How often do you buy notions? Are there any that you’ve bought thinking they would be very useful and you still haven’t used? I often wonder how essential some notions and sewing gadgets are… I suppose it depends on what you do more, if it’s quilting or garment making, embroidery, etc…
I started making patchwork with almost nothing. Just my mum’s sewing basket. Scissors, thread, pins and needles. I never used a thimble for hand sewing because it bothered me and it got in the way. I couldn’t hold the needle properly with it. (Now I always use it). I remember designing a pattern on graph paper, cutting the templates, using a pencil to trace them onto the fabric and hand sewing the pieces because I wouldn’t have a clue how to use a sewing machine.
Now I love my cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler and my sewing machine (or machines I should say, about which I’ll dedicate another post). I don’t think I would even attempt to make any big patchwork project without them. Well, I would if there wasn’t really anything else. I’d say it’s like when you get a dishwasher for the first time. Once you have the dishwasher, it’s kind of hard to go back without one…You’ll wash the odd plate, that’s all.
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Compreu sovint estris per cosir? Heu comprat alguna vegada algun estri que pensaveu que us serviria molt i encara no l’heu utilitzat? Suposo que depen del que feu n’hi ha que us faran mes servei que d’altres… vaig començar a fer patchwork amb quasi res, nomes amb el que hi havia al cistell de cosir de la meva mare. Tisores, agulles, fil i para de comptar. Cosia a ma perque no tenia ni idea de cosir a maquina. Ara no crec que pogues fer-ho sense el regle, el cutter “talla-pizzes” i l’estora de tallar… Es com quan de cop tens un rentaplats, costaria tornar als temps quan no el tenies… (i si no el tens no passa res perque vas fent). Amb el temps he anat comprant mes eines que creia que em farien servei. Algunes ho han fet i d’altres no tant… Com que ultimament m’interessa cosir roba, m’he adonat que les tisores que tenia eren una perdua de temps. Per fi em vaig comprar unes SUPER TISORES de modista com aquestes:
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Over time, I have bought a few other bits and bobs. There is one tool I have been taking for granted and because I’ve become more interested in garment making, I realised I hadn’t paid attention to it. I now own a REALLY GOOD pair of dressmaker scissors like these ones:

I also love my shear scissors and embroidery ones too. I think investing in good scissors is really important, no matter whether you are only into patchwork or a more varied sewing life. My good scissors ONLY live in my sewing room, they’re not allowed to leave the room or be used for anything else. You don’t want to know the amount of scissors that have been kidnapped and never worked properly when I saw them again. Sigh. Something tells me I’m not alone here…
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Tambe m’encanten les meves tisores de zig-zag i les de brodar. Ara nomes viuen a l’habitacio de cosir i no surten d’alla per a res. La quantitat de tisores que m’han desaparegut i han tornat fetes malbe… Ai… Hi ha una cosa que vaig comrar i que encara no l’he fet servir, estic tant acostumada a fer la meva veta que no li trobo el que per fer-ho servir. Una maquineta de fer vetes:
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I do have a little thingy that I still haven’t used, just because I’m so used to not using it that I actually wonder is it any use at all!

A bias tape maker. It’s still in the box… I should try it some of these days. Do you have one? Is it worth having? Is it easy to use? And this other thingy below…
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I que me’n dieu del d’aqui sota? un peu de maquina per a cosir vetes. Vaig interntar fer-lo servir i no me’n vaig sortir. Viu al calaix. Ja ho intentare un altre dia…
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A bias binder foot. Tried to use it. Failed. Lives in the drawer. Maybe I should give it another go…
Now, as I said, I spend a fair amount of time making clothes and I’ve even taken up some alterations recently (that’s what happen when your neighbours and friends know that you have a sewing machine… but I like the challenge and I’m learning a lot at the same time, and they know I’m not a professional and that I do me besht)
so… in the dressmaking area…
I love my sewing gauge! So much better than using a measuring tape which I kept doing for ages…
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En l’area de fer roba, el que m’agrada molt es aixo, que no tinc ni idea de com se diu en catala… a “gauge” en angles (pronunciat “gueig”, com “lleig'” pero canviant la “ll” per “gu”, ja ho se, jo tampoc ho hagues dit mai…) i la rodeta per marcar patrons (que penso que tambe podria anar be per fer raviolis de pasta fresca).
Hi ha dues coses que vaig comprar fa unes setmanes i les recomano totalment. Una estora per afilar les agulles, tant de maquina com les de ma. Va perfecte! i l’afilador de fulles per al cutter rotatori (o talla pizzes que dic jo), m’encanta! (va venir d’EEUU i faig servir un adaptador, no cal convertidor per un aparell tant petit):
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and my pattern tracing wheel

A few weeks ago I bought 2 things that I’m very happy with and would recommend:

A needle sharpening pad. You can use it for your machine needles, hand sewing needles or pins. It’s great!
And another sharpening tool:

A rotary blade sharpener, after reading some reviews like this one, I decided to purchase it. I sharpened 2 old blades and I’m so happy with the result. I know I’ll save a lot of money…
There are 2 things on my wish list: I desperately need a new self-healing cutting mat which I hope to get soon. The other one will probably take a while to get… I’d love to have a dressmaker’s mannequin. I’m still deciding what would suit me best since I’m a beginner. Should I get an adjustable one or one that is my size? I’ve got a very tight budget, so I still don’t know what to do, but I’m tempted by this…
Hi ha dues coses que tinc a la llista dels desitjos. Necessito immediatament una nova estora per tallar amb el talla pizzes, i espero poder tenir-la aviat. L’altra portara una mica mes de temps… un maniqui de modista. No se que seria millor si comprar un ajustable o un de la meva mida. El pressupost es petitet i aquest d’aqui em tempta…En teniu un les que feu roba? quin em recomanarieu?
Aixi doncs, quina es la vostra experiencia amb eiens de cosir, quines son les que trobeu imprescindibles i que us agraden molt, i quines creieu que son una perdua de diners?

Have any of you got one? which one would you recommend?
So, after all my ranting, what is your experience with notions? Are there many that you find useless? which ones? Any good found that opened your eyes? what is it?
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