Sewing Tips - Sewing Tools 

Hi Sewing Friends:

Often the supplies and tools that I use in my sewing room don’t come from a sewing related store or notions department.

Two of my favorite supplies come from the medical supply store.

Sewing Pattern Tracing Paper 

Exam Table Paper 

To draft or trace sewing patterns, I prefer to use Exam Table Paper that the Doctors use.  I lke the smooth, white type of paper that comes 21 inches wide.  It comes on a roll with 225 feet of paper per roll. 

This roll will last a long time and is just the right size to trace patterns.  You can see through it, but it is sturdier than gift wrap tissue paper.  Plus, it isn’t nearly as expensive as pattern tracing paper.

Keep the smaller pieces and use them to make pattern alterations. 

Exam paper is great to use to cut out slippery fabric.  Tape the ends of the paper to the cutting table.  Then, pin the fabric to the paper and cut out both the fabric and paper at the same time. 

Use strips of this paper at the sewing machine to help in stitching a fabric. 

Wax Paper

You might like to try wax paper from your kitchen also.  Press double sheets of wax paper together to make it stronger.  The iron melts the wax and seals the 2 layers together.  Doesn’t hurt your iron either.  Overlap sheets, press and seal, to make wider sheets of paper. 

Use a needlepoint tracing wheel to trace your patterns onto wax paper.  In other words, lay the wax paper under the pattern you want to trace.  The tracing wheel punches holes in the paper so you can see where to cut out the pattern. 

This works best on a cardboard cutting mat or a cork top table.  (See How To Make A Cutting Mat That Doesn’t Slip)

Paper Tape

The other medical product that I use a lot is 3M Micropore White Tape 1/2″ x 10 yds.  It is a paper tape that you can press over and won’t melt like cellophane tape.  You can also find this tape in the local drug store. 

Use the paper tape as a 1/2 inch stitching guide.  Try it in your next zipper application when you topstitch.  The tape doesn’t leave a residue on the garment when it is removed.

Use it to mark the wrong side of your fabric instead of masking tape. 

Sometimes I stick a piece of tape with a note on it inside the garment pieces to remind me to make 1/4 inch seams if that is what I cut.  It is so easy to forget and make 5/8″ seams.  Ask me how I know.

Where are the best sewing tools?

There are lots of places we can find tools and supplies to help us in our sewing.  I use a lot of my husband’s tools, office supplies and cooking tools as sewing aids.  Sometimes you might find just what you need in the trash!  Whatever works! 

Pressing Seam Rolls

Empty cardboard tubes are great pressing tools.  Pick up a long one from the drapery department to help press leg seams on pants.  Use shorter cardboard tubes that are more sturdy (not flimsy, soft cardboard) to press shorter seams like sleeves, etc.  You don’t even need to cover these. 

Roll up some old magazines, tape to hold them together and cover them with a piece of cotton fabric to make an excellent seam roll.  Be careful of the magazine dyes bleeding through.  Cover well and test!  I made one in the early ’60s and still use it.  Hmmm!  Wonder if those magazines are worth anything today?

What do you use?

What are some of the “tools” that you find useful?  Please share with us.

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 at 6:35 pm and is filed under Sewing Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.