quilting tools and gadgets; anything to make sewing more than enjoyable! I'm running down some tools that I've establish lately – some you lot may already accept only hopefully y'all'll see something new to consider adding to your arsenal!

For each tool, I'll show you the detail and give you a quick run-down. The link provided for each particular is sometimes the manufacturer'due south website if they retail the item, merely in some cases I have linked you to another retail shop that stocks the item, as some manufacturers do not sell retail. I just wanted you to hands exist able to find the production if you were interested in getting it; I believe that I purchased nearly all of these items myself (or they were given to me by friends), then all opinions are 100% my own. 🙂

1. Folded Corner Clipper by Prairie Sky Quilting

Before in the yr, I asked my friend Roseann for a recommendation for a fun quilting notion, and she suggested this ruler. I am sometimes skeptical about rulers since many of them have merely one function, just Roseann knows everything, and so I got 1. This seems like such a simple idea but it has several functions that quilters would use on a weekly basis. For starters, this tool helps you cut and trim flying geese and half-square triangle blocks and sew them without having to describe those diagonal lines on them start. It too leaves little notches at the corners so your fabrics are easier to line up before sewing. My favorite use of this ruler, though, is to set up bounden. When cutting fabric strips on the bias and sewing them together, I'thou always eyeballing how I should stitch the strip and at what angle, and sometimes it comes out wrong. This ruler helps y'all cut the ends of the strips so that you tin hands sew them together. Here's a video I found of the Folded Corner Clipper in case you lot'd similar to come across it in activity.

ii. Snap Setter

I had one of these years agone, but when we moved I lost it. Okay, I know what you're thinking, "The snap kits from Joann's that you lot employ a hammer with are the aforementioned thing." No my friend, no they are not! That'south exactly what I thought last yr when I was making my Beatnik Waist Bag, which I designed with snap closures on the pockets. I must accept hammered about twenty snaps in with the Joann's kit, and none of them were coming out correct. Perhaps there was some kind of fob to it? I was near tears. Finally, a friend sent me another Snap Setter kit (I utilize Size xvi) with pretty colored snaps, and they worked on the first try. If you have any desire to use snaps (bibs, numberless, etc.), only get this and salvage yourself the frustration.

three. Clover Desk Needle Threader

Okay, raise your mitt if y'all have ever had problem threading a mitt needle. I do take i of those niggling plastic tools with the wire sticking out, to help with threading my hand sewing needle, but the wire comes out actually hands. I was suggested this at my local quilt shop, and it'southward like magic! This tool sits on your desk, the thread lays in the opening, the needle is inserted, you push down on the lever, and voila! I'm not sure how much easier it can get than that. No more than licking your thread to become information technology to go through or squinting because that needle opening is likewise darn small.

iv. Swatch Buddies

I saw this item last year at Quilt Market. Swatch Buddies are niggling sturdy plastic tags that are bundled together on a small chain, for putting your textile swatches on. There are besides pocket-sized labels included in the pack so that you tin write downward the names of your fabrics. This is very highly-seasoned to me as I similar using solids in my quilts, and I take solids from a lot of different manufacturers. Once the material is added to my stash, I no longer have any idea what color names that they are. Now I label them (I accept a Swatch Buddy for each color, i.e. pinks, purples, etc.) and can easily detect and compare. This is also great for fabric designers, as you can put your Pantone swatches on information technology.

5. Clover Press Perfect Iron Prophylactic

I have 2 irons in rotation, and I am e'er switching them out considering they *constantly* get the gunk on them from all of the fusible interfacing that I use, even though I apply a pressing material. Information technology just happens. And that dark-brown gunk can be transferred onto any fabric that I am working with. Iron Safe is a lightweight, flexible sleeve that is attached to your atomic number 26 using a metal spring that goes through the opening where your handle is and attaches to the other side. You tin can leave information technology on your iron all the time, and if you get any gunk on it, you can merely wipe information technology right off the Fe Safe instead of dealing with cleaning your atomic number 26.

six. ThimblePad

When I am sewing, say, the lining of a pocketbook to the zipper, this sometimes is washed by hand. I have a bad habit of always piercing the pare on my pollex at the nuckle. I'm not really into wearing a thimble, it'due south just likewise bulky for me and I'thousand not used to information technology. I like that these ThimblePads are sticky and reusable for several times. I put them anywhere on my fingers that I find I need the protection.

7. Jaybird Quilting Rulers

Jaybird Quilts has 3 specialty rulers, the Hex N More, the Sidekick, and the Mini Hex North More. I accept used all of them in the past and they are a dream – each ruler cuts multiple shapes, and then you are getting the bang for your cadet, and these are shapes that would be tedious to cut if you had to brand a template from template plastic. Added bonus is a lot of shapes have notches to help you lot piece together more quickly and accurately.

eight. Frixion Pens

This is ane of the few sewing supplies that you tin can find at whatsoever office supply shop (Staples, Function Max, etc.) or even at Target. They are made past Pilot, and they'll just be in the department with the pens. I use them on a daily ground to make markings on fabric; they are my favorite sewing tool. Lee from Freshly Pieced wrote two articles most the Frixion pens, here and here. For me, they are super convenient as I especially use them when writing my bag patterns – I can use them on my fabric to brand any measurements or markings, and and so when I'm referring to the instructions on paper, I can make edits on in that location as well, all with the same pen. Double-duty.

9. Sewline Fabric Glue Pen

Sort of similar a glue stick, this will aid with glue basting your fabrics together, and the tip is small enough to go on the glue inside the seam allowance. It comes with one refill and is h2o soluble.

10. Purple Daisies Glue Tips

I actually have a second glue product that I love, and information technology is the Glue Tips from Purple Daisies. They come every bit a 2-pack and will attach to a bottle of washable Elmer's School Glue, which you can find anywhere. Christy from Regal Daisies has two fantastic tutorials for use of the Gum Tips, the Glue Basting Your Seams video and the Slice-lique for Boozer's Path and Circles tutorial, both of which are life-irresolute!

11. Regal Thang

This fiddling and inexpensive tool is especially not bad when you are piecing blocks and need to hold the layers of material together when they are going through the machine. I particularly like the little square at the end, which is a helpful judge for 1/four″ seam allowance.

12. Clover Hera Mark

This tool is specially corking for machine quilting, when you lot'd similar to mark a quilting design on your quilt sandwich. I used it last week when I fabricated my Indelible Table runner (I had straight line quilting in different intervals). It'due south a plastic tool that makes a crease in the fabric that you tin encounter and stitch right on top of, then you're not really 'drawing' on your fabric with a fabric mark.

 13. Machinger'due south Gloves

I don't do a whole ton of costless motion quilting, but when I practise, my artillery and shoulders get really tired. I started using these gloves and information technology helped a lot with that. They have a finger grip that helps guide the fabric through your car with less elevate on the cloth. They come in several sizes (I accept South/Chiliad) and are washable).

14. Supreme Slider

This is another tool that I got to work hand-in-hand with the Machinger's Gloves. This is a teflon sail that sits on the bed of your sewing machine and can be removed and reused. Another tool that will aid with stress on the shoulders and back, every bit it helps the quilts glide more easily through the machine. Leah Twenty-four hours has a groovy video of the Supreme Slider in action. I have the queen size, although the smaller size is bachelor as well.

 fifteen. Flatter

This is a starch alternate spray for flattening fabrics while quilting. It is available in several scents or unscented. I got the Yuzu scent, which is a pleasant floral/citrus smell. I actually dropped my canteen right afterwards I got information technology and the spray nozzle wouldn't press in after that, and so I poured my Flatter liquid into a store-bought spray bottle (information technology's a gigantic bottle for the corporeality of liquid I have, only oh well, information technology works). I really enjoy using this as it makes the fabrics crisp and flat.

sixteen. Wonder Clips

Besides my Frixion pens, this is the other affair that I cannot do without. Especially for bag-making, try to become through all those layers with regular pins; I had many a bent pin and pricked fingers before I institute out about Wonder Clips. They are also bully for attaching quilt bounden, as the seam allowance is marked on the clip. I started out trying to be inexpensive with the ten pack, and once I tried them I realized I would demand more, so I got another 50 pack.

Hope y'all enjoyed my little listing! What other sewing tool do you dearest that I've missed?

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Source: https://sewsweetness.com/2014/06/cool-sewing-tools.html

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