What is the most indispensable tool in your sewing space? One item, that when you need it, can't be replaced by any other? How often do you open a drawer or a cabinet, without even thinking, to grab that one essential implement that always makes the task at hand go so much more smoothly? Goodness knows, as quilters we have, literally, no limit to the number and variety of the tools that we've amassed over the years; some large-ticket items as well as those we've shelled out smaller amounts for. If someone had asked me a couple of weeks ago what my favorite of all tools is I would have probably said my sewing machine or rotary cutter. But, the week before last, my dear daughter in law came in the sewing room to pick up Lynnleigh from Quilt Camp. She told me that she'd broken her seam ripper the day before. Without thinking, I reached in my tool drawer and handed her mine (I wasn't too concerned about being without, I have plenty more,
or so I thought.) After she left that day I started going through my accumulation of old seam rippers. Many of them were too dull to hang onto, they no longer deserved space in the drawer! Some of them were too large and some too small, these were the ones that I find uncomfortable in my hand. A few of mine were broken. Then and there they were all gathered up and went straight into the trash! This particular
Clover seam ripper is my absolute favorite of all tools. I like the sturdy cover to protect the point when it's stored, the ergonomics are perfect and it stays sharp. By all means, though, don't hesitate to discard yours when it's dull; you can do more damage using a dull tool than a sharp one. Ask me how I know! So, I challenge you: what's at the top of your list when it comes to necessary, indispensable sewing tools; and why?
Go!
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Life is Good!
8 comments:
That exact same seam ripper is my favorite! I thought I'd lost mine a while back, and it took some searching online to find another one. Luckily I found my old one after getting the new one, so I have a spare now. I don't like the ones with large bulbous handles, which are more popular these days. Dot
My current favorite seam ripper is the one that came with my Bernina. My favorite tool is probably my Karen Kay Buckley scissors. I'm not sure of the size but they have a blue/turquoise handle.
I like the same seam ripper. I like it so much I ordered four more to keep on hand because they are so small and easy to lose.
I tried to include a picture in my comment so you can see what I am talking about. My favorite tool has to be my pretty long handle tweezers. I have big hands and it is so hard for me to change needles, thread the needle, pull up the bobbin thread and many other things I have to get my hands under the throat of my machine to do. Sometimes I even use it to pick up small threads off my fabric. It is not sharp pointed, but rather the end of the tweezer is bent with a rounded tip. Beside all the useful purposes, it has the image of a woman on it and is colorful.
A small pair of thread nippers that rest by my sewing machine...I have even been known to use them as a seam ripper for short bits.
I love the Clover white ergonomic seam ripper. I get two or three at a time because I keep them in various places. They're nice and sharp, and because of arthritis I need the larger handle. My friends call him Jack, as in Jack the Ripper!
This is my favorite seam ripper too! Besides using it for it's intended purpose, I use it as a stiletto. I have several old rippers that I use to help me pin baste quilts.
Gosh, I don't even know what it is called... It looks like a mini ice pick and seems to be good for making holes in things, pushing corners out to make sharp points, pushing fabric through the machine when thicknesses slow things up, turning in applique seam allowances when preparing pieces with the iron. In a pinch I'll use my seam ripper for all those purposes too (and true, it can rip seams where my mini ice pick can't) but I still keep my pick next to the sewing machine... alone with my seam ripper.
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