Let's start with glue. Trust me...you cannot sew without a little glue and these Sewline Fabric Glue Pens are the best. Way better than pins and a whole lot less blood. I use them to tack down hems, hold pockets in place, attach waistbands, hold zippers in place...the list goes on. What makes these great...the glue goes on blue, dries clear and then washes out. I found these at a sewing store, but check your local Joann's.
Speaking of glue. If you've ever sewn one of my patterns then you will be familiar with this product. That's right...I'm talking about Unique Stitch Fabric Glue. This stuff dries clear and is PERMANENT. I mean really, really permanent...as in the fabric will tear when you try to pull it apart. Now, if you are attaching something special to a ready-made garment, this is the stuff for you. I also use it to hold things in place before sewing...but it must dry for at least an hour before sewing. A little bitty bit goes a really long way. I get mine at Joann's with a coupon.
Fabric Marking pens...who can get along without them. I used to use the standard blue water soluble pens until I found these...the Frixion Erasable Gel-Ink Pen. They are erasable with friction. What makes them even more awesome is that the ink disappears with a little bit of heat - as in your iron. Just hover your iron over the ink and it is gone, gone, gone. No more water needed. I've seen them in sewing stores and office supply stores. They come in a huge variety of colors.
While the Frixion pens are great for most uses, they do not really show up on dark fabrics. That's when I pull out this Water Soluble Pencil by Clover. That right, no more problem removing chalk from fabric. This goes on similar to chalk but disappears with water. I found my pencil at a sewing store, but check with Joann's since it is a Clover product. Don't forget the coupon!
I have lots of scissors. Scissors for cutting fabric, scissors for applique, snipping scissors, pinking scissors. All of them have a purpose, but my faves are these little snippers. These are what I use to snip threads. They have a slight curve at the pointy end so when you pull up threads to cut, they get right down to the fabric. Very sharp, too! These are made by Fiskar and were purchased at Joann's with a coupon.
Have you seen these Wonder Clips by Clover? They are perfect for holding down things that are hard to pin (and don't do well with glue). I like to use them when I need to hold something out of the way in order to stitch down something else. I got mine at Quilt Market, but I've seen them at Joann's.
I have these two specialty rulers that are really fun. The first is the Wave Edge Ruler (aka Wavy Ruler). You can find them in quilt shops or sewing stores. I think they cost around $20. One side has larger waves and the other side has smaller waves. Be sure to use the really small rotary cutting blade with this. The 45mm size is too big. This ruler is great for hems on girl's dresses and tops. Also, great for apron hems, placemats and table runners...
The other ruler I couldn't live without is the 2 1/2" Binding Buddy by June Tailor. You set the angled end on the flat end of fabric and cut with a rotary cutter. It gives you a perfect bias strip. Joann's has these and they aren't very expensive. Talk about making my life easier...
Lastly, when sewing garments or doing applique, you always need a little starch. The spray starch that comes in a can from the grocery store will flake and burn to your iron. Mary Ellen's Best Press starch will not flake or burn BUT it will starch your fabrics beautifully. AND it comes in several scents. Personally, I love the lavender, but there are others that are equally as pleasant. I usually pick mine up at Hancock's, but lots of sewing centers carry this product. It also refillable...
Sew, there you have it...a few little trinkets that (hopefully) will find their way into your stocking.
PS: I think I'm supposed to say that I was not compensated for my opinions. These really are a few of my favorite (sewing) things.
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