5 Sewing Products I Couldn't Live Without!

Extra Long Pins

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I;m not sure why I love long pins so much but they just seem to make everything so much easier. Especially when pinning pattern so quilting they just really help to stop things from shifting around!

Magnetic Pin cushion

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Nothing makes me feel more like a Jedi knight than throwing some pins at this bad boy and them magically finding their way to the dish. It has changed my life! And its definitely changed the speed of my sewing, although word of warning don't accidentally decide to use another pin cushion after you've had one for a while because you will just throw pins across your table and you will have to pick them up......

Wrist Pin cushion

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Yes I know, I've just said I love one pincushion and now I'm saying I love another! But its true, you see this one comes with me. This one comes with me to my sewing machine in the dining room, or to my ironing board in the kitchen, or to the sofa where I do all of my hand sewing. Yet another word of warning though don't forget to take it off and wear it to Tesco you just end up looking a bit weird. 

Small Embroidery Scissors

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I keep mine of a piece of ribbon around my neck so they are always handy. They are very useful for snipping into seam allowances and getting rid of threads.

Tailors chalk

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Up until recently I thought tailors chalk was the work of the devil BUT as it turns out its actually pretty awesome not only does it draw on pretty much everything but it also comes off and its lasts ages. I've had mine for about a year and it honestly hasn't worn down much at all.

And that's it!

Those are my favourite products at the moment.

What sewing products are you loving

Much Love

Frankie 

xxx

My Sewing Bad Habits

We've just done our Easter egg hunt, I have a belly full of chocolate and I'm catching up with Project Runway whilst the boys watch the football. So life is pretty darn good!

Anyway since I've not really had time to sew it's all I've been able to think about! Including my own sewing bad habits! 

1. Putting pins in my mouth

My A level textiles teacher used to scream at me across the room "HEALTH AND SAFETY WHAT IF YOU CHOKE AND DIE?". And some nights went I accidentally swallow one I see her point! I mean what would I do? Phone Rikki at work and be like "oh hey babe, I just swallowed a sewing pin so can you take me a and e? cheers duck"

2. Skipping Interfacing

I have an un-natural hatred of interfacing! It just gets on my nerves, it never sticks to what its meant to and it always sticks to my bloody iron! Plus it never matters how much I buy I never have enough! Instead I've been using thicker upholstery weight fabric instead of interfacing. Ya know cos I;m bad to the bone and stuff! 

3. Not trying on as I go

I suck at trying on as I go! If I'm sewing I just want to sit and sew! Now I try to make myself try on or at least wack it on my mannequin to get a better sense of the fit! I have been stung by finishing something beautifully and then it not fitting though!

4. Not ironing seams

My iron doesn't fit in the dining room where I sew so I have to walk alllll the way to the kitchen.... Yeah I no that is a terrible excuse but in my defence I am getting better at ironing my seams! Now days I just tend to sew a load of seams and then iron them in one job lot! 

5. Not throwing away blunt pins!

This is one I'm really really trying with! Now if its blunt I bin it straight away. Slowly I'm getting to a place where the majority of my pins are fairly decent!

 6. Using scissors with paper

In my defence I don't buy expensive fabric scissors and I do replace them pretty regularly. But its still an awful habit to have especially if I do ever end up with an expensive pair of scissors!  

7. Sewing without pinning

If its a striaght seam I don;t tend to use pins. In fact I remember helping my cousin finish her fancy dress costume [about an hour before she was due out] and I sewed the whole dress without pinning once! Her sister was HORRIFIED! To be honest I probably won't try and improve on this what can I say pins are for the weak! 

8. Not measuring hems

I tend to eyeball my hems when I fold them up and hope for the best! But recently I brought a hem gauge and now I'm hoping to break this bad habit!  

9. Not changing my machine needle

I read recently that you should change your machine needle one for ever 3 bobbins that you wind. OMG I don't change them that often! It tend to be more of a woopsie daisy this one just snapped and nearly blinded me! 

10. Not hoovering afterwards

My poor poor husband! The amount of times he leaves the house covered in threads and bits of fluff is just embarrassing! But when It's 1 in the morning and you've finally decided to pack the machine away sometimes you just cannot be arsed to hoover up as well!  

So yeah I'm a bad bad sewer! 

What sewing bad habits do you have?

Much Love

Frankie

xxxx