Top Sewing Tools | Updated List of Helpful Tools for Sewing Your Own Clothes! 🧵

[@cleow]

Do you have a favorite garment sewing tool not shared here? I'd love to learn what *you* like! 💜✨

[@LisaHathaway]

Before I acquired hem clips, I used good ol' fashioned Goody bobby pins to hold hems in place. Oh, and old sad irons make great pattern weights.

[@cleow]

Bobby pins for hems!! Love this tip thank you!

[@pamackenzie]

Very informative video, thank you. My husband cut a few different sizes of dowels in half lengthwise (or just cut enough off so that it can lay flat) for me to use as pressing aids. It's very effective for pressing inside-out tube shapes like sleeves or tie belts. It presses the seam without leaving an imprint on the right side. They are also helpful for hand stitching so you don't catch the opposite side of the sleeve - not something I use all of the time, but it's brilliant for say hand felling a sleeve seam.

[@barbaralong4362]

The hot hammer was such a game changer for me

[@justtere]

16:27 Why would you not want to use it? The width is exactly 5/8", which is incredibly helpful. I also learned that the hole at the end is for it to be used to draw a perfect circle up to six inches (the length of the gauge) which is up to 12". Perfect for making not just circles, but half and quarter circles. Who needs a compass if you have a seam gauge? Most homes of crafters have a seam gauge, but few have compasses handy. Who needs a plate or something similar? I collect trivia in my head so much there's no room for the important stuff. 😂😂

[@prosie1968]

You can use commercial needle cases for a hump jumper.

[@cleow]

Ah yes, such a great tip, thank you! Reuse those needle cases!

[@Zyswest]

i really appreciate your inclusion of captions in your video! thank you

[@cleow]

My pleasure! I am glad it’s helpful! 💜🙏

[@JodieRoberts-zr5cd]

The women’s garden dress and blouse by Frux Studio has been on my mind for some of the poplin I bought from Core Fabrics. The pattern was just released and I’m really excited to sew it up. I also bought a kit for the terrazzo dress out of black poplin for the fall. Thanks for sharing all your makes, Heather!

[@wlmcfarl]

I love your list. I totally agree with the pattern notcher. I see so few people using or suggesting one. It makes it so much easier to get everything marked when cutting out.

[@cleow]

I totally agree! 🙏✨

[@sherrelstroot3034]

Oh my goodness; I didn't realize that you are a "Lefty"! That's so helpful for me.

[@cleow]

So glad to hear this!! ☺️💜

[@nathaliepalladino4128]

Happy New Year to you, I’m so happy to see you and hope that you have been well and happy ❤

[@cleow]

Thank you so much, and happy new year to you, too! ☀

[@blufaerie]

Love this video. I keep my embroidery snips on a lanyard/ribbon around my neck while I’m sewing because I hate having to find it!😂 I also love my seam gauge and my Hot Hemmer! Hems and I do not get along and those tools help! One you didn’t mention that I love is my pair of pinking shears.

[@cleow]

On a lanyard--smart! I'd do that with a seam gauge, too. 😆 I love the tip for pinking shears, too! I think I need a better quality pinking shear. Do you use it to prevent fraying mostly, or for another reason?

[@katherinebarbery1762]

Love seeing you use old irons as weights i have two of them for the same purpose,when not in use for sewing,i used them as doorstops😊😊😊

[@cleow]

They do make great doorstops, yes! 😄

[@thesouthernseamstress]

Super helpful video. Thanks for sharing! Now I need to go do a little tool shopping!🥰 Lisa

[@cleow]

Have fun!!

[@SharonMasciana]

Thanks for your insights on the tools you use -- I picked up some great insights from you.

[@cleow]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pammolling5034]

I just bought the 9 inch and love them.

[@cleow]

Awesome to hear this!! ✨💜

[@sandimcp]

Wow. That was super helpful. Thanks for sharing this. This is a great list. I love the idea of using a beautiful ceramic bowl to catch clips. A brilliant way to add another pop of color and style. Hi from Kingston, Jamaica! 🙂

[@cleow]

Yes, thank you! I also love adding in those items for the color and different ways of re-using existing things in the home. I love Jamaica, thank you for your note! 💜✨

[@joyceaitchison5900]

Wonderful so helpful.

[@cleow]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nimaflorio5502]

For the LDH rotary cutter, how often do you find you have to change the blades! Thanks for a wonderful video!

[@cleow]

I can go months! Not sure exactly how often it worked out to be, but I bought a five pack of blades that lasted at least a couple of years! Thanks for your kind note! ✨💜

[@RobinIsSewin]

Excellent list, thank you!

[@cleow]

My pleasure!

[@7HoofsforYHWH]

So helpful thank you.

[@cleow]

So glad it was helpful! 💜

[@pilarmorgan9288]

Great video...thank you!

[@cleow]

Thank *you*! 💜

[@catofthecastle1681]

Instead of beautiful wall paper or paint, I line the walls around my sewing machine area with brown Kraft paper! I pin stuff on it, write notes and do math all over it! When it’s too marked up, I toss it, I just thumbtack a new strip up and start again! The Kraft paper is so cheap! I got the idea from Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gylenhall. They use it in their home and people write stuff on it when they visit!

[@cleow]

Love this idea!! 💜✨

[@kaarenmatthewson8241]

I love your list Cleo thankyou. Do you also use the pattern notcher for fabric not just the pattern?

[@cleow]

Oh yes, great question and I think you definitely can! I do wonder if it would dull them, and then be ineffective, though. Also, I tend to play it safe and only want to snip the smallest possible notch I can on the actual fabric. (I have cut too far into the seam allowance in the past! 😂)

[@margueritewilson8960]

I have been on the fence about a pattern notcher because it doesn’t cut a notch in the fabric too but will buy one now that I have seen how you use it. Thank you

[@gretchennahas5994]

I don’t have the circle felt part that goes under my thread spool should I replace it?

[@cleow]

Not necessarily!

[@marciacabral9748]

I miss your videos...

[@cleow]

Thank you so much! I miss them, too. 😄 A lot of ideas and not enough time at the moment but I am still here! 🙏✨

[@marciacabral9748]

@@cleow ☺☺