We’re nearing the end of our fantastic 12 Days of Giveaways–but don’t worry, you still have four more days to enter, including a fabulous extra-enormous giveaway for 12 winners on Friday! Stay tuned! Yesterday we asked what your sewing resolution for 2013 is, and the lucky winner is Melissa, who said: “My resolution is to learn applique and reverse applique well enough to put my own spin on it!” That sounds like a great technique to tackle, and we hope you enjoy the fun calendar!
Today we have a great prize–a veritable smorgasbord of batting, fusible web and more from The Warm Company. The sampler includes 13 samples of Warm Company products to play with, including Warm & Natural, Steam-a-Seam and Warm Fleece. Just think of all the fun you’ll have trying them out! For a chance to win, answer the following question in the comments section below: What sewing tool or notion is your sewing secret weapon? What tool do you turn to for great results?
Enter by tomorrow morning, when we’ll choose a lucky winner at random–good luck!
Not a secret weapon, but definitely my right hand man – my seam ripper. Cuts through boo-boos like butter and helps me keep my sanity when I screw up and Im almost done!
I love my special feet. Using the right foot for the job sure makes a difference in your results. My husband thinks I am nuts for buying all those feet. They are worth it.
Lol… no it is no secret weapon, but I too love my seam ripper. I even use it to cut my jump stitches on my machine embroidery.
I love my hooping aid, it holds my hoop so i can get everything lined up perfectly!!
My secret weapon in the sewing room is a good pair of scissors! I like my spring loaded Fiskars pair.
I love the spray adhesive… because I really dislike hooping! But, I’m really new to sewing, embroidery and applique so maybe one day I will get the hang of it. My next project, after the new year is going to be a blanket for my 3 year old! Wish me luck!
-Stacey Miller in NC (Mommyto Davis on FB)
My secret tool is actually blue painters tape- I use it for everything- it’s perfect for marking elastic, dots and darts- it leaves no residue and comes off easily- it is also great on the bottom of my presser feet when sewing with sticky fabrics (like waterproof ones) glides right over it! I have to hide it from my 3 y/o because she loves blue tape too.
Would have to be my seam ripper. I am a new quilter so its gotten a lot of use.
My secret weapon is also my seam ripper. I don’t know what I would do without it. I have several, and I use every one of them a lot! I’m a newbie at sewing and quilting.
A good seam ripper will never go of place, because we all need them no matter how good a seamstress you are. Good cutting scissors or sheers will never go out of place either (unless gremlins get a hold of them and cut something other than fabric)!
Tearaway stabilizer, if the fabric is the least bit off grain or too thin to applique,it keeps it neat. I used to use typing paper but have moved on
My secret weapon is my tube turner. I seem to make a lot of things I have to turn out. The tube turner saves so much time. Love it!
The chalk markers with the wheel like the old dart markers….and freezer paper….both help make precision much better!!
My stiletto. I never understood why I would want one until I used it and now I wouldn’t sew without it.
My binding ruler is my most favorite tool these days. Second favorite tool is my seam ripper. Those two tools just seem to go together when I am working on a quilt.
My essential tool for when I need to ‘adjust’ something I have sewn is my handy dandy seam ripper; my essential tool for all my sewing is a new machine needle with each new large project.
Love my wooden chopstick, it works great for turning things right side out, and for poking out corners on things after they are turned right side out
My seam ripper. It opens buttonholes and rips out, um, things I didn’t mean to sew.
Stabilizer! All different kinds of stabilizers depending on what I’m trying to sew — especially on tiny little seams that need more support to make it through the machine as I sew.
My seam ripper is my secret weapon since it quickly removes my mistakes and it also occasionally acts as a stiletto for me when I don’t feel like digging in my sewing box to find the real stiletto.
The only ‘secret’ weapon I have is lots of patience as I am trying to relearn how to sew after not doing it for so many years. The physical equipment would either be my trusty seam ripper or my good sharp sewing scissors.
I’m very glad to see that other people have a love affair with their seam ripper, too! hehe We’ve had some good fun, my seam ripper and I- and it never judges me (or my stitches
). Wish I could find it, though- no idea what I did with it! 
My favourite sewing tool is built right into my fantastic sewing machine: thread cutter. It is truly amazing how much time it saves in the long run, there is no thread waste and no awkward maneuvers trying to get scissors in there to make the cut!
I know my long, thin tweezers for my serger gets used so often, for many things…tucking fabric under the machine foot, holding edges in place, turning things inside out….so many uses.
A plain old razor blade to use on difficult seams and hems! It is sturdy, works well, and they are very cheap.
My secret weapon is a sharp pair of shears. It makes cutting fabric much easier than trying to cut with a dull pair.
My marking pens that are removed with a quick swipe of a steam iron! I can use it not only for marking quilting designs, but they’re great for marking items on garments; no more having to wash marks out!
I use Niagara spray starch to keep my fabric pieces nice & crisp & the end result is a better block that is truer to size by starching first.
My favorite sewing tool is my computer. When I am working on a project and forget how to do something, not sure how to do something or just need inspiration I come to my computer and go to places like web sites, you-tube or blogs and can solve my problems.
My chalk pen – I use it constantly for all sorts of things.
My Clover stiletto is a life saver. It saves my fingers so the machine needle can’t get them.
I cannot function at my machine without my long bent-end tweezers. They serve as tweezers, stiletto, holder, and so many more things.
I like my tiny, snippy scissors for clipping threads and errant stitches, trimming little bits. I think the ones I use most often are technically nail scissors, but I also have a new cute pair with a squishy handle and some old embroidery scissors.
Maybe not what you were thinking but my husband bought me an Ellissimo Gold this year and I think that is my new secret wepon! Who could go wrong with a machine like that?
I am making my first quilt (for quilt for Kids) so the first thing that I got and, is being a blessing, is a rotary cutter. It is the best invention ever! I do not think I could do it with a regular scissor. I also got a special cutter to cut in circles and I hope to use it to do lots of yo-yos for fun projects I have in mind.
My secret weapon is my pair of sharp scissors. I can’t function without them. I rarely get great results. I’m a beginner and need a lot of hand holding.
My not so secret weapon is my Embroidery Machine it allows me to get a lot of wow’s from family & friends. , my favorite tool for great results is my rulers – they allow me to fussy cut or put a design in the exact spot I want it to go, also allows me to make the best use of materials.
My favorite tool is my brown handled seam ripper – great for “unsewing.”
My favorite tool is a small lint roller since I do a lot of applique it picks up all the loose threads, fabrics and makes my work look it’s best.
Probably it is my intuition. It applies to all steps of the process, such as buying enough fabric, choosing what I like, disregarding the tedious reading of pattern instructions, and appreciating my humble 1955 Elna Supermatic.
my applique scissors…just could not do with them…and a dear friend gave them to me so I always think about her.
Ellen
The point turner -love to use this for getting sharp corners and points!
My go to is my 6″x24″ clear measuring ruler. I love it and I use for almost every project. I just got a frixion pen and I am starting to really enjoy watching the ink disappear when I iron it.
I can’t get by without my scissors. I must have 30 pair but you can never have too many can you? So many different ones for different jobs. I include rotary cutters in with my scissors too.
I’d have to say my seam ripper as well. I recently saw an all-in-one tool that might be handy, since these little things go missing often. It’s on my wish list!
My tiny scissors, I They are my musthave
To keep my sewing room clean and to pickup after every project… Is this even possible.
I really like my rotary cutter.
Couldn’t do without my bottle of Fray-Check.
My favorite tool is my smallest rotary cutter. It is a very efficient seam ripper.