Sewing Gadgetmania: A Red Dot Design Award winner...

Readers, I am very happy to introduce the first guest blogger: Astrid. Astrid blogs from Denmark at Frøken Hanghøj about sewing, of course. Did you know that "Frøken" means "Miss" in Danish? So, today we are about to read a Gadgetmania post by Miss Hanghøj! 


She got quite a treat for us today: a post on an award-winning sewing tool... By the way, you will need an online translation tool to read her blog, and here is the link to her blog translated by Google into English. But, first, read her Gadgetmania post...

Hi everyone! Marina let me do this blog post as a cultural-exchange post [Marina's disclaimer: this was Astrid's idea! :-)]. I found Marinas blog when I took up sewing again after a long, long break… Reading on all her posts on couture camp makes me so envious that I live too far away to participate – in Denmark.

It also makes me think that the sewing world is completely different from culture to culture. I’ve only sewn here. I’ve been to the US a few times and at one point I even brought a sewing project with me, but didn’t finish one single stitch. Too much to see! Especially in San Francisco which must be my favorite place on earth!

Denmark is well known for Danish design. And pastry (Danish!). And the little mermaid and Hans Christian Andersen. Perhaps if you’re into Scandinavian design, you’ve also heard of quite a few names in Fashion. But our sewing notions? They come from Germany. As with most other things that I buy for sewing. Even my sewing needles say ‘nädlen” in German.

So,.. sorry. This post is looking south (Denmark is located north of Germany on the world map for those who have trouble locating this small country of only around 5 million people).

I’ve picked a sewing notion that I believe is not widely known in the US. I could be mistaken though. It won a 2011 Red Dot Design Award for industry and crafts. Red Dot is a German design publishing bureau. They’re mostly known for awarding the yearly Red Dot design award to industrial design that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. Going through their web store I would like to be able to say “I’d take one of each, please!”

In this post I am introducing you to The Purple Needle Twister. Personally, I would have picked a fancier name for it. But this will do, since it’s official.

[Picture - closed]

I bought it in my favorite local sewing machine shop downtown. For around 12 USD – which is probably a bit overpriced compared to what you’d pay for something similar in the US, but here in Denmark sewing notions don’t go for cheap. Neither do fabric – we’re used to paying around 35USD easily for a scrap of wool boucle. No wonder I often think about going to Turkey or Paris just to go fabric shopping. City-hopping in Europe is a real possibility and if the financial crisis hasn’t gotten to your finances yet – also quite cheap at the moment.

So what does it do? With just a simple magnet it holds all your needles point down and lets you pick and choose the ideal-purpose needle without getting hurt. Like this:

Want to know more, here is a video from Prym, showing the tool in action!

Being someone who carries band aids with her sewing notions, I believe this has already saved me more times than I care to count. And ain’t it fancy? Who doesn’t love purple sewing notions that look like makeup. You can buy it on Red Dots website here [http://en.red-dot.org/2801.html?&cHash=e2d78a8b836d9e2eec2a042e5742466a&detail=8169] 

Did you enjoy it, readers? I must say I envy Astrid for having access to all these tools! And she said she dreams about having a tomato pincushion! Did you mean one of those, Astrid?

If, yes, than it is already packed and waiting to be mailed to Denmark! 

Back to readers, I could not find the Needle Twister in the US, but got some results on UK eBay when I googled it. If you have seen this notion in the US or Canada, please post a link or more details here!


If you enjoyed this post and also want to contribute to Gadgetmania, send me an email to mvk(dot)fashion(at)gmail(dot)com.

New BurdaStyle post: Beeswax, the Unsung Notion

Readers, yes, this time I was inspired by... beeswax. If you are asking yourself whether this notion deserves so much attention, check out the post for some tips and useful information! And if you have more to add, please feel free!

Click the badge to read the post on BurdaStyle:



What about you, where do you use beeswax in sewing?

Hand-worked Buttonhole #11

Readers, eleven buttonholes and I feel like I had an intensive Jedi training! Waxed lightsabers and the Force...

here is the result:

I am glad Yoda is not here to make me work another 989 buttonholes, because the next one will be made straight on the cape! (By the way, I know it is far from being perfect, but I got another week of relatively warm weather here and then it's over!)

Now, I wanted to thank all the commenters for being so helpful!

Suzy, you always motivated me and I really suggest you give it another try! These buttonholes get only better with practice.

Sherry, I knew you would be there to comment on yet another sewing challenge - Thanks! Readers, if you don't know Sherry, check out her blog - she hosted a great RTW Tailoring Sew-Along. Besides that, you will find many examples of great garment construction on her blog and tons of tutorials, both on RTW and couture techniques!

By the way, Sherry and Browser, I did find that video by Jeffery D earlier today and it helped a lot! It is probably the only useful video tutorial on hand-worked buttonholes!

AND don't miss this great tutorial by Paco Peralta. Paco, thank you for posting the link. In fact, I was trying to find it on your blog earlier today, but then Marie-Noele mentioned you and, then, you commented!.. Readers, I was sure Paco had something on hand-worked buttonholes - just check out his garments and impeccable construction!..

As for my cape buttonholes, I won't be testing your patience, readers, and won't post any further practice posts. I think I got the feel of it and just need to practice more. But here is one tip that helped me make some progress (of course, I am not including anything you can find in Jeffery's and Paco's tutorials) -

Focus on every stitch, but work it as part of the whole. In typography (I happened to study it), there is a process called kerning where you adjust the spacing between letters so the text looks balanced. Kerning can be tiring as you need to adjust spacing between every letter. Ed Bengiat, a great typographer and my teacher, taught me to look at three letters at a time and adjust space comparing the positive and negative spaces of the neighbouring letters. Now, in buttonholes, when you start working on you stitch, keep in mind how you did the previous one - the length, the space, the tension, everything - and make just exactly the same stitch... and another one... think how it can affect your next stitch... three stitches at a time, no distraction... patience, precision and focus is the key to making progress...


If this tip didn't inspire you, check out this insightful video (yes, I am a big Star Wars fan):

Feel the Force, readers!

My hand-worked buttonholes challenge! Yuck!

Friends, I am in the middle of a self-imposed challenge. As you may have guessed I am challenging myself to hand-worked buttonholes. Can you believe it, my cape... I quilted it using Chanel techniques, hand-felled the lining and attached the chain to make it fall better.... blah-blah-blah

Now, I wanted to have hand-worked buttonholes! Ehm, I've seen a few bloggers / home-sewers like myself, do them... and I must say, (oh forgive me my fellow seamstresses!), I haven't seen anyone who has mastered them... well, authors admit it as well...

In my foolishness, I thought I wax the tread, sew them tidily and post a tutorial here. But, friends, I got three test buttonholes on scraps and here is the result:

Yuck!.. Yuck!.. Yes, and as you can see, I lost patience with the upper edge of the buttonhole!

Yes, and I am waxing! A lot!.. By the way, I am becoming frustrated with the regular wax available for home sewers in stores... what is it, Dritz, I think. (Spoiler alert, readers! Stay tuned to learn about good stuff, it's being now packaged for me...)

Back to buttonholes: I know the basics, those posted elsewhere as well, but what's the point of creating a tute repeating the same stuff as long as the results are less than satisfactory. So, I have plunged into deep research about buttonholes and found some interesting hints. But, most importantly I am practicing and practicing and practicing....

On some forum I read someone mention 1000 buttonholes to become a pro?

Oh, I am not going to post all of those 1000 buttonholes here  just some progress. Will I ever be able to wear my cape this year?

Watch me!

Have you had any experience with hand-worked buttonholes? Post links! 

Gadgetmania updates and news

Thanks to everyone for responding to the guest blogger proposal! I got quite a few emails from you and am very excited to start the guest blogger series!

In the next few weeks, I hope, we will see posts on patternmaking rulers, fabric swatch tools, threads, needles, scissors, dress forms, and even glue... The latter is not quite a couture tool, but I think it is still interesting to learn how this guest blogger is using it in her sewing! Overall, however, the focus will be on couture sewing and related tools.

Well, I have replied to all contributors. If, by any chance I missed your proposal, please forgive me and send me a brief reminder!

The news is that from now on Gadgetmania posts will also feature couture notions, so I will be merging these two areas. In the course of this year I learned a thing or two about couture notions and am very keen to share it with you! So, stay tuned!

For those who want to contribute, please feel free to contact me at mvk(dot)fashion(at)gmail(dot)com with a line or two about the tool or notion you would like to feature! If you have any requests for the upcoming posts, go ahead, post a comment with your wish :-)


À bientôt, readers!