Thursday Tip with Hali - Sharpening needles and pins

Do you have this tomato pincushion? Ever wonder what the little strawberry is for?

The little strawberry attached to the tomato pincushion is filled with emery powder and, similar to an emery board for filing your nails, the gently abrasive powder removes burrs from the tips of sewing needles and pins.

Why a TOMATO??

The ever popular tomato pincushion is said to have its roots in the Victorian Era when homeowners would put a fresh tomato on their mantel to guarantee prosperity by repelling evil spirits. When tomatoes were out of season it is believed families would improvise with a red fabric covered ball filled with sawdust or sand which then became a place to store pins. Although this history can’t be officially verified, it is interesting to imagine where this little tomato originated.

Thursday TipsTracy H.June 17, 2021winnipeg sewssharpening needles, sharpening pins, sewing needles, pinsComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Hand Sewing

Thursday TipsTracy H.June 10, 2021hand sewing, hand stitching, hand sewing needles, needlesComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Needle organization

There are so many ways to organize things. If you’ve ever gone down the “tidying your space” Youtube rabbit hole you know there are infinite ways to better organize your stuff. The same goes for your sewing space. I have seen several patterns out there for needle books, a way to organize and also transport your needles safely in an enclosed cloth book. I have seen many different types of color coded charts stuck into a clear binder sleeve as well. But if you are like me and just want a low cost, simple solution, here are two ways to organize your needles with things you probably already have in your sewing area.

Thursday Tip with Hali - Chain Piecing

This is a technique I (Hali) learned in a sewing workshop a few years back and it forever changed how I sew. Chain piecing is typically used in quilting but can also be applied to garment sewing. We often talk about “batch sewing” or batch cutting, which is sewing or cutting out multiple of the same garment at one time. In theory, this makes things more efficient but for some sewists it can be overwhelming to manage all those pattern pieces. Chain piecing is another way to increase efficiency and speed up certain sewing tasks while being able to focus on just one garment. And think of the thread you will save by not having to start and stop so often!

Thursday TipsTracy H.May 27, 2021winnipeg sewssewing tips, chain piecingComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Rotary Cutters vol. 2

Pro tip: Place a towel or piece of fabric on your work surface to keep all the parts from rolling away. If you accidentally drop the blade it will be much easier to pick it up off a towel than off a flat surface. Most importantly, don’t wipe the oil off a new blade! The oily surface helps the blade to glide effortlessly when cutting.

Thursday TipsTracy H.May 20, 2021Winnipeg Sewsrotary cutter, changing rotary bladeComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Rotary Cutters

Thursday TipsTracy H.May 12, 2021Winnipeg Sewslearn to sew, rotary cutter, sewing tips, sewingComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Notches

Thursday TipsTracy H.May 6, 2021winnipeg sewsnotchesComment

Thursday Tip with Hali - Tailor's Tacks

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that they have their uses. I might just be a recent convert as I (Hali) am learning to embrace the necessity and let’s be honest, efficiency/accuracy of hand sewing.

Thursday TipsTracy H.April 29, 2021winnipeg sewsTailoring, tailors tacksComment