You probably don't know me well enough to have figured it out yet, but I'm the sort of person who values the independence that comes with being able to do things for myself. It's more than just the feeling of satisfaction that stems from completing a project. It's one of the reasons I sew, knit and crochet. It's also one of the reasons I've read the Little House series of books at least a hundred times - truly, I never tire of reading how Ma made head cheese - and why I actually purchased "Frontier House" after it aired on PBS.It's also one of the reasons that, even though I love Norm Abrams, guys like Roy Underhill and Dick Proenneke get the lion's share of my admiration. Where Norm has a special tool for every conceivable task encountered in his workshop, Roy and Dick use a limited array of hand tools and aren't above fabricating their own tools when the need arises.
You've already seen my High Tech Tube Turner and my Precision Seam Allowance Tracing Tool. Today I'm proud to present my Princess Seam Pressing Aid. This handy notion started life as a mind-challenging puzzle in the heyday of Rubik's Cube but, when covered with a towel, this perfectly sized pressing aid adds just the right amount of shaping to a standard, B cup princess seam.
You might also be interested in my Point Turner, a former shishkebab skewer on which the point has been somewhat filed down to avoid skewering my fabric...or my hand. It also doubles as a tube turner for tubes that have one end sewn shut prior to turning.
I'd be interested in hearing about your most ingenious sewing aids, but I doubt you can top my Princess Seam Pressing Aid.
I also want to take a minute to acknowledge everyone who left kind words in response to yesterday's post. It's pretty cool, isn't it, that I can whine in Snohomish, Washington, USA, and someone from Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia (Two people from Toowoomba! Who knew!) takes the time to commiserate with me. And not just Toowoomba, but from all over; like-minded people, whose comments really mean something because they know. So thank you, everyone. My husband convinced me that I did not need to throw the shirt away and, in fact, he would be very sad if I were to do so. For the time being, it remains in my wardrobe; whether or not I wear it again remains to be seen.
3 comments:
hmmm, one homemade sewing aid I wish I had heard of before I bought my puff iron, is to use a ladle instead. You can heat it on the stove, put a damp pressing cloth over it and use it on the inside of tiny puffed sleeves. I do use a small cardboard box to press my tote bags- works great for blocking them!
thanks for visiting my blog and entering my apron contest- good luck!
and ((hugs)) on y'day's post- I thought the blouse looked very nice!
The ladle is a great idea...I do make my share of small puffed sleeves! Thanks for stopping by, and for the hug...I feel better now!
I *love* the Precision Seam Allowance Tracing Tool! And to think I was going to buy one of the fancy ones! ;-) Thank you for posting about it again - now I have a custom tool with butterflies on it ;-)
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