Turning Tool Collection Every Sewist Should Have

In my work with new sewers and the charity sewing that has grabbed my heart (Days for Girls –  making feminine hygiene kits for girls and women around the world), these 4 sewing notions have become my NEW BEST FRIENDS!

I now have a collection of these 4 tools at EVERY Sewing Machine, and at each PRESSING STATION, and in bags for traveling to Days for Girls Workshops.  Want to know more about this charity ?  go to www.daysforgirls.org. No kidding – these tools are inexpensive but SO SO SO valuable!  Let me tell you about their wonderful features…..

EASY THREADER

You saw this in the recent post on Hair Scrunchies.  Using this tool has made this SO SO SO much easier for the girls!  I had them use them ALSO to pull elastic through the channel for their Denim Skirts.  The length of it and the Eye at the end just make it easier than the LARGE SAFETY PIN method I’m sure we were all taught and have used for years.  If the EYE isn’t large enough for what you need to pull through (like 1″ elastic), just stitch a piece of ribbon to the elastic, and put the ribbon through the hole.  Even for smart Mamas – this tool can easily rethread the cord through Yoga Pants or Hoodies!

BALL POINT BODKIN

This one has been around a long time, and though I know it has an eye on one end, I hardly ever make use of it as a bodkin…rather it is the metal BALL on the end that I find the most useful for SAFELY getting corners ‘poked out’ nicely.  The ball prevents actually tearing through the fabric when turning corners.  Especially for new sewers who don’t appreciate how easy it is to poke THROUGH fabric if too much pressure is applied, this tool is GREAT.  On the Days for Girls shields, I use this on the ‘wings’ which have rounded corners as you see I have it placed below.  Using this tool would have happened poking it into the rounded corners on the INSIDE.

ball Point Bodkin safe for these rounded corners on Days for Girls Shield

POINT TURNER CREASER

This one reminds me of the white thing in my parakeet’s cage for sharpening his bill.  Anyway – it is really a GREAT tool for poking out corners sharply, IF IF IF you appreciate that it still can go right through the fabric if you push too hard.  I like it much better than the Bamboo Turner of the same shape – which I find totally too sharp.  You can also use it as a pressing tool – just to use with pressure to press something open or flat.  I don’t have a pic, but I KNOW I used this tool on these corners of the collar of my Amethyst Silk Dress (which I get to wear to tonight to a Valentine’s Dance).  Works GREAT!

LOOP TURNER

Oh my!  The many times this one has ‘saved’ me (or one of my new sewers with a distressed look on her face).  With the hook on the end, you can go into a tube of fabric that has been turned to ‘hook’ onto the elastic or other fabric that has gotten ‘lost’.  It can also turn a skinny tube quite nicely (spaghetti straps), and with the loop on the end, that gives you something to hang onto.

I regret not having photos to include on how each works, but honestly, it is 70 degrees here in TN today and the painters came all the sudden to get the kitchen doors and drawers to spray paint outside.  I have had painting my kitchen  –  SORELY needed in our new (old) home) on my mental TO DO list for months.  But YEAH, I decided to get a quote, and we just went for it.  NOW, all I have to do is paint the INSIDES of the cabinets and prepare the cabinets for THEM to paint – so off I go to that work right now.  But just thinking about all the EXTRA time I’ll have to sew and create – YEZZA!!!!

SEW – TREAT yourself to at least ONE set of these tools!  Click HERE to order.  With shipping, I really recommend at least 2 sets because, if you’re like me when you sew, tools like these seem to grow feet and run away to hide!