Hello All!
I love gadgets and I adore living in this time that we can get so many lovely things that help make sewing fun! I have a pin sweeper that is magnetic and it keeps the stray pins out of my hubby's feet.
I also have a nifty chalk pen that comes with several colors and a whole bunch of white chalk that I use all the time and every time I use it in a group I have to make sure I tell them where I got it!
I also have a cool machine needle keeper, it makes it pretty handy when you are going to someone else's home to have your things organized and at your fingertips.
So all of you? What are your favorite gadgets?
Cilean
Some of the stuff here :) :
http://www.dritz.com/brands/evn/evn_2005_feature.php
I have a seam ripper (that doesn't look like that. It's gold and has a floral look to it) by Elizabeth's Vintage Notions. I also have my grandmother's antique egg shaped needle case with thread. Both are great to have attached to the girdle around faire. They come in very handy during sewing emergencies!
Today? I tailor's awl. I have button holes to sew. Who knows what tomorrow. I thought I would ADORE my bias tape maker, but it's easier to do it myself.
I have 2 "gadgets" that I won't give up:
1. my Dritz Ezy-Hem. I can't make an even hem on a gored skirt without it. I use it all the time.
2. my Simflex- it's perfect for evenly spacing buttons, trims just about anything. Here's a link to one, since I know many people don't know about them : http://www.sews.com/notions/buttontls/buttontls.html (http://www.sews.com/notions/buttontls/buttontls.html)
Mine happens to be my fur knife and my buttonhole attachment. The Fur knife is always sharp to cut slide through fur or seams that have to be ripped out when I do alterations. The butonholer does buttonholes in one step like magic.
My iron. :)
my ball nosed bodkin, great for turning corners & points, can be used for threading drawstrings, lacing corsets, and it makes a great cat distractor.
Mw seam ripper, of course, to fix all the mistakes I make :P!
My rotary cutter - what a time & hand saver.
I also have a Simflex. I adore it. It makes cartridge pleating easy.
A jewelry utility tray (https://www.jewelboxco.com/product_details.php?type=18&category=Utility&stype=80&subcat=Utility+Trays&product=1188) I use at the sewing machine table to hold and keep seam rippers, scissors, thimble, small ruler and other small items at the ready.
Mine would have to be having so many extra tomato pin cushions lying around to wherever I'm sewing, both pairs of Gingher scissors, small and large my husband bought me and the thread cutter on the back of sewing machine. I think that's it. :)
Hmmm -- there would be favorites and there would be "most used" (seam ripper!). I'd have to say my favorite is my rotary cutter -- production and quality went way up when I began using it.
Rowenta steam iron- the linen setting gets used a lot.
Bias tape maker- Yeah, it's a major pain to use sometimes, but it makes cutting guards on skirts a helluva lot easier
Silver marking pencil- ....I just love it, shut up, you wouldn't understand.
I am not sure what the gadget is called, as my Mom gave it to me. It's similar to the rotary cutter, in that it has a very small wheel, but it holds white chalk. So, you just roll the chalk line along a straight edge. I use it quite a bit, instead of the thicker pieces of chalk.
Quote from: LaurenLee on June 12, 2008, 03:24:19 PM
Mw seam ripper, of course, to fix all the mistakes I make :P!
Amen to that! Mine has a place of honor right next to my sewing machine. :)
Sewing machine feet. I have A LOT of sewing machine feet for every one of my machines. A few that I couldn't live without:
1/4 inch foot with a fence - I love stitching guides where the fabric butts up against the fence because it makes sewing a consistent seam allowance such a no brainer. The stitching guide is built into this foot.
Narrow hem foot - 1/8th inch rolled hems for ruffs.
Ruffler foot - huge contraption but makes pleating or ruffling AND attaching it to another ungathered piece of fabric (optional) a snap.
My seam ripper...I can't live without it. Whether it's garb or curtains, I usually end up messing up somewhere. And now that it's time for new garb, I have it out before my machine is even open!