suggestions for sewing box must haves

[My lil friend]

[QUOTE=DBlain;4036964]what brand of scissors to you have.

Ginger knife blade scissors,do NOT let the guy at JoAnns sharpen these. They get sent back to the factory once every year or 18months for a proper sharpening. They blades are beveled at a particular angle. I have 2pair. One I have had sense I was 18yr old,my parents even had them engraved.

Whenever I rehome a machine (I have a rescue of sorts for older machines). I try to send

measuring tape
seam ripper
pins
hemgage
liteweight machine oil (most machines should get a drop of oil in several places between projects)
extra needles (universal for cottons,sharpies for fine fabrics and heavy duty for thicker fabric)

Things that I use regularly
marking pen (its just a ballpoint or sharpie,but they make special ones)
magnetic pin holder
safetypins (I use these for holding parts together when I cut out several outfits from the same pattern)
Cardboard cutting board from JoAnns (my formal table is my work space)

If I want a straight edge on cotton fabric,I snip and tair,faster than a rotary cutter.

I finish all seams with a zigzag for a cleaner look.

[DBlain]

Originally Posted by concretegurl

Can't beleive no one else posted these:

Bandaids
Gauze
Triple antibiotic ointment
Hydrogen peroxide-removes blood from all fabrics.

LOL that is something I have handy

[concretegurl]

Originally Posted by DBlain

LOL that is something I have handy

First items I'll have in mine.

All kidding aside, I'm totally stealing the advice off this thread for my sewing box too.

YTers are so ept with know how on creating beautiful sewn goods.

[kjc]

A tube turner, botkins, tiny sized crochet hook, point turner, crewel needles (no points),dental floss.

[My lil friend]

I use a crochet hook for turning too,its the only thing I can do with it.

[Buster Brown]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

A good pair of scissors is imperative. Don’t use them for anything else but cutting cloth. Joanne’s has a scissor sharpening service and it’s really worth it when your scissors begin to dull. A tip on cutting a straight line is to snip a section where you want to start the line, and pull out a string or two as if you were gathering the fabric, this will give you a perfectly straight line in which to cut. I also keep a pair of smaller scissors next to the machine to clip threads. I always thought a rotary cutter was more for those who do quilts, but I don’t know.

Besides my scissors, my most useful tool is my seam ripper! Have lots of bobbins so you don’t have to take the thread off a bobbin to use a new color. I like straight pins with a bulb on the end, there are easier to use and if they fall on the floor they are easier to see. If the room you are sewing in has carpet, you might want to get one of those Mr. Sticky rollers. It picks up loose thread which can be a bear to get off the roller bar of your vacuum. Measuring tape and a small sewing gauge are useful. Velcro in all sizes, but I only buy black and white.
I usually buy thread with my fabric at Joanne’s, but Walmart has better deals on thread than Joanne’s. Note how many yards the thread has, I usually buy all purpose thread and tend to use black and white the most. I buy my d-rings online, they are smaller than the ones I can get locally. D Rings, nickle plate, 8 sizes, 2 styles, Welded or Cast

I agree that an iron is important; I iron folded seams before sewing. If you are buying an iron, don’t get one that shuts off every 5 minutes, you spend all your time waiting for the iron to heat.

What size D ring do you think is best?

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Buster Brown

What size D ring do you think is best?

I think the smaller the better with a Yorkie, so I got the 3/8. Local stores only had the 5/8 size which stood out too much. The first one, Image13.jpg is the 3/8" Cast Nickel D Ring 2.2mm thick has no welding, so there is no line that could be pulled apart or slipped through like this one has. Image15.jpg

[Buster Brown]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I think the smaller the better with a Yorkie, so I got the 3/8. Local stores only had the 5/8 size which stood out too much. The first one, Attachment 376304 is the 3/8" Cast Nickel D Ring 2.2mm thick has no welding, so there is no line that could be pulled apart or slipped through like this one has. Attachment 376305

Thanks! Yes Buster's leash pulled through one of those split rings.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Buster Brown

Thanks! Yes Buster's leash pulled through one of those split rings.

Yeah, even though the slits are pretty tight, things can get through them, if they line up just so.

[kjc]

An Awl.

[Yorkiemom1]

[QUOTE=kjc;4036994]OMG! Poor Ralphie! Hope he doesn't get a complex by the end of October! LOL! Seriously.... too cute!

The bias direction of a piece of woven fabric, usually referred to simply as "the bias", is at 45 degrees to its warp and weft threads.

ANOTHER TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!!! I remember we used to have to "rip" the fabric before we got started....cant remember why we did it, but I think it had something to do with this bias thing...and then when you pulled that one string, you did indeed get a straight line across the piece of material! I inherited a portable Singer sewing machine that dates back BEFORE WWII that my aunt used to carry with her like a purse! She would see something she liked in a store window, go buy the material and whip it out and make that same dress or outfit in a couple of days!!!

[DBlain]

LOL it was an exciting day for me, I watched the button hole segment on the DVD that came with the machine and after a few practice runs on a scrap piece of material, I completed a button hole (d ring opening) on the first dress I made for Lola. I was very excited because if I can brag a little, it came out perfect!!! this really is a break though for me, I have always had a hard time reading and understanding directions but this dvd has made learning the sewing machine so much easier.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by DBlain

LOL it was an exciting day for me, I watched the button hole segment on the DVD that came with the machine and after a few practice runs on a scrap piece of material, I completed a button hole (d ring opening) on the first dress I made for Lola. I was very excited because if I can brag a little, it came out perfect!!! this really is a break though for me, I have always had a hard time reading and understanding directions but this dvd has made learning the sewing machine so much easier.

Yay! Congratulations!

Everybody learns differently... some by reading, some by seeing a demo, some by hearing the instuctions, some by doing. If I don't 'get it' the first time, I try a different method... lol... sometimes I have to do all of them before I really understand something.

My machine is super easy to thread, but I couldn't for the life of me, make any sense of the 2D drawings in the manual, which normally I wouldn't have a problem with, lol. I had to find a video, then went back and looked at the drawings, and they made more sense.

I do love the buttonhole thingy... it's amazing what machines can do!

[concretegurl]

You're off to a great start!