We had such a positive response from our 10 Essential Sewing Tools post, that we are going to write a regular column about new sewing tools, gadgets, and supplies! If you are like us, you are probably always on the look out for new products to make your sewing and craft work easier, more enjoyable and give you a professional result. Each month we will showcase a roundup of some new, or new to us, supplies. Hope you find something here to add to your wish list!
Jelly Clip Purse Frames
Jelly Clip Purse Frames from Lecien are so vibrant and colourful! They are perfect for making one of a kind purses from your favourite fabrics. They come with a full sized pattern and are easily sewn together. Glue is then applied to the inside of the purse frame and the fabric is inserted neatly. The frame comes with paper string that can also be inserted if needed for a nice firm fit. The frames are available in three sizes – small, medium, and large. I love the bright colours in this range. These frames are a new release from Lecien and should be available soon in stores and online.
Soak is a gentle, rinse free laundry product that is perfect for washing your precious quilts, hand knits, lingerie and baby clothes. It comes in a great range of scents including yuzu, fig, lacey and celebration. It really smells divine and leaves your quilts really fresh. I road tested Soak on a pile of quilts on a recent sunny day and they washed up so well. It is very gentle and the rinse free formula is great for hand made items. You can find Soak at Sew Nana’s Place.
Olfa Rotating Self Healing Mat
The Olfa Rotating Self Healing Cutting Mat is perfect for cutting squares, triangles or tricky shapes. There is no need for awkward turning or moving of materials, you can simple rotate the mat 360 degrees. The base is non slip (the black base pictured above) and it makes it so much easier to cut those smaller shapes. I bought my mat from Massdrop – an online group buying community. We really recommend the rotating mat for anyone who enjoys quilting.
Sublime Stitching Fine Tip Transfer Pen
The Sublime Stitching Fine Tip Transfer Pen is perfect for transferring a stitching design onto fabric. You simply trace your design onto paper and then transfer the design to preheated fabric with a hot, dry iron. It couldn’t be easier! You can even make multiple imprints from the same transfer. The nib is extra fine (only 0.5 mm) which means that the lines are easily hidden by your embroidery stitches. The pens are available in five colours (red, blue, orange, green, and black). I have only tried the black so far and it works extremely well. It is the best transfer pen I have ever used. I can’t show you my results just yet, but trust me, it is very effective. You can find the pens at Sublime Stitching.
Hiroshima is the largest producer of needles in Japan. Like everything Japanese, Tulip Hiroshima Needles are beautifully packages and come in a small glass tube inside a lovely box. Tulip Hiroshima Needles have a polished finish which results in them passing through fabric smoothly. They are flexible and warp resistant which is a big plus for embroidery and quilting needles. The eye of the needle is a little larger which is great for easy threading. The needles come in a range of types depending on the purpose – embroidery, quilting, applique, sashiko, sewing needles and more. I have been using these needles in a variety of projects over the past few weeks and they are really make a difference. You can find Tulip Hiroshima Needles at Sew Nana’s Place.
Check out our 10 Sewing Tool Essentials for details of other new sewing tools and gadgets.
Disclaimer: Thanks to the following brands and stores for sending us products to review – Lecien, Sew Nana’s Place, and Sublime Stitching. All opinions are our own.
liz n. says
I adore Hiroshima milliners and sashiko needles! I’m still loyal to Piecemakers betweens for hand quilting, and I doubt I’ll ever change from them. I’ve been using the Sublime pen lately, and while it does let you mark a much thinner line than any other marking pen I’ve used, I still find myself going back to .5 mechanical lead pencils for tracing embroidery patterns. Perfect for getting that super-fine line.
And I absolutely MUST HAVE those purse frames! TOO cute!
A Spoonful of Sugar says
I haven’t tried the Piecemakers needles as yet. With the sublime pen I love that you can use the tracing multiple times which is great when you have a repeat design.
Happy Sunday!
Susan says
I have used a few of these notions. Best of all is your link to the online store “Sew Nana’s Place”. I would love to support another Australian online retailer. And she has those cute lace zippers I was after. Thanks for the link!
A Spoonful of Sugar says
Thanks Susan – Janet from Sew Nana’s Place is lovely. She takes a lot of care when packaging her items to sell. It is great to support small Aussie businesses.
Di Ross says
I love these posts. So often I see things on line but don’t know where to buy them. Thanks.
A Spoonful of Sugar says
I am so glad – I like to recommend stores who offer great service.There are so many fun sewing gadgets around these days!