Sewing-related products haul

I have bought some interesting stuff lately, so I decided to show you what I got and what I think about these products. Perhaps one of these products is something that your sewing room is missing?

Dritz Bobbin box

I just received these Dritz Bobbin Boxes yesterday and I love them! I bought them from Amazon and they cost £9,45 each. Since I have a lot of bobbins I got two so that I can find a place for all of my bobbins.

What I like about these boxes that they are made out of durable plastic that won’t break easily, even if you drop the box. The inside has this soft, foamy insert with bobbin slots. The bobbins stay firmly in place, even if you drop the box or turn it upside down. The bobbins can’t move at all, so even the threads stay in place so there are no thread tangles or unravelling bobbins!

Prym embroidery scissors

I have drooled after these pretty embroidery scissors for a while. Funny how it’s so easy to spend money on fabric, but 9,95 € for lasting products like these seems expensive! Anyway, I finally gave up and bought these from Nappitalo and I haven’t regretted it. These are small and sharp and the narrow tips are very useful. I love carrying them around with my sewing and showing them to people!

Clover thimble

I have many thimbles from DIY leather thimbles to an antique silver one. The problem with thimbles is often that they tend to slip out if the fit is not exactly right. Another problem arises if you happen to have long fingernails that don’t fit inside.

This Clover thimble is adjustable and it is open from the top. There is this little rim that stops the needle from slipping and the dimples keep the needle very well in place. I got myself the size M and it fits well onto my middle finger. After getting this thimble it has been my go-to thimble. The only problem is that I keep losing it!

The Clover thimble comes in sizes small and medium and costs £6.80 on Amazon.co.uk.

Fiskars Paper cutter

I picked this out at a crafts shop puzzled about its purpose. After reading the label I learned that it was a Paper Cutter.

Basically, you slide paper into this groove in this tool. The groove has a very sharp hidden blade that cuts the paper in half. I now use this when piecing together pdf patterns, since it is faster and less strenuous for hands than using scissors. Amazon.co.uk sells this tool for £4.25, so it is not an expensive investment to make if you want to save your hands.

Nuppu thin cotton sateen

Nuppu print company released this new fabric recently. Unlike their previous thinner cottons, this one is sateen and super soft and drapey. In fact, I could have mistaken it for viscose! I bought this fabric at Salapakka in Helsinki and I think it will make a beautiful blouse for me.

Right now this cotton satin price is 26,90 € per metre.

Magma sketchbook

I picked this little fashion sketchbook from a bookshop in Helsinki. It is about the size of my hand so it is easy to carry around in my purse (that’s why the book has already showing some signs of wear). I got this since often I see something inspiring when walking outside and then I forget it when I get at home. Now I can hopefully record all the ideas when I get them.

The Magma sketchbook has handy figure templates for quick and easy sketching plus some handy data at the back including size charts and fabric info. You can find this book at Amazon.co.uk for £8,95.

Fashion design sketchbook

For home sketching, a bigger sketchbook is much more useful so I got this Fashion design sketchbook. It also has figure templates and space for notes and other stuff you may want to write down. Here are some initial sketches I made when I was planning my waistcoat:

Right now at the time of writing, the sketchbook is £8,79 on Amazon.co.uk.

Fashion Patternmaking Techniques Vol. 2

The book Fashion Patternmaking Techniques Vol. 2 by Antonio Donnanno is very useful when you want to move from basic blocks to more complex garments. Especially I like that it has instructions on how to draft undergarment patterns that I like to make. There are also examples of dresses, men’s jackets, maternity wear and sleeves.

I am more and more interested in drafting my own patterns since there is not much difference in fitting a ready-made pattern and drafting your own. Right now this book is £20,99 on Amazon.co.uk.

I hope you found these products interesting! Thank you for reading and see you soon! Happy sewing!

Katja