Top 10 Sewing Notions

September is National Sewing Month!

To kick things off, I thought I would share my top 10 sewing notions. OK, not all of them are technically notions, but whenever the sewing machine is out, so are they!

No matter if I’m hand sewing or have the machine out, whenever there are straight pins involved my magnetic pin cushion (or Grab-It) is right there! I’m a pin and thread thrower, so this is a must-have for me. When machine sewing, I can just pull out the pins and toss them in the general direction of the magnet and snap! They’re stuck! (OK, usually, sometimes my aim is not so great…but hey, I’m looking at what I’m sewing not the target)

For ages I used those little plastic boxes with lids that don’t really stay closed with compartments for bobbins. Threads everywhere! And they only held like 8 bobbins (well the small one I had did anyway). Then, at a summer stock the shop manager had recently discovered silicone bobbin rings! (they had just come out). Total game changer. No more loose threads from bobbins bobbling about. They fit just so nice and snug in their little donut. And they can hold about 24 bobbins.

I’ve also heard these referred to as “orange peels”. But no matter what you call them, they are amazing! These little strips of silicone hug any size spool of thread to keep the loose tail in check! My thread storage is…not great. It’s a shoebox sized bin with everything all jumbled together. So needless to say, when there are spools without a way to lock down the tail of the thread, there are rat’s nests and knots galore! These little dudes have been amazing at preventing a knotted mess.

Yup, chopsticks. Instead of tossing them out the next time you get carry-out, wash them and toss them in your sewing kit! They’re best at being used as a point-turner to get extra-pointy corners on collars, pillow covers, really anything with a point/corner. I’ve also used them to help turn smaller things right-side-out like tubing, cuffs, or small crafts like a needle book.

It used to be that whenever I need to change they type of needle in my machine for a different kind of fabric (jeans, stretch, etc) I would just stick the needle I took out back in the plastic container with its buddies. But then I had no idea when I was pulling out a “new” needle later if it was actually new. So, I created a needle organizer pin cushion with the type of needle and size. It has been so great! Especially if I’m switching off and on for the same project, or doing several projects in one go.

It’s available in my Spoonflower shop as a cut & sew project so you can DIY your own!

Tailor’s hams are just the best! They’re designed to help press anything on a curve–like darts or princess seams. You can also use them with a sleeve board to create a “shoulder” for pinning or pressing. And my favorite use of all: shaping a collar for a suit coat. Pin the collar around the ham, seam, and let it sit overnight to put a memory into the material. Decorate with eyes and fangs and you have a Hampire! (that may or may not look like a McNugget kid in a Halloween costume).

Tip: if you ham ever starts to go flat, you can open up the bottom seam and refill it with sawdust.

OK, it’s not technically called a “spit pen”, but it’s the short-hand I’ve heard in nearly every costume shop I’ve ever worked in, and everyone knows what it is. Their proper name is Mark-B-Gone. In reality, it’s a water-soluble pen/marker. Usually with blue ink, you can draw all over whatever you are working on, spritz it with some water and poof! It disappears! I typically use them for transferring marks from a pattern (felt tip), or to draw out an embroidery pattern (fine point).

Note: these are different from the purple ones–those disappear with exposure to air, typically in 24 hours or less.

I am a thread thrower. Having a thread catcher right next to my sewing machine helps ensure that my little snips of thread don’t end up all over the floor and in my chair wheels when I inevitably miss the trash can. Its also really handy when I’m working on a cross stich on the couch or the patio. Stay tuned to the blog for a tutorial & pattern to make your own later this month!

Hit up those back to school sales and grab some colored pencils! They are great for marking dark colored fabrics, particularly cottons (or anything that doesn’t stretch much). I have found that they don’t break nearly as easily as the marking pencils you’ll find in the notions aisle. I typically blow through the white, yellow, and orange ones first. If you only want to buy single colors, I highly recommend Prismacolors.

Another not technically a notion, but I don’t sew without it! Especially in the winter. Finding a hand lotion that is not greasy or leaves a fragrance behind on the fabric was really tough, but once I found O’Keefe’s I haven’t used anything else. It’s non greasy and fragrance-free. And if like me you get cracked knuckles or cuticles in the winter, it will help heal them faster. Using it even reduced my tailor’s callus–still not sure how I feel about that since I hate using thimbles, but it’s a feature, ha! But the real bonus is that the value sized tub will last me at least a full year!