For starters the wire is retractable so less likely to get damaged. When the little button on the back of the ladybird is depressed and shoved upward, the wire emerges and low and behold a tiny LED light also turns on, making the task of viewing needle eyes and threads much easier.
This 'Needle Beetle' threader has a couple of interesting components. The actual business part of the threader is a traditional thin wire but as wire threaders go? This one sports some serious improvements! For starters the wire is retractable so less likely to get damaged. When the little button on the back of the ladybird is depressed and shoved upward, the wire emerges and low and behold a tiny LED light also turns on, making the task of viewing needle eyes and threads much easier. There is also a handy thread cutter built in. For needles whose eyes are too small for my hummer threader, (See previous blog) this is a great option. If I had to choose a 'wire' based threader, this is my favourite version so far.
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This tool seems to be in use in every shop I go into now! The suction handle makes the use of large rulers much more comfortable. It applies pressure over a wider space than the human hand can spread, and helps prevent slippage. In my Tricks of the Trae classes one of the things I teach is how to inch your hand up the ruler for an even distribution of pressure and a consistent cut. This tool renders that advise un-necessary! Easy release tabs are on each end making attaching an dis-attaching a breeze. Over time the soft silicon suction cups may accumulate bits of lint or fibers making it lose 'grip'. A quick wash and they adhere as good as new. For smaller square rulers etc, one end may be used to good effect. If you cut much fabric with rulers more than 4" wide, this could be a very useful tool for you. I find mine a great help for stability and comfort and can highly recommend this tool. While wandering around quilt shops in the USA, I saw this adorable clock. It looks like it is made from ceramic, but is actually made from a strong resin. The clock is very light weight, runs with only one battery, and the little scissors swing back and forth like a pendulum. Obviously this is not an item necessary to anyone's happiness, (but fun eye-candy for quilters)! I was fortunate to have a friend who decided to gift this to me, so I'm looking forward to having such a lovely extra spot of joy in my sewing room when I get back home! Another attempt at finding a thimble replacement for good old fashion thimbles. Not everyone has the same tastes in thimbles. I'd like to say that if you enjoy this style, you will not have to pay an outrageous price for a comfy thimble! My personal choice is for a thimble that is both comfy and durable. The only problem that I have with this little beauty is that the the holes are directional. This means that a quilting needle eye has no option but to rest at a particular angle. Unfortunately for me, this means I often have to hold my finger in an awkward position, which makes quilting difficult. For me. As this review stated initially, this might be just the thimble for you, but for me- this is not a useful product. Do we need another storage solution? YES!!!In almost every shop I've gone into during the past few months I kept seeing these cute little boxes. Eventually I decided to break down and purchase one. Because I was in one place for more than a week during our travels, and could set up to quilt, I used the S&S for my scissors and such. Being able to find all my small tools without things rolling away or shuffling under bits of fabric was very helpful. Le Needle Bird(This adorable little needle threader is SO useful, especially for my aging eyes. The little 'beak' is covered in a hinged plastic which lifts back as pictured in more detail below.) The pointy nose under the cover is a small flat piece of metal with a little notch/hook in it. The bit of metal is tiny, but much stronger than the typical wire that is used in threaders. It even has a built in thread cutter in the back of its' neck! Most threaders I've used have been super thin wires attached to "something" tiny. These wires are easily distorted and the whole thing so flimsy that I usually only get a few uses before I've ruined the thing. In the past I've also purchased a very expensive little gizmo that was fiddly and complicated. How disappointing to remove that product from the package only to find it wouldn't work on quilting thread unless the needle was much bigger than I actually used. My experience with le needle bird was much more successful. Five positive things then in this product's favour. First: The bright colour (several bright colours are available.) and thicker size make this easier to keep up with. It's small enough to be easily stored, but not so tiny to be easily lost amongst other sewing gear. Second: The flat metal 'nose' is way more durable than the traditional wire, but especially useful - even with quite small needle eyes. The whole point is being able to poke a thread through the eye of a needle, without the complication of 'missing' and having wires bend all over the place. Having a protective cover adds to the durability of this threader. Third: The retail price is completely reasonable. Fourth: The threader is easy to use. No complicated instructions. When using the wire version the threader is almost as thin as the thread and hard to see, the thin metal piece is easier to see,. This makes it easier for those of us with old eyes to use. Fifth: the tool has three bonus conveniences which were un-necessary to its operation - but make this even more useful. One- an ergonomic design makes it easy to hold without slipping, there is a great thread cutter built in and there is also a tiny hole in the wing which I intend to thread onto a little cord and thereby attach this threader to my pincushion, making sure it is alway accessible and easily found! Whilst traveling around the USA I've been finding some amazing products in various quilt stores. After playing with a few, it occurred to me that it might be fun to share these with YOU! The first product I'd like to review is a rehash of something I've used and loved for years. The previous incarnation was called 'Thread heaven' and came in a tiny blue box. Production of that version has been discontinued. I was horrified to think that the quilt world had lost such a great tool. This version is called Thread Magic and as far as I can tell is identical. Silicon-based thread conditioner is something I continuously use when doing any hand quilting or needle turn appliqué. The soft silicon coats and smoothes threads, helping to make them last longer and keeps them from tangling. Especially useful on the thin threads that easily fray. This new version of this conditioner contains more product, and also has a re-designed package that makes application to a thread easier. Little slits in the top edge of the container make it possible to drag a thread through the silicon gum or gel without removing the product from the container. In the past I would pull out little balls of the gummy stuff which would then get misplace or end up mushed into the carpet. This new container addresses the deployment of the product. So glad to find that Thread Heaven hasn't gone forever and instead is now available 'new and improved'. Old sayings of my parents have haunted me this past week as I struggle to get through all my remaining UFOs;. "My eyes are bigger than my head" and that I have "Bitten off more than I can chew" seem to be easily applied to a few of these projects. I have friends who finish each quilt before starting a new one. I admire their attitude and their resolve, but absolutely cannot do what they do. Thankfully there is no necessity for everyone to manage their quilting in the same way! Some of my projects have taken years because I lost heart and shuffled them to the bottom of a pile, like the little school house quilt on my previous post. Other quilts take years because I'm not content to work on one project without intermission especially when a project takes hundreds of hours to accomplish. Yes, hundreds. Like some everlasting gobstopper quilt type project. Currently I have two of these "more than I can chew" quilts on the go. Every day I try to put in SOME time on each. Most days I can only nibble way, not really take a serious bite out of them, progress seems painfully slow. One other legacy my parents left me was a saying that often runs through my head while working on these gobstopper quilts..."You can eat an elephant one bite at a time." Eventually these projects will be done, just like some massive meal, just not in one sitting. ** disclaimer: No elephants were harmed in the production of this blog** Several old UFOs were finished last week, entitling this quilter to some PLAY time! (Not to imply I have no UFOs left, but hey, my creative muse was stirring.) During the Christchurch symposium the merchant's mall provided inspiration with some amazing ways of coloring fabrics. My Gelatos (a Faber Castell product) were purchased from Kerry of Tulis Textiles. These little beauties have proven to be incredible and WAY too fun! After playing and trying all sorts of crazy manipulations, a new class is being born. I'm thinking about naming the class 'Weak at the Knees' because the potential in these easy-to-apply colors is breathtaking. Several patterns to go along with the class have been designed and can't wait to lure some unsuspecting friends to 'try' these new and VERY satisfying creations. The other class has come about to solve the age-old question of what to do with leftover batting - (once the table runner, placemat, coaster ideas have lost their charm) It's all well and good to use the fluffy stuff in soft furnishing or plush toys, but my new playtime has found a way to put them to a more interesting use! This textural technique is addicting, and I'm finding myself stealing a few minutes here and there to add a few stitches. Happy holidays everyone! Enjoy ringing out the old year with new inspirations. Long ago and far away I started a quilt. An older lady taught me a short-cut to all that fabric cutting (back in the day we used scissors). She showed me that you could just easily snip the fabric and tear the necessary strips off. Seriously. In my naiveté I tried to make a school-house/Irish chain quilt with lots of diagonals and such, but all the original straight pieces were torn. Years later I cringed when opening the box. All those lovely stretched and warped pieces did not sew together easily and when it came to the school-house blocks things quickly went to custard. Like any good quilter, I had put it in my too-hard-for-now basket and buried it in my fabric stash only to refuse to throw it out during each move, then re-discover it again when we shifted this time. With each move I had re-discovered several items that eventually got donated to a charity shop...but I still loved the fabrics chosen for that school-house quilt and could never bring myself to toss it. I still loved the pattern. Question was, did I want to invest time and energy into making such a quilt? The pattern was not technically difficult, there were not interesting twists to make it more artistic. It would not feed my creative heart. Worse yet - it would require re-cutting, fixing and generally re-making most of what had already been finished. There was no actual purpose to the quilt. No-one waiting for it, no bed expecting it, no deadline. Do I, or do I not? Through the years these decisions have become more about my goals. Many ideas are rejected because of practical considerations. Time needs to be invested not just spent. Everything I create should serve some a purpose. Etc etc. But when it came down to a final decision, to toss this or keep it.. my general love of quilts and quilting surged. I decide that sometimes, a quilt with no actual home, no purpose, no benefit to some greater ideal could still be finished. Just for the love of quilting. Besides, someone in my family will claim it... |
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February 2024
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