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Good thing you all can't watch me while I'm actually sewing. Because when I'm attacking a pattern I generally look less like this:
And slightly more like this:
WPA poster from 1930s, click for more info
What can I say? I live in a poorly-lit NYC-sized apartment and I cut and sew on my dining table. A long time ago I did buy a lovely color-correcting Ottlite sewing lamp (similar to this desk one currently on 50% off sale), but I have no idea what happened to it.
And I don't need a light that sits in one spot—I need good sharp light EVERYWHERE when I'm, pressing, cutting, hand-sewing, embroidering and more.
So one day I got frustrated while trying to thread my serger (remember—always UNPLUG while threading and watch that KNIFE!), grabbed the LED headlight I use for camping...
And suddenly I, well, saw the light.
Now I always keep a headlamp in my little sewing cabinet and I'm fairly certain I swear at least 40% less while hemming, changing the presser foot or even unpicking dark stitches on dark fabric. Which brings me to:
My 3 favorite sewing tools that aren't sewing tools at all:
- A good LED headlamp with long battery life for shining light on tricky sewing tasks. I use this bright red one but sometimes borrow my husband's boring gray one (I think it has stronger light power).
- A roll of 1/2" double-sided mounting tape to use as a removable seam guide for even-width seams. (I can't use magnetic seam guides on my computerized machine).
- Ceramic cups and bowls for pattern weights. I learned this from my grandmother Melba who once laughed when she saw me slowly pinning my pattern and fabric together before cutting. (As my mom put it "She scorned the use of pins... a few upside coffee cups on the pattern were enough.")
Of course you can buy nice colorful pattern weights or use big flat metal washers, but... I like my cups.
So: What's your favorite non-sewing sewing implement?
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My favorites are 2 old vintage staplers. Perfect pattern weights as they are very weighted.
ReplyDeleteOh, an excellent idea! I do occasionally have some shifting when I use bowls that are too lightweight.
DeleteI use soup cans as pattern weights. Love the headlamp!
ReplyDeleteI almost photographed myself in the headlamp but didn't get a chance, maybe later! It is NOT a very stylish look and makes my hair look funny, too.
DeleteSoup is good, then you can eat it afterwards ...
Headlamps are just amazing. So many uses! I sew in my bedroom so I use shoes as pattern weights, but my most-used non-sewing tool is a little notebooks that has lines spaced at 1/4" increments. I use it to position my needle to guide off the otherwise totally useless lines on my machine all the time!
ReplyDeleteOh I love it! I had never heard of shoes as pattern weights before. Do you mean like a little gridded notebook? What a cool idea! I should do that on my serger, the lines on my serger are useless.
DeleteMy digital camera is my indispensable non-sewing sewing tool. It was a real eye-opener to see how my clothes actually looked on me and has (hopefully) significantly improved the fitting and proportions of my garments.
ReplyDeleteOh that's a great one! I do the same thing—I use my tripod to photograph muslins and garments from all angles for fitting help. Otherwise I'd never know if the back view was working!
DeleteSo I guess to my list I should add my little point-and-shoot Canon Powershot (and my mother's much nicer Canon Rebel when she lets me borrow it).
I love my headlamp! I had a cheap one and my wonderful husband bought me a great one that has 100 lumens of light power! Now I can pick black stitches out of black fabric at 2am. I also love my laser level. It shines a LEVEL light on jackets and skirts for marking hems. Comes in handy for hanging pictures, too.
ReplyDeleteHa, exactly—unpicking black thread on black fabric is the WORST... without a headlamp!
DeleteI love my headlamp, too. I also use a sharpened chop stick as a point turner and binder clips instead of pins for thick or damageable fabrics.
ReplyDeleteI use chopsticks or skewers for that too! The binder clips I haven't tried.
DeleteOur place is pretty cramped so my husbands tools are kept under my sewing table. I usually use wrenches or sockets as pattern weights. I also use side walk chalk that my kids always have laying around rather than buying tailors chalk (bonus - It comes in lots of pretty colors!)
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot. I use my husbands pocket knife and it's various attachments as a seam ripper. I do own an actual seam ripper, It's just that I can never find it.
DeleteOh man, I have no idea how many seam rippers would be discovered if I ever found them all... at least 10.
DeleteLOL about those pics you posted (the miner vs the sewist). good idea actually! i struggle with lighting here too in the evenings. great idea about double sided tape
ReplyDeleteI always have a chopstick near my sewing table - great for turning things. As for pattern weights - if at my sewing table, I use a bunch of cassette tapes (old skool!), or if at the dining table, I grab a handful of knives from the cutlery drawer.
ReplyDeleteWow! Cassette tapes and knives! I'm surprised the tapes are heavy enough but I love picturing that.
DeleteI've found a headlamp invaluable for sewing black thread on black fabric and have also used crockery as weights when cutting out using my rotary cutter. And also tape to mark a seam guide on my machine. I like to use a knitting needle for turning tricky things inside out too.
ReplyDeleteKnitting needles are great for that! And I have So. Many. Of. Them.
DeleteI use cups, too. Since I sew on the dining table, which is in the kitchen, cups are always at hand.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one who used a headlamp, now I find I'm not so weird after all! And I also use cups, or tins of baked beans or whatever else is in the kitchen cupboard as pattern weights. And my kids water soluble felt tips for marking.
ReplyDeleteIf I wore a headlamp while sewing I would NEVER get rid of my sons!! LOL They already take the sewing out of sewing machine. It is just a big, noisy machine as far as they're concerned. If they were meddling types, I'm sure they'd have sewn a finger or two by now.
ReplyDeleteI think my most unconventional tool might be my hammer and chisel. Not totally out there, but still VERY cool looking to those same little boys. And their little sister, too.
I love sewing too and these are the sewing tools I always make sure I have on hand.
ReplyDeleteOh mine are books for pattern weights! Always have a few of the right size around :-). Although I've been known to borrow the cat's tuna cans and such. There's never any shortage of weights, and I don't have any idea what happened to the official ones I bought some time in the 80s with great wonder at my first rotary cutter (still going strong).
ReplyDeleteLove the headlamp idea, thank you!!!
what a brilliant idea, I always struggle with lighting and I keep a head light next to my bed for reading in the middle of the night
ReplyDeleteThe headlamp is a great idea. I've used for sewing myself. It gives me the extra light I need.
ReplyDelete