Multi-Tasking Sewing Notions

About three years ago I was at a quilt show in New Hampshire when I found this "new" kind of seam ripper.

The woman at the booth demonstrated how it worked and I thought it was pretty clever.  As I am chronically incapable of passing up a cool sewing thingie, I handed over about $5 (I think) and snapped it up.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was in one of those beauty supply shops looking for some super-serious ginormo hair clips.  (My plan to grow out my hair has had a head-on collision with summer heat.  If I don't get it off my neck I'm going to shave my head.).  I was debating the purchase of a good pair of scissors (see paragraph above) when I saw these:



You guessed it.  Exactly the same thing.  This 3-pack was about the same as I paid for one of them in New Hampshire.  Who knew?  Now you ALL do.

PS - So these are facial razors?  I have no idea how this kind of thing would be used, am I missing something here? Come to think of it, 98%  of the stuff in those beauty supply stores looks like they require entirely too much work, effort and maintenance. However, when they can be pressed in to service as a quilting notion......

Please Stay On the Line - Your Screw Is Important To Us.

I am kind of treading water here with my canvas needle in the machine and a broken screw holding it in place. I can't work on current projects, I can't change the needle until the Porsche screw arrives, and I am not liking this at all.  I've been reading a lot of quilting  blogs and between feeling completely inadequate and resisting the urge to post corrections to usage ( a "thread draw"?  Really?  You put thread in a draw? It's   DRAWER  for heaven's sake.)  I am getting pretty cranky.  I suppose I could spend the time cleaning and organizing my sewing room.  Or my house.  (As if...)  I am downloading all kinds of podcasts and library books to keep me company on a trip home next week (woo hoo!) and trying to fix up my antique computer so that it runs a little faster than a 90-year-old on glare ice.   Not very exciting, but I guess it needs to be done.

Anticipation is both the best and worst part of anything.  I have 2 used (PRE-OWNED for you Lexus types) books somewhere in the mail, both on antique sewing and notions, nom nom nom!  Also on a truck somewhere is  this little thread caddy and pincushion from Ebay.  Speaking of Ebay, this little pair of squeeze scissors is sharp as a razor and snips thread like nobody's business.  I love them and I'm going to order another one, maybe two.

So all of this is swirling about in my universe - and none of it has shown up yet.  Where is a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies when you need them?

I Got a Screw....ing

EIGHT DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS worth of screwing.  That does not include an additional $2.39 for postage (ouch).  Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have a genuine  Bernina needle clamp screw on the way to my house, but jeeeesh, what a bite in the shorts.  This thing is so small that if you dropped it you would never see it again.  I know, I've already had the "milling to exact specifications" lecture from my husband, blah blah blah,  "you'll strip the head of the screw"  blah blah blah.  I get it.  I really do.  But lets face it, it's not like these screws are hand milled by blind nuns in Switzerland.  Whatever.  Meanwhile, I'm working on a canvas tote bag, being very careful to not break the needle because I can't replace it until my Porsche needle screw arrives.  Heaven help me if I rip open the envelope and drop the thing.....

Making Progress?

Still hard to type with this thing on my finger, but managed to finish my first purse.  I learned  a LOT.  Like 1) use a pattern next time,  and 2) when you have 4 things to measure and you measure 3 of them, it does NOT mean the 4th one is "all good to go."   I do like it, wonky shape and all, but don't imagine I will show it off. I'll use it for my own shopping and errands.  That works for me.

I managed to put a heavy-duty needle on my Bernina to sew this up and I snapped off half of the screw (head)  that holds the needle in place.  So..... I guess I'm stuck with a heavy-duty needle for a while, until I sort out whether or not I need to find a Bernina part or if  a teeny screw will do.  I'll put Joe on that, he loves a project.   Until then, I better go through my stash and find some heavy fabric for a project, huh.

Hari Kyuou - Say Goodbye (and Thank you) In Japanese

If you wonder about my long love affair with all things Japanese, here is a perfect example:   Hari Kyuou. Japanese women perform this ceremony of consolation over their broken needles and dull pins.

This from Miho Takeuchi's wonderful blog:

It was believed that  tools and utensils used roughly should become the monsters (the Gods named Tsukumogami) to attack people 100 years later. Tsukumogami, or “artifact spirit”, are a type of Japanese spirit.  According to the Tsukumogami-emaki, tsukumogami originate from items or artifacts  that have reached their 100th birthday and thus become alive and aware. Any object of this age, from swords to toys, can become a tsukumogami.

I love the thought of thanking the needles and pins for their service, and sending them off with consolation and assurances they will never do harm.  They are such vital tools to what we do, why not honor their service?

Along with consoling their broken needles, women are encouraged to console themselves and bury secrets too personal to reveal. Thanks to Miho for the above post - visit her blog and learn more about the ceremony - it is fascinating.  Studio Aika