Sewing Gadgets Raves & Rants

[southernbelle04]

Thanks for the reviews of sergers girls!

[DBlain]

just catching up on this thread, I was so close to buying a Rowena iron, think I will refrain from that, good idea on the sharpie. my friend that taught sewing came over and she brought some good pins, glass heads, I bought a box and it does make a difference. She also bought over a little plastic thing that looks sort of like a letter opener, one side is pointy the other side is round, it's for turning things inside out, I like using it since I have been know t to use a scissor or craft tweezers and poke a hole in the end.

I am not sure if sewing machine stitch lengths are universal. Mine goes from .5 to 5 it seems factory set at 2.5 which I am starting to think of is to short. What length do you guys have your machine set up for general stitching.

I love that seam ripper with the magnifier glass, where did you get it???

[My lil friend]

DBlain,your stitch length is in metrics. My PFAFF is metric (german made). 2.5 is tiny and makes ripping out a real pain. My usual stitch length is 3.5 and 4.0 for gathers and topstitching.
You can also use a crochet hook to turn things as well as a bamboo skewer. A medium sized crochet hook will give you a nice corner without poking it all the way through. Around here it is all a crochet hook is used for.

[rilysmom]

Originally Posted by DBlain

just catching up on this thread, I was so close to buying a Rowena iron, think I will refrain from that, good idea on the sharpie. my friend that taught sewing came over and she brought some good pins, glass heads, I bought a box and it does make a difference. She also bought over a little plastic thing that looks sort of like a letter opener, one side is pointy the other side is round, it's for turning things inside out, I like using it since I have been know t to use a scissor or craft tweezers and poke a hole in the end.

I am not sure if sewing machine stitch lengths are universal. Mine goes from .5 to 5 it seems factory set at 2.5 which I am starting to think of is to short. What length do you guys have your machine set up for general stitching.

I love that seam ripper with the magnifier glass, where did you get it???

It also has a led light...I got it at Hancock Fabric, but Joann's has it too. It was only $9.99. So does Amazon.

[rilysmom]

Also...

Below is what I use to turn things. I think it is called "clip and turn" or "easy turners" or something like that. I love it.

[kjc]

This Rowenta Iron issue has me thinking... I bought the $185.00 model on sale... my cats destoyed my cheaper Rowenta by bouncing it on the floor too many times.

It is totally different than my first two Rowentas, and I didn't like it at all, at first, so I sat down and reread the instructions a few times and learned how to use the newer features on it, and now I'm quite proficient at making it do what I want, when I want, lol. I like it better than my first two, although it took a bit of getting used to.

At first I felt weird for not liking a more expensive iron... now I'm feeling weird bc nobody else likes theirs? Am I missing something here? Lol!

[rilysmom]

I have two Rowenta irons...I just can't make myself like them.

[ldcox29]

I use a Rowenta travel iron that we got free with our full size Rowenta. Our full size Rowenta crapped out on us, but the travel one is going strong and I have dropped that thing, I even broke off a corner of it and it doesn't sit right anymore. But I'll use it till it quits on me. I think our big Rowenta stopped working for us because we didn't use distilled water in it. In SA our water is very "hard" we have a lot of lime and minerals in it. I think it clogged up the iron.

[southernbelle04]

Originally Posted by rilysmom

It also has a led light...I got it at Hancock Fabric, but Joann's has it too. It was only $9.99. So does Amazon.

I saw these at the register the other day at Hancock. I picked one up to check it out. It was very cool!

[kjc]

Originally Posted by ldcox29

I use a Rowenta travel iron that we got free with our full size Rowenta. Our full size Rowenta crapped out on us, but the travel one is going strong and I have dropped that thing, I even broke off a corner of it and it doesn't sit right anymore. But I'll use it till it quits on me. I think our big Rowenta stopped working for us because we didn't use distilled water in it. In SA our water is very "hard" we have a lot of lime and minerals in it. I think it clogged up the iron.

The instructions on my iron say to use tap water only... I know the older irons required distilled water. I have to get into the habit of cleaning the iron more often... lol... add that to my list.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by rilysmom

I have two Rowenta irons...I just can't make myself like them.

Oh I remember now... I really didn't like my last Rowenta either... bad balance issues (cats didn't help either, lol) and seemed to get clogged up rather quickly. I was trying to decide on another brand, but then I found a more expensive Rowenta on sale for a really great price and thought I'd try Rowenta one more time. I haven't had this one for too long, but it sits better and hasn't clogged yet! So I'll see... still under scrutiny ...

[chattiesmom]

I spent a ridiculous amount of $$ on a Rowenta iron. I use my iron so much in my sewing that I was going through at least one per year of the cheapie irons. I thought that by purchasing a "respected" name in irons and getting one from their upper line that I would have an iron that would be with me for many years. I thought wrong. My Rowenta lasted about a year. So now I buy light weight cheapie models and when they don't work anymore I head to the Wallyworld.

[chattiesmom]

Originally Posted by My lil friend

The 401A is the machine that I learned on. It is the machine that I prefer over any other machine. To Singer collectors it is considered the BEST that Singer has ever offered. I have several things in my home that my mother made with her 401A for me when she was pregnant with me,including a Raggedy Ann and Andy.

Have you gotten all of the tophat cams for it? The buttonholer and the monogrammer? Soooo much fun!!!

I have a couple of the cams but I haven't used them yet. I need to make some time to "play".

[rilysmom]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

I spent a ridiculous amount of $$ on a Rowenta iron. I use my iron so much in my sewing that I was going through at least one per year of the cheapie irons. I thought that by purchasing a "respected" name in irons and getting one from their upper line that I would have an iron that would be with me for many years. I thought wrong. My Rowenta lasted about a year. So now I buy light weight cheapie models and when they don't work anymore I head to the Wallyworld.

I am with you 100%. The best iron I ever had was a Black & Decker which cost less than $20. I used it for years then gave it to my daughter when I got my first Rowenta.....big mistake. My daughter still has it.
I do try to get a model that turns its self off because I am bad to forget.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

I spent a ridiculous amount of $$ on a Rowenta iron. I use my iron so much in my sewing that I was going through at least one per year of the cheapie irons. I thought that by purchasing a "respected" name in irons and getting one from their upper line that I would have an iron that would be with me for many years. I thought wrong. My Rowenta lasted about a year. So now I buy light weight cheapie models and when they don't work anymore I head to the Wallyworld.

Yup, I hate mine too. I don't even know where it is now. At first the spray and steam feature worked so well, then nothing. And it's so heavy!