What is it? – The venerable tracing wheel. The first one I ever saw was as a youngster looking through my grandmother’s sewing basket. I thought it was there by mistake. It was obviously a toy. What could a stick and a wheel possibly have to do with sewing? Fast forward a few decades and… Read More Tracing Wheels
What is it? – No tools are more basic to sewing than needles are. They existed even before thread and fabric as our ancient ancestors used pointed objects to perforate hides so they could be laced together with leather cords. Centuries of technology later we have highly advanced, modern hand sewing needles that do basically… Read More Hand Sewing Needles
What is it? – Thimbles in one form or another have been around a long as needles have. Ancient sewing artifacts include “press stones”, the precursor to modern thimbles. Almost 2500 years ago residents of the Mediterranean area were using more familiar shaped bronze thimbles. Why? Well, whether you’re pushing a spike through animal hides… Read More Thimbles
What is it? – Let’s face it, a lot of sewing is just basic construction. You start out with a set of tools, some fabric and an intended pattern. Then you add your own creative expression and that’s what makes it yours. One of the materials used by sewers in virtually every genre is bias… Read More Bias Tape
What is it? – Pressing is an essential part of most sewing and many craft projects. Pressing during sewing construction creates accurate assembled pieces which match up beautifully into quilt, fashion, heirloom or home decor finished projects. Unfortunately, the modern pressing tools available to us do not always provide the specific features and capabilities we… Read More Wedge Iron
What is it? – Almost everything we do in sewing or quilting requires measuring, marking and cutting. Because it is so important to our resulting project, we go to great lengths to make very precise measurements. But once we arrive at that measured point, how do we mark it? How do we identify a… Read More Chalk Marking Tools
What is it? – Interfacing is used in many sewing and craft projects to provide extra support, body, reinforcement or shape. Basically it enhances our creative potential by allowing us to do things beyond the capability of the fabric alone. A fusible interfacing is a specific type of interfacing that has a heat activated… Read More Fusibles
What is it? – Few knitting tools are more useful than a quality interchangeable circular knitting needle assortment. At home or on the road it’s like having a knitting shop in a case. With all the component parts you can create the perfect knitting tool to fit virtually any intended project. To make the… Read More Takumi Interchangeables