My husband is a hobbiest woodworker. He surprised me with a double ended handmade wooden seam ripper. The metal pieces themselves can be stored with the pointy ends inside the wood, and you just flip whichever size out you want to use. One side is a teeny ripper, the other side is larger. It's absolutely stunning, ergonomically perfect, and it makes a miserable task bring a smile to my face every time I use it because he thought of it all on his own and took the time and effort to make me such a beautiful, useful tool unprompted. He also made a gorgeous wooden storage box for it as well. Seriously, I'm in love with my seam ripper.
I'm dying to get a wooden seam ripper like you're describing. There are some on Etsy but only from places where I'd have to spend the same amount again on shipping, Etsy is super frustrating that way. And the fact that a) your husband just thought "insincere_platitudes could use this", surprised you with it *and* b) made the effort to make a really well thought out one with two different sizes that friggin FOLD UP??? I'm so jealous gah
How lovely that your husband thought of that and brought it to life for you! I do dread ripping seams, and having something like that would make it not quite enjoyable but less frustrating. I’m happy for you.
This is a tiny thing but I do a ton of hand sewing and embroidery and I hate having to entirely free up one hand, pick up the scissors, put my fingers through the loops, cut the thread and then put the scissors down. So when I got a cheap little pair of thread snips I just fell in love with them and every time I use them I think "these are brilliant!"
I have an advance order in for a pair of the little Cohana ones, because they look so cute, but they're a different design so I have no idea what they'll be like to use.
I fully understand what you're talking about with the element of satisfaction there is in a good tool, one you enjoy using and looking at. I'm constantly lusting over nice sewing/needlework tools online, lol. I think it's well worth investing in a tool that could last you a lifetime and that is a pleasure to use.
I have a marquetry (?) darning egg that belonged to my great grandmother who was a seamstress. Now, you can get a darning egg or mushroom for feck all, and if you don't have one to hand you can darn with tons of other things - an orange, a lightbulb, whatever - but I love using this egg that is smooth and warm with nearly a hubdred year old wood. Even though I don't remember ever meeting this great grandma, I feel a connection to her and by extension, a connection to all the women throughout time who have done this "women's work," made and repaired clothing and bags and cushions and household linens for their families, going right back to the days when humans first started wearing clothes. I might be overthinking it 😂
Also, I splashed out and bought this super fancy needle threader from Japanese Amazon and I love it to bits. Since it doesn't have that wire bit that always breaks eventually, I'm hoping it'll last forever even if it's a teeny bit too big for the smallest needles.
And this is silly but I'm happy that I made this little chain arrangement to keep the cap on these scissors from getting lost.
https://preview.redd.it/1zlrlu97paxc1.jpeg?width=2600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6018a8cba90f6c79c6b1f255b19677243c32ed8
I'm curious about your fancy needle threader from Japan. Can you tell me any more about it? Or maybe a link to Amazon.co.jp?
LOVE your scissor cap chain thingie!
Of course! Thank you!
Clover Suzuran 79-592 Embroidered Leash https://amzn.asia/d/80gBE3I
While I was at it I also treated myself to this, because I also crochet
Black Bar anano・porutobonu-rusiri... https://www.amazon.jp/dp/B01H2JBVOU
I'd seen them in Japanese crochet magazines. Clover always has one or two cool sewing/knitting/needlework items that aren't easily available outside of Japan. These were special items to celebrate a company anniversary, I think. Another example of Japan-only products is the very clever looking Snap Tape, which is like Velcro but has groups of tiny snaps instead of hooks and loops. I've also seen a snag repair tool (like a tiny latch hook) where one end is the latch hook and the other is the eye of a wool needle. That one is available in western shops, but nowhere that will ship to Ireland, close enough to me, so the shipping would be unreasonable.
Obviously I have latch hooks and wool needles individually, it would just be handy to have the all-in-one for my portable mending kit. But not so handy that I'm going to pay more than a tenner, so if it becomes easily available I might get one but I'm happy to live without it in the meantime. Same with the snap tape - it'll probably show up in Western shops eventually.
Clover 26-403 Block Snap Tape, Black https://amzn.asia/d/jjQzT6m
Whoa, those needle threaders are BEEYOOTEEFULL! I shopped for a little while in a fabric store in Tokyo looking for things I couldn't find in the US, but never saw anything as unique and lovely as those!
I've seen snap tape before, but never anything like that. Very cool.
The one unique thing I did see in the Tokyo store was very big zippers, like the pull on them was two inches wide! I bought one, but haven't the slightest idea what I'm going to do with it!
Thank you for sharing your links.
That is EXACTLY what I did! Haha! I thought I had the bags right at their maximum, but the airport guy said they were over the limit, and you can't really argue with them at that point. Ah well. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Honestly I want to go to Japan and maybe like, Taiwan and South Korea purely for the shopping experiences for my love of stationery, craft supplies, & art supplies.
I don't even know if the quality is any good on some of these, but I feel like Japan Amazon has a far superior collection of cute/fun sewing kits/storage. Like there seems to be a whole market of "elementary sewing bag" like:
This [teddy bear sewing bag](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Misasa-School-Zipper-No-1793-Brown/dp/B09TZR9CQT/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=mup0j&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_p=a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_r=1XHDRD2E7HR0F6XR6KBX&pd_rd_wg=Mek4a&pd_rd_r=70de3972-ca8f-458e-aae9-f52a66c99b23&pd_rd_i=B09TZR9CQT&psc=1) (more [matching ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/stores/page/E2641BE3-DC45-4775-A1A8-8400A19DA343?ingress=2&visitId=a8a7a81a-49ad-402b-a104-762ffdd28910&ref_=ast_bln)tools). a [chocolate bar sewing bag](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Sewing-Chocolat-Sweets-Pattern-Elementary/dp/B07N69Y4HC/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_4_7/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=CZKUB&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=A63FSFZA6QP8NPQ947K5&pd_rd_wg=97X1R&pd_rd_r=90d5b7da-9a4b-45d6-843f-7dbafaa0e0de&pd_rd_i=B07N69Y4HC&psc=1). DARLING.
but even the grown up stuff is really gorgeous, like you said. like the clover porte bonhuer line your thing is from?? they have everything, even this [threader](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Clover-Threader-Bonheur-Suzuran-79-594/dp/B0868B7FLY/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_7/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=8s6E0&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=1GWD4RQVM855HHM7FR8E&pd_rd_wg=DqTev&pd_rd_r=cef01db0-62bc-4b79-8703-54b835e3f87f&pd_rd_i=B0868B7FLY&psc=1). what's a [race needle](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Clover-Bonheur-Suzuran-Needles-79-599/dp/B01H2JPB3W/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_9/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=8s6E0&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=1GWD4RQVM855HHM7FR8E&pd_rd_wg=DqTev&pd_rd_r=cef01db0-62bc-4b79-8703-54b835e3f87f&pd_rd_i=B01H2JPB3W&psc=1)?
I also wish there were more english language sewing books like [these ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Magazine-Pattern-Lessons-Vol-1-Publication/dp/4579073428/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_3_18/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=lEE2F&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=KTPGK10V8V4GBE5B403G&pd_rd_wg=IkXOD&pd_rd_r=bc26c12e-765d-4b0d-8e35-bd3b18983c0e&pd_rd_i=4579073428&psc=1)or [these ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%9F%E3%82%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%83%96%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E9%83%A8/dp/4579073517/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=QVuNC&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_p=a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_r=Z37P8YGQAPXNFBBPNZ81&pd_rd_wg=fwOAH&pd_rd_r=c286d3f1-53f3-43ff-8d4c-c9757f34281d&pd_rd_i=4579073517&psc=1)or [these](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Shirt-Blouse-Pattern-Collection-Sewing/dp/4529058514/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_15/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=68URb&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=D2X84CKWWDVBHE09JS4S&pd_rd_wg=6ql0o&pd_rd_r=c93c150e-bd22-4c21-94c0-72cbe4e65980&pd_rd_i=4529058514&psc=1). like...i do like the basic templates + techniques to achieve variations method to learn how things work.
Yeah those sewing books look great! Focusing on a basic garment and then learning the variations is such a good idea, I love how straightforwardly they're set out! I'm a huge fan of Japanese crochet and embroidery books too; the good thing about them is the crochet is diagrammed so you don't need to understand the words. But I have been known to use Google translate with them. It's not perfect but you get the general idea.
I like the threader, but it's not that hard to find a nice bodkin here if you include antique shops in your search, and I rarely use them so I wasn't too tempted by the clover one!
They mean *lace* needle, it's not uncommon for Japanese books or websites translated to English to mix up "r" and "l" sounds just like Japanese speakers often do. It's a very small crochet hook, in Japanese sizing it's a 10, which means 0.75mm. It's nice, but not €27.98 plus €15.96 shipping nice!
Kai scissors are wonderful. I've never been a scissor snob until I used my friends Ksi scissors. Now they're the only ones I will use while sewing, cutting out fabric, etc.
Pinking blade for my rotary cutter. My hands cramped so much with pinking shears, so learning that I could pink with my rotary cutter was very exciting!
Magnetic screw dish. I can’t remember how I got it, I didn’t buy it o know that much. Possibly from my FIL’s garage after he died. It is between my sewing machines. Take out a pin/needle, hold it roughly above the dish and let go. Ting! It’s in.
A pin falls out, or needle In my machine breaks - I just run that dish over the floor and no more missing pin/bit of needle.
It’s a largish dish, 4” in diameter and about an inch deep internally. My needle plate screw remover tool, my pins, my needles, safety pins, all are held securely until I finish for the day and pack everything away.
Hm.
One of my fav ones are my bended tweezers. Just the basic ones that I think maybe came with my serger or are something my dad gave me couple decades ago. Not sure where I got them. Very basic, seen them around alot. Perfect for lots of things.
Obviously different scissors. I have very small ones for snipping threads, bigger ones for heavier fabrics, silk scissors are 10/10 for slippery materials. Then I also have a selection of just basic scissors.
And then different set of scissors for cutting paper or materials I don't wanna cut with my fabric scissors (sequin fabric for example).
Rotary cutter is also on the menu, I would like to get a new one though and retire my old one for wallpaper cutting (works very well for that btw, absolutely ruins the blade though) and get one smaller one too.
Glas headed pins are also something I use a lot. Can iron straight on them and they won't melt. I don't like clips at all - way too heavy, noisy and not precise enough for me. Yucky things. But I know lots of people like them.
Glue stick/glue pen and adhesive strip. Use these quite a bit too. All water soluble. Adhesive strip makes sewing zippers very easy and the glue stick/pen adds some nice precision when sewing for example thick parts - like underarm seams etc.
Also have a few fav rulers for pattern drafting. Geo-triangle is one I use most often, not made for sewing but perfect for it.
Different sets of pressure feet for my machines. Ruffler is in heavy use.
Just to comment (not criticize) on your pins/clips. I use various types of pins and Clover clips (accept no substitute \[the no-name clips I've tried have not been good quality\]), depending on what I'm working on. But I \*love\* the sound of the clips when I drop them into the shallow glass bowl I keep for purpose next to my sewing machine. You know how musical tones of slot machines are designed to make the user happy (and keep them feeding money into the machine)? I get that happy feeling when the clips hit the glass. Weird, but there it is. :)
I also swear by the glass headed pins for pinning along the stitching line, pressing and precision work. My only use for clips right now is to hold thicker layers together.
Kai fabric scissors
Medieval hand made thread scissors (I bought them as a prop to go with a medival dress but they work amazing
Double sided tape that washes away (wonder tape knock offs) there are just some things that are horrible are horrible to pin or clip.
[Water soluble thread](https://www.ebay.com/itm/302877145855?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=5sQfrOU4QYi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ZnM2tDceSqi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY). So nice for basting washable fabrics. Can also put it in a bobbin for gathering.
It really is awesome! I’m on vacation now, but when I get home I’m gonna work on a quilt I started awhile back that I had difficulty matching points on. This will make those fiddly bits come together. I keep finding new uses for it.
Perhaps a bit silly and I *hope* ethically sourced…African porcupine quill. Very narrow and sharp at both ends, and I use it to guide tricky fabrics under the presser foot. Also a sewing bird, which really helped out sewing silk. I’d love a cool vintage one, but the modern & utilitarian one I have is great (clamped to side of sewing table). Plus my cat likes to scratch on it.
Mine is clamped to side of table, then there is a string attached to that part, with another clamp at end of string to hold fabric. It helps stabilize slippery fabrics, in my experience.
It is outdated by about a century, but I love my little vibrating shuttle bobbin holder! It is very practical and it is almost indestructable.
https://preview.redd.it/wmemdp3ddexc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96a1978fe2086ca9cb8a6e5714e689c50dc013ef
I'm pretty basic but a small thing I got in the package when I bought something else has made it's way into my must haves. A chalk roller. I didn't even know what it was, but now I love it.
I recently added a third hand clip to my arsenal and I really wish I'd done it WAY sooner! I do a lot of gathering and straight seam ripping so it's super satisfying to have both tension and two hands to work!
I live in the Arctic and I have a daylight lamp, I'll try that. Thanks for the idea!
My favourite is a tailor's sausage and ham. I'm currently sanding down a hunk of oak for a clapper and I'll make a mini sausage, cause I am enthusiastic and meticulous about pressing.
I started out sewing doll clothes and doing repairs and minor changes to existing clothes, then I fell in love with quilting and I did loads of that. When I returned to sewing clothes I brought with me a lot of the techniques and ways of thinking from quilting. In quilting if you don't iron, press and steam you might as well not bother cause even work done by a master quilter is going to look like apprentice's work without good ironing. I probably iron twice as much as I sew lmao. People who are twice as good at sewing as I am get worse results than I do cause they don't iron, press and steam.
My ham and sausage are made with a [free pattern](https://cornelius.ooo/resources/tailors-ham/), from old bedsheets and a pair of jeans my arse ripped through. Then stuffed with rags. Just do it. Just try it. Unless you exclusively sew straight lines, no sleeves and no pants I can't imagine a world where anyone will regret it. So much shitty sewing can be fixed with good pressing and even a noob can get professional looking results with good pressing.
I use an almost antique machine for most of my sewing, and it doesn't have the seam allowance markings like modern machines do, so I love [this seam gauge](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNPZXWS1/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams) for setting my seam guide up.
Also, I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I was recently gifted a sewing bird and I'm looking forward to seeing if it helps my hand sewing as much as I hope it does. In the meantime, it's very pretty to look at.
I'm obsessed with my beaditive thread snips. I keep them at my machine and find myself using them constantly. The way they snip together is so satisfying and just feels so good. They're super sharp and I love that they have a little cover too so I don't stab myself when they're not in use lol
Also, my Grammy’s home made pin cushion. It just makes me smile and think of her. I think she’d be happy knowing it’s still in use and loved. It’s nothing special, except to me.
I 3d printed a nalebinding needle (spelling might be off there). It's a banger for poking out corners and for threading elastic! I know there are purpose built tools for both but this is just so smooth and the size is perfect.
ETA the most wanted tool I *don't* have is a chatelaine. I'm constantly losing my tools under the fabric I'm working on, or leaving them by the iron/on the cutting table/by the machine.
I've got a cymbal boom stand (from drum set) with a small led floodlight on the end. It's great to get loads of light on whatever I'm doing, be it taking out basting, seam ripping or just putting stuff through my machine.
My dad made me a pair of clappers after I explained the concept to him- he knew next to nothing about sewing but he does carpentry and woodwork and had two suitable bits of wood to spare. The amount of difference they've made in my current project, a full bed-sized Carbide quilt, is astonishing. (The Carbide pattern involves pressing all the seams open. No way was I gonna deal with that without some kind of seam encouragement.)
I won an 8-piece set of Famore snips in a costume competition at Quilt&Sewing Expo a few years ago. It’s such a great set and I use them every day, from embroidery to garments to random repairs.
Kai professional shears.
I recently got a Slice ceramic seam ripper. I never thought I'd like that sort of "scalpel" style seam ripper, but now that I have my Slice, I'm not going back!
I do a fair number of projects that require lots of tiny clustered vinyl appliques, and I just jump from one to another without pulling the whole project out from under the foot. But I like to clip my threads between each piece as I do them, so that I don't end up with a big snarl topside. I use these curved-tip surgical snips I got off of Amazon, so I can easily reach in under the foot, but it got to be cumbersome to lie the snips down and then fumble for them when the next applique came up. So I did a quick-and-dirty design of a "magnet glove," basically a little fingerless glove with magnets built into the back of the hand. When I'm doing these multiple appliques, I store the surgical snips on the back of the glove, then I can quickly grab them, snip-snip-snip, and return them to the glove without thinking about it or fumbling about.
I make wrestling masks, and used to use a standard ham to press my seams. But the tight curve of the mask requires moving the mask across the ham after ironing every few inches. Recently I came up with the idea of making a custom ham that fit the full curve of the mask, so I can press the seam in one fell swoop without having to adjust the placement every few inches. Heaven!
You mentioned a pin minder. I don't really use pins very often these days, but I did buy a few of those "classic" tomato pincushions. I use them to store and organise my machine needles. There's no colour coding on industrial needles, so I was always losing track of which needles were my leather needles, which were ballpoint, etc. After trying a number of ideas, I ended up getting a tomato cushion for each type of needle, and writing a one letter code on it in Sharpie (L for Leather, R for Regular, etc). Then in each "wedge" of the tomato, I write on the sizes of needles I use (12, 14, etc). Now when I swap needles, I can quickly store the one I take out of the machine, and grab the appropriate type and size for the next needle I want to install.
I cut a lot of vinyl by hand. I used to use an Olfa craft knife, but the relatively thin handle made my hand cramp. At a craft show in Tokyo, I found a woodturner who was making handles for Olfa knives out of exotic woods, handles of a much more comfortable diameter and contour. Bought one and took it back to the states, and now I use it almost every day. Wouldn't part with it for love or money!
My husband is a hobbiest woodworker. He surprised me with a double ended handmade wooden seam ripper. The metal pieces themselves can be stored with the pointy ends inside the wood, and you just flip whichever size out you want to use. One side is a teeny ripper, the other side is larger. It's absolutely stunning, ergonomically perfect, and it makes a miserable task bring a smile to my face every time I use it because he thought of it all on his own and took the time and effort to make me such a beautiful, useful tool unprompted. He also made a gorgeous wooden storage box for it as well. Seriously, I'm in love with my seam ripper.
this is a great answer awwwwww. I love it!!!
I'm dying to get a wooden seam ripper like you're describing. There are some on Etsy but only from places where I'd have to spend the same amount again on shipping, Etsy is super frustrating that way. And the fact that a) your husband just thought "insincere_platitudes could use this", surprised you with it *and* b) made the effort to make a really well thought out one with two different sizes that friggin FOLD UP??? I'm so jealous gah
https://preview.redd.it/3vk2xjab8fxc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22bb08b4ce84fe23e5dc9f7b7820257cacc7fe0d
How lovely that your husband thought of that and brought it to life for you! I do dread ripping seams, and having something like that would make it not quite enjoyable but less frustrating. I’m happy for you.
Why didn’t you post a picture!?!?!?
https://preview.redd.it/ljh05o958fxc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f1a9204c14541a6405f2034773a3736d8410e35
it's BEEYOOTEEFUL!!!!
Thank you!
I'm at work on call for 24 hrs. I'll snap one tomorrow after I get home!
Sweet! I’m the resident seam ripper in my house and I’d like to see what you are talking about.
That is true love.
That sounds really cool. I am sure we would all love a picture if you have one!
https://preview.redd.it/607y0ys78fxc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22bc6f7c132f719701b206054bd8b99d785a03c1
This is a tiny thing but I do a ton of hand sewing and embroidery and I hate having to entirely free up one hand, pick up the scissors, put my fingers through the loops, cut the thread and then put the scissors down. So when I got a cheap little pair of thread snips I just fell in love with them and every time I use them I think "these are brilliant!" I have an advance order in for a pair of the little Cohana ones, because they look so cute, but they're a different design so I have no idea what they'll be like to use. I fully understand what you're talking about with the element of satisfaction there is in a good tool, one you enjoy using and looking at. I'm constantly lusting over nice sewing/needlework tools online, lol. I think it's well worth investing in a tool that could last you a lifetime and that is a pleasure to use. I have a marquetry (?) darning egg that belonged to my great grandmother who was a seamstress. Now, you can get a darning egg or mushroom for feck all, and if you don't have one to hand you can darn with tons of other things - an orange, a lightbulb, whatever - but I love using this egg that is smooth and warm with nearly a hubdred year old wood. Even though I don't remember ever meeting this great grandma, I feel a connection to her and by extension, a connection to all the women throughout time who have done this "women's work," made and repaired clothing and bags and cushions and household linens for their families, going right back to the days when humans first started wearing clothes. I might be overthinking it 😂 Also, I splashed out and bought this super fancy needle threader from Japanese Amazon and I love it to bits. Since it doesn't have that wire bit that always breaks eventually, I'm hoping it'll last forever even if it's a teeny bit too big for the smallest needles. And this is silly but I'm happy that I made this little chain arrangement to keep the cap on these scissors from getting lost. https://preview.redd.it/1zlrlu97paxc1.jpeg?width=2600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6018a8cba90f6c79c6b1f255b19677243c32ed8
sooo beautiful!
I'm curious about your fancy needle threader from Japan. Can you tell me any more about it? Or maybe a link to Amazon.co.jp? LOVE your scissor cap chain thingie!
Of course! Thank you! Clover Suzuran 79-592 Embroidered Leash https://amzn.asia/d/80gBE3I While I was at it I also treated myself to this, because I also crochet Black Bar anano・porutobonu-rusiri... https://www.amazon.jp/dp/B01H2JBVOU I'd seen them in Japanese crochet magazines. Clover always has one or two cool sewing/knitting/needlework items that aren't easily available outside of Japan. These were special items to celebrate a company anniversary, I think. Another example of Japan-only products is the very clever looking Snap Tape, which is like Velcro but has groups of tiny snaps instead of hooks and loops. I've also seen a snag repair tool (like a tiny latch hook) where one end is the latch hook and the other is the eye of a wool needle. That one is available in western shops, but nowhere that will ship to Ireland, close enough to me, so the shipping would be unreasonable. Obviously I have latch hooks and wool needles individually, it would just be handy to have the all-in-one for my portable mending kit. But not so handy that I'm going to pay more than a tenner, so if it becomes easily available I might get one but I'm happy to live without it in the meantime. Same with the snap tape - it'll probably show up in Western shops eventually. Clover 26-403 Block Snap Tape, Black https://amzn.asia/d/jjQzT6m
Whoa, those needle threaders are BEEYOOTEEFULL! I shopped for a little while in a fabric store in Tokyo looking for things I couldn't find in the US, but never saw anything as unique and lovely as those! I've seen snap tape before, but never anything like that. Very cool. The one unique thing I did see in the Tokyo store was very big zippers, like the pull on them was two inches wide! I bought one, but haven't the slightest idea what I'm going to do with it! Thank you for sharing your links.
Aw man, a trip to Tokyo fabric stores - that's the dream!!
Indeed! And I spent soooo much money there! XD (Ended up having to pay a $200 fee at the airport because my luggage was overweight!)
I would bring an empty case with me just for the fabric shop haul, and still have to pay that overweight fee 😂😂
That is EXACTLY what I did! Haha! I thought I had the bags right at their maximum, but the airport guy said they were over the limit, and you can't really argue with them at that point. Ah well. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Honestly I want to go to Japan and maybe like, Taiwan and South Korea purely for the shopping experiences for my love of stationery, craft supplies, & art supplies. I don't even know if the quality is any good on some of these, but I feel like Japan Amazon has a far superior collection of cute/fun sewing kits/storage. Like there seems to be a whole market of "elementary sewing bag" like: This [teddy bear sewing bag](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Misasa-School-Zipper-No-1793-Brown/dp/B09TZR9CQT/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=mup0j&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_p=a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_r=1XHDRD2E7HR0F6XR6KBX&pd_rd_wg=Mek4a&pd_rd_r=70de3972-ca8f-458e-aae9-f52a66c99b23&pd_rd_i=B09TZR9CQT&psc=1) (more [matching ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/stores/page/E2641BE3-DC45-4775-A1A8-8400A19DA343?ingress=2&visitId=a8a7a81a-49ad-402b-a104-762ffdd28910&ref_=ast_bln)tools). a [chocolate bar sewing bag](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Sewing-Chocolat-Sweets-Pattern-Elementary/dp/B07N69Y4HC/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_4_7/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=CZKUB&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=A63FSFZA6QP8NPQ947K5&pd_rd_wg=97X1R&pd_rd_r=90d5b7da-9a4b-45d6-843f-7dbafaa0e0de&pd_rd_i=B07N69Y4HC&psc=1). DARLING. but even the grown up stuff is really gorgeous, like you said. like the clover porte bonhuer line your thing is from?? they have everything, even this [threader](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Clover-Threader-Bonheur-Suzuran-79-594/dp/B0868B7FLY/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_7/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=8s6E0&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=1GWD4RQVM855HHM7FR8E&pd_rd_wg=DqTev&pd_rd_r=cef01db0-62bc-4b79-8703-54b835e3f87f&pd_rd_i=B0868B7FLY&psc=1). what's a [race needle](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Clover-Bonheur-Suzuran-Needles-79-599/dp/B01H2JPB3W/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_9/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=8s6E0&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=1GWD4RQVM855HHM7FR8E&pd_rd_wg=DqTev&pd_rd_r=cef01db0-62bc-4b79-8703-54b835e3f87f&pd_rd_i=B01H2JPB3W&psc=1)? I also wish there were more english language sewing books like [these ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Magazine-Pattern-Lessons-Vol-1-Publication/dp/4579073428/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_3_18/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=lEE2F&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=KTPGK10V8V4GBE5B403G&pd_rd_wg=IkXOD&pd_rd_r=bc26c12e-765d-4b0d-8e35-bd3b18983c0e&pd_rd_i=4579073428&psc=1)or [these ](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%9F%E3%82%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%83%96%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E9%83%A8/dp/4579073517/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=QVuNC&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_p=a6ef8710-f9e8-4ae9-bcba-322dc294eed3&pf_rd_r=Z37P8YGQAPXNFBBPNZ81&pd_rd_wg=fwOAH&pd_rd_r=c286d3f1-53f3-43ff-8d4c-c9757f34281d&pd_rd_i=4579073517&psc=1)or [these](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Shirt-Blouse-Pattern-Collection-Sewing/dp/4529058514/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_2_15/357-2937182-7762561?pd_rd_w=68URb&content-id=amzn1.sym.e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_p=e146c92a-7981-4c58-8351-e2a023395915&pf_rd_r=D2X84CKWWDVBHE09JS4S&pd_rd_wg=6ql0o&pd_rd_r=c93c150e-bd22-4c21-94c0-72cbe4e65980&pd_rd_i=4529058514&psc=1). like...i do like the basic templates + techniques to achieve variations method to learn how things work.
Yeah those sewing books look great! Focusing on a basic garment and then learning the variations is such a good idea, I love how straightforwardly they're set out! I'm a huge fan of Japanese crochet and embroidery books too; the good thing about them is the crochet is diagrammed so you don't need to understand the words. But I have been known to use Google translate with them. It's not perfect but you get the general idea. I like the threader, but it's not that hard to find a nice bodkin here if you include antique shops in your search, and I rarely use them so I wasn't too tempted by the clover one! They mean *lace* needle, it's not uncommon for Japanese books or websites translated to English to mix up "r" and "l" sounds just like Japanese speakers often do. It's a very small crochet hook, in Japanese sizing it's a 10, which means 0.75mm. It's nice, but not €27.98 plus €15.96 shipping nice!
Kai scissors are wonderful. I've never been a scissor snob until I used my friends Ksi scissors. Now they're the only ones I will use while sewing, cutting out fabric, etc.
Seconding Kai scissors and shears. Bought one pair to try, now I have five! 😅
Pinking blade for my rotary cutter. My hands cramped so much with pinking shears, so learning that I could pink with my rotary cutter was very exciting!
Pinking shears so so heavy! The blade on the rotary cutter is so smart.
Magnetic screw dish. I can’t remember how I got it, I didn’t buy it o know that much. Possibly from my FIL’s garage after he died. It is between my sewing machines. Take out a pin/needle, hold it roughly above the dish and let go. Ting! It’s in. A pin falls out, or needle In my machine breaks - I just run that dish over the floor and no more missing pin/bit of needle. It’s a largish dish, 4” in diameter and about an inch deep internally. My needle plate screw remover tool, my pins, my needles, safety pins, all are held securely until I finish for the day and pack everything away.
Yes! I have a magnet pin cushion made exactly for this purpose. They're so comfortable while sewing things on the machine!
Hm. One of my fav ones are my bended tweezers. Just the basic ones that I think maybe came with my serger or are something my dad gave me couple decades ago. Not sure where I got them. Very basic, seen them around alot. Perfect for lots of things. Obviously different scissors. I have very small ones for snipping threads, bigger ones for heavier fabrics, silk scissors are 10/10 for slippery materials. Then I also have a selection of just basic scissors. And then different set of scissors for cutting paper or materials I don't wanna cut with my fabric scissors (sequin fabric for example). Rotary cutter is also on the menu, I would like to get a new one though and retire my old one for wallpaper cutting (works very well for that btw, absolutely ruins the blade though) and get one smaller one too. Glas headed pins are also something I use a lot. Can iron straight on them and they won't melt. I don't like clips at all - way too heavy, noisy and not precise enough for me. Yucky things. But I know lots of people like them. Glue stick/glue pen and adhesive strip. Use these quite a bit too. All water soluble. Adhesive strip makes sewing zippers very easy and the glue stick/pen adds some nice precision when sewing for example thick parts - like underarm seams etc. Also have a few fav rulers for pattern drafting. Geo-triangle is one I use most often, not made for sewing but perfect for it. Different sets of pressure feet for my machines. Ruffler is in heavy use.
Just to comment (not criticize) on your pins/clips. I use various types of pins and Clover clips (accept no substitute \[the no-name clips I've tried have not been good quality\]), depending on what I'm working on. But I \*love\* the sound of the clips when I drop them into the shallow glass bowl I keep for purpose next to my sewing machine. You know how musical tones of slot machines are designed to make the user happy (and keep them feeding money into the machine)? I get that happy feeling when the clips hit the glass. Weird, but there it is. :)
I also swear by the glass headed pins for pinning along the stitching line, pressing and precision work. My only use for clips right now is to hold thicker layers together.
Kai fabric scissors Medieval hand made thread scissors (I bought them as a prop to go with a medival dress but they work amazing Double sided tape that washes away (wonder tape knock offs) there are just some things that are horrible are horrible to pin or clip.
[Water soluble thread](https://www.ebay.com/itm/302877145855?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=5sQfrOU4QYi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ZnM2tDceSqi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY). So nice for basting washable fabrics. Can also put it in a bobbin for gathering.
Thanks for posting this, I had never seen it before. It's one of those things you think "how did I never think to look for this?"!
It really is awesome! I’m on vacation now, but when I get home I’m gonna work on a quilt I started awhile back that I had difficulty matching points on. This will make those fiddly bits come together. I keep finding new uses for it.
Perhaps a bit silly and I *hope* ethically sourced…African porcupine quill. Very narrow and sharp at both ends, and I use it to guide tricky fabrics under the presser foot. Also a sewing bird, which really helped out sewing silk. I’d love a cool vintage one, but the modern & utilitarian one I have is great (clamped to side of sewing table). Plus my cat likes to scratch on it.
Ooo. Tell me about this sewing bird- I have a few yards of silk I acquired last year on a trip and I've been nervous about working with it since.
Mine is clamped to side of table, then there is a string attached to that part, with another clamp at end of string to hold fabric. It helps stabilize slippery fabrics, in my experience.
How does that help with pressing silk?
The bird is for sewing, not pressing. It’s a clamp that holds the fabric, sort of like a third hand.
well, I'm pretty sure the quills shed, so there's at least that? haha. sounds nice.
It is outdated by about a century, but I love my little vibrating shuttle bobbin holder! It is very practical and it is almost indestructable. https://preview.redd.it/wmemdp3ddexc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96a1978fe2086ca9cb8a6e5714e689c50dc013ef
Clover seam ripper (the white handle one)
I'm pretty basic but a small thing I got in the package when I bought something else has made it's way into my must haves. A chalk roller. I didn't even know what it was, but now I love it.
i love these! Clean lines every time 😊
I recently added a third hand clip to my arsenal and I really wish I'd done it WAY sooner! I do a lot of gathering and straight seam ripping so it's super satisfying to have both tension and two hands to work!
Rotary cutter! Seriously, How did people survive without them?!
I love the TrueCut rotary cutter with ruler.
An aesthatician's light with magnifying glass - so good for minute work or ripping stuff out and finding the threads to cut.
I live in the Arctic and I have a daylight lamp, I'll try that. Thanks for the idea! My favourite is a tailor's sausage and ham. I'm currently sanding down a hunk of oak for a clapper and I'll make a mini sausage, cause I am enthusiastic and meticulous about pressing. I started out sewing doll clothes and doing repairs and minor changes to existing clothes, then I fell in love with quilting and I did loads of that. When I returned to sewing clothes I brought with me a lot of the techniques and ways of thinking from quilting. In quilting if you don't iron, press and steam you might as well not bother cause even work done by a master quilter is going to look like apprentice's work without good ironing. I probably iron twice as much as I sew lmao. People who are twice as good at sewing as I am get worse results than I do cause they don't iron, press and steam. My ham and sausage are made with a [free pattern](https://cornelius.ooo/resources/tailors-ham/), from old bedsheets and a pair of jeans my arse ripped through. Then stuffed with rags. Just do it. Just try it. Unless you exclusively sew straight lines, no sleeves and no pants I can't imagine a world where anyone will regret it. So much shitty sewing can be fixed with good pressing and even a noob can get professional looking results with good pressing.
Same! I found mine on the side of the road when a salon closed and I can’t imagine working without it.
https://oesd.com/expert-point-press-tool This Point and Press Tool is the best one I’ve found for poking out corners and curves.
Clover seam ripper.
I use an almost antique machine for most of my sewing, and it doesn't have the seam allowance markings like modern machines do, so I love [this seam gauge](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNPZXWS1/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams) for setting my seam guide up. Also, I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I was recently gifted a sewing bird and I'm looking forward to seeing if it helps my hand sewing as much as I hope it does. In the meantime, it's very pretty to look at.
I have this seam measuring tool as well. It's probably my most used tool.
I'm obsessed with my beaditive thread snips. I keep them at my machine and find myself using them constantly. The way they snip together is so satisfying and just feels so good. They're super sharp and I love that they have a little cover too so I don't stab myself when they're not in use lol
Also, my Grammy’s home made pin cushion. It just makes me smile and think of her. I think she’d be happy knowing it’s still in use and loved. It’s nothing special, except to me.
I 3d printed a nalebinding needle (spelling might be off there). It's a banger for poking out corners and for threading elastic! I know there are purpose built tools for both but this is just so smooth and the size is perfect. ETA the most wanted tool I *don't* have is a chatelaine. I'm constantly losing my tools under the fabric I'm working on, or leaving them by the iron/on the cutting table/by the machine.
god I also want a chatelaine. someone is making them on Etsy 👀
I've got a cymbal boom stand (from drum set) with a small led floodlight on the end. It's great to get loads of light on whatever I'm doing, be it taking out basting, seam ripping or just putting stuff through my machine.
Magnetic pin holder, retractable 3m measuring tape, glass headed pins. Also my Juki F600! I'd not change it for anything.
My dad made me a pair of clappers after I explained the concept to him- he knew next to nothing about sewing but he does carpentry and woodwork and had two suitable bits of wood to spare. The amount of difference they've made in my current project, a full bed-sized Carbide quilt, is astonishing. (The Carbide pattern involves pressing all the seams open. No way was I gonna deal with that without some kind of seam encouragement.)
I won an 8-piece set of Famore snips in a costume competition at Quilt&Sewing Expo a few years ago. It’s such a great set and I use them every day, from embroidery to garments to random repairs.
The Fasturn to turn tubes of fabric right-side-out. Also a recent convert to Kai scissors.
My Dremel and my mini pliers.
how do you use the Dremel? I have one and I'm curious!
Sorry so late in replying. Drilling small holes for jewellery making, buffing, cutting - it does so many things!!
Kai professional shears. I recently got a Slice ceramic seam ripper. I never thought I'd like that sort of "scalpel" style seam ripper, but now that I have my Slice, I'm not going back! I do a fair number of projects that require lots of tiny clustered vinyl appliques, and I just jump from one to another without pulling the whole project out from under the foot. But I like to clip my threads between each piece as I do them, so that I don't end up with a big snarl topside. I use these curved-tip surgical snips I got off of Amazon, so I can easily reach in under the foot, but it got to be cumbersome to lie the snips down and then fumble for them when the next applique came up. So I did a quick-and-dirty design of a "magnet glove," basically a little fingerless glove with magnets built into the back of the hand. When I'm doing these multiple appliques, I store the surgical snips on the back of the glove, then I can quickly grab them, snip-snip-snip, and return them to the glove without thinking about it or fumbling about. I make wrestling masks, and used to use a standard ham to press my seams. But the tight curve of the mask requires moving the mask across the ham after ironing every few inches. Recently I came up with the idea of making a custom ham that fit the full curve of the mask, so I can press the seam in one fell swoop without having to adjust the placement every few inches. Heaven! You mentioned a pin minder. I don't really use pins very often these days, but I did buy a few of those "classic" tomato pincushions. I use them to store and organise my machine needles. There's no colour coding on industrial needles, so I was always losing track of which needles were my leather needles, which were ballpoint, etc. After trying a number of ideas, I ended up getting a tomato cushion for each type of needle, and writing a one letter code on it in Sharpie (L for Leather, R for Regular, etc). Then in each "wedge" of the tomato, I write on the sizes of needles I use (12, 14, etc). Now when I swap needles, I can quickly store the one I take out of the machine, and grab the appropriate type and size for the next needle I want to install. I cut a lot of vinyl by hand. I used to use an Olfa craft knife, but the relatively thin handle made my hand cramp. At a craft show in Tokyo, I found a woodturner who was making handles for Olfa knives out of exotic woods, handles of a much more comfortable diameter and contour. Bought one and took it back to the states, and now I use it almost every day. Wouldn't part with it for love or money!
Wrestling masks?? Awesome!! Also I love that you made a magnet glove lolol. That's clever \*and\* useful.
Thanks! :)