My least favorite part of sewing is cutting out the fabric. I hate pinning all the pieces down then having to unpin them for repositioning or marking.
A few years ago I started using large utility hooks to hold my pattern pieces in place while I cut out the fabric. Utility hooks, sometimes called bike hooks or ladder hooks, are large, plastic coated metal hooks that can be found for under a dollar at any hardware or discount store. They are between 6 and 6 1/2 inches long, and come with curved and squared ends.
Because they are so large you only need a few, and the pvc coating keeps them from snagging or marring the pattern or fabric. The curved ones fit nicely into curved pattern pieces and the square ones form almost a right angle making cutting corners and curves a little easier.
I still have to pin to use scissors, but with a rotary cutter the hooks work great.
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You're thinking outside the box, very creative!
8/10/04 9:01 AM
I have heard about using empty baby food jars as weight - thoughts, or suggestions? What would you use inside the jars?
8/16/04 10:16 AM
Sewing Lady...you could fill the baby food jars with water to make them heavier, if you also saved the lids. [I don't have any kids, but aren't those baby food jar lids resealable?]
8/17/04 1:33 AM
With my luck, it would be silk and the jar would leak...I guess I would use dry beans or rice to weigh down an empty baby jar. Or for those of us without babies, maybe a small zip top sandwich bag filled with dry beans...
8/17/04 2:34 PM
For the jar option - I use the jars that hold my beans and rice for blind baking (pies etc) That way I utilise it for two hobbies in one go. Just have to make sure that the outside of the jar is always clean.
8/18/04 5:31 PM
After several attempts at other things, I find the giant flat washers available at any hardware store the best, they cost a few cents each, I got about 20. Nice because you can put them right up to the edge and the rotary cutter doesn't catch.
8/19/04 11:36 AM
I also use tuna cans or cat food cans for pattern weights. and they are CHEAP!
8/20/04 5:00 PM