Sewing Basic Essentials!
Now, What Do I Need?
Have you ever seen the inside of a man’s toolbox or his “tool shed”?
They have EVERYTHING in there!
Some men don’t even like to use tools. It’s a guy-thing to have the latest and greatest of wrenches and sockets, shiny and new, displayed on the wall in the garage.
Ready, in case they decide to “build anything”, or fix something.
I Can Be Practical Too!
My sewing tools may not be as impressive as a chainsaw, but they do have their uses.
You must have adjustable rulers for measuring a seam allowance. They’re surgeon’s tools.
Have you ever owned a bodkin? Serious stuff….if you ever need to turn a fabric tube inside out or cord a thread through fabric channels with ease.
No home should be without!
Never forget the humble needle. Before sewing machines, that’s all they had.
Losing your needle was a serious problem before Walmart!
I Have A Passion For Scissors
Which one is your favorite scissor?
I know there are lots of new varieties on the market now. Never need sharpening….apparently never used to cut polyester.
Easy cutting, fits your hand; lightweight.
My favorite scissors are those old-fashioned black 7-inch blade ones. They can cut anything and still give a superior result.
I wouldn’t put them in the lightweight category, but they are heavy for a reason. They are deliberate!
They mean business and when sewing anything to a precise measurement, they are a must.
Now there is a pattern notcher, a type of scissor, to cut out the little “V” on the patterns. Why wouldn’t people want to do things the easy way?
You NEED this for leather and denim. There is not even a question there…..it’s a must-have!
Singer Could Sing!
Don’t ever underestimate the value of prototypes for this industry.
Where would we be now if Singer had not made the first industrial machines? Then he adapted an industrial machine for domestic use.
This opened up a whole new world.
Thanks to the great thinkers of the day we now have a gigantic industry for notions, patterns, and fabrics.
The whole clothing industry!
How Did The Clothing Industry Benefit?
I think that I am past the stage of having to HUNT for my clothes.
They would probably be very practical for the lifestyle of a cave-dweller.
We just don’t do that anymore.
Look at the clothing industry for a minute. Where would it be without the sewing machine?
Once the fabric is available, woven, it is sewn into something! It’s a mega industry!
In production numbers, China produces 24% of the world’s clothing.
Production is followed by the US at 19%, Germany at 5% and the balance is absorbed into the rest of the world.
That’s a lot of sewing machines. And sewers, designers, repairmen, work rooms, cutters!!
This is endless…. the boomerang effect on the world economy is staggering!
Speaking of designers: ever heard of Chriatian Dior? The guy from France?
In 2019 his take in the fashion industry was an eye watering 55.2 billion $$ in sales!
In one year!
And there are thousands of brands out there, mostly making a living.
I like to think that Mr Singer was a forerunner.
He saw the gap in the market and supplied the need for sewing machines.
It is actually a very simple device, and simply ingenious.
Who knew it would ignite an industry that could continue to grow for-ever.
How could it not?……. We never have anything to wear!
The Goodies That Followed…..
Have you seen Pandora’s Box for hiding all your sewing in one place?
Those cupboards open up like fantasy pop-up cards.
They hide all your supplies and partly-done projects. They hide the mess!
You can work for a while, then close it up until tomorrow!
Cleaned up for the day!
Forgive the comparison: but isn’t this like the sockets and screwdrivers displayed on the garage wall?
Probably my toolbox has lots of things in it that most people don’t use today, but you need those little white pencils for marking pattern notches.
Precise uses, precise tools.
I have used seam rippers as often as I have sewn a seam. More times than I want to admit.
“Quick unpick” was the cutesy name given them.
Let’s face it, if I messed up and sewed the seam wrong, I needed a ripper.
Take it apart, do it the right way, no use feeling sad about the lost time.
I was able to add snap fasteners onto a denim jacket and on leather pants because the market made them available to me!
They weren’t those wimpy snaps. They came in a kit with cams!
I put a wooden cutting board on the floor and hammered the fasteners in place!
I felt empowered!
Authenticity!….that’s what I was looking for!
No one knew I made those denim jeans myself.
They Made It Look Easy!
Cutting sheer and gauzy fabrics needs a cutting mat, rotary blade, and quilters’ ruler for precision.
And don’t forget the women who do quilting…..and for whom I have the greatest respect.
Their work is sooo beautiful.
I appreciate the genius and exactness that goes into their craft….. I don’t have the patience!
I use their tools though, and why wouldn’t I?
Anyone Can Do This!
My cousin made dolls and her supplies bordered on the macabre. She had eyes in a box, heads, wigs, bodies and sometimes a little voice box that said “Ma-ma”.…..
She made beautiful dolls with her tools and the results were fantastic.
Remember: tools are so smart.
They make life so much easier.
When we put our minds to using them we can do anything.
Your computer cannot make your dress; not yet anyway.
But, at least for now, we have the machines to make that dress or cover a chair or repair torn jeans.
AMEN for tools! Besides, who wouldn’t like to be the proud owner of a great sewing machine, a serger, cutting tools, gadgets, pandora cupboards, great big tables………!
ONE LAST TIP:
ALWAYS helps to read the instructions, first.
Still working on that one.
Regards, Corinne
