I used to have a modern iron, and I bought this one as a back up to keep at Phillip’s house before we moved in together (I have a lot of clothes that need to be ironed). Now, this is the only one I use! It gets hot really fast and is heavier than my old (modern) one, so it presses really nicely. I also love how it doesn’t have the auto shut-off of modern irons, so I don’t have to keep turning it back on as I work. Just remember to turn it off when you’re done! The best part: I bought it at a thrift store for a whopping $5! When (and if) it dies someday, I’m going to try to find another just like it.
It seems a little silly to buy a tool just for pushing out points, but for me it really is worth the $3.50. I used to use whatever I had handy to turn points for collars, pillows, and the like (a pencil, a chopstick, etc.), until I tried one of these one day in a sewing class. It seriously works so much better! There’s no chance of pencil marks or poked-out holes in your collar, and it’s flat so it’s easy to get it all the way down to the end.
I bought these for a special project where I didn’t want pin holes, and I have been using them constantly ever since. They are for fine fabrics but I find they work great with everything-they go into the fabric very easily, are easy to pull out, and are less likely to break a needle if sewn over. They’re always the first pins I reach for now!
Magnetic Pin Plate
I made this one (tutorial coming soon!), but you can buy these magnetic pin plates at any sewing shop. They are vastly superior to pincushions and make it super easy to pull out pins as you sew. Just throw ’em on the plate and they’ll stay put!
This Seam Ripper
This Clover seam ripper is the best one I’ve tried (and I’ve had a lot in my day). It’s nice and sharp, has an easy-to hold handle and a fine point which is easy to use. This is actually my second one of these seam rippers: I had one that went missing (stolen?) during a class and I HAD to go out and buy another one!
Disappearing Ink/Mark-B-Gone Marker
I’ve tried lots of marking tools (chalk, pencils, etc) and this is by far my favorite. I would always struggle with chalk and pencils breaking or leaving a very faint line. The marker always leaves a crisp, clear line (except when it’s time to get a new one) and you don’t have to press hard like you have to with some other marking tools. I use it for everything except black fabric, (when I have to resort to chalk again). The purple side has water-sensitive ink ink which gradually disappears (faster if the humidity is high) and the blue side is another type of water-sensitive ink which stays on until you put water on it. I have heard that the marks can become permanent if ironed over, but I’ve never had that happen to me, even after ironing over them many times.
