Multi-Tasking Sewing Notions

About three years ago I was at a quilt show in New Hampshire when I found this “new” kind of seam ripper.

The woman at the booth demonstrated how it worked and I thought it was pretty clever.  As I am chronically incapable of passing up a cool sewing thingie, I handed over about $5 (I think) and snapped it up.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was in one of those beauty supply shops looking for some super-serious ginormo hair clips.  (My plan to grow out my hair has had a head-on collision with summer heat.  If I don’t get it off my neck I’m going to shave my head.).  I was debating the purchase of a good pair of scissors (see paragraph above) when I saw these:

You guessed it.  Exactly the same thing.  This 3-pack was about the same as I paid for one of them in New Hampshire.  Who knew?  Now you ALL do.

PS – So these are facial razors?  I have no idea how this kind of thing would be used, am I missing something here? Come to think of it, 98%  of the stuff in those beauty supply stores looks like they require entirely too much work, effort and maintenance. However, when they can be pressed in to service as a quilting notion……

Please Stay On the Line – Your Screw Is Important To Us.

I am kind of treading water here with my canvas needle in the machine and a broken screw holding it in place. I can’t work on current projects, I can’t change the needle until the Porsche screw arrives, and I am not liking this at all.  I’ve been reading a lot of quilting  blogs and between feeling completely inadequate and resisting the urge to post corrections to usage ( a “thread draw”?  Really?  You put thread in a draw? It’s   DRAWER  for heaven’s sake.)  I am getting pretty cranky.  I suppose I could spend the time cleaning and organizing my sewing room.  Or my house.  (As if…)  I am downloading all kinds of podcasts and library books to keep me company on a trip home next week (woo hoo!) and trying to fix up my antique computer so that it runs a little faster than a 90-year-old on glare ice.   Not very exciting, but I guess it needs to be done.

Anticipation is both the best and worst part of anything.  I have 2 used (PRE-OWNED for you Lexus types) books somewhere in the mail, both on antique sewing and notions, nom nom nom!  Also on a truck somewhere is  this little thread caddy and pincushion from Ebay.  Speaking of Ebay, this little pair of squeeze scissors is sharp as a razor and snips thread like nobody’s business.  I love them and I’m going to order another one, maybe two.

So all of this is swirling about in my universe - and none of it has shown up yet.  Where is a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies when you need them?

I Got a Screw….ing

EIGHT DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS worth of screwing.  That does not include an additional $2.39 for postage (ouch).  Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to have a genuine  Bernina needle clamp screw on the way to my house, but jeeeesh, what a bite in the shorts.  This thing is so small that if you dropped it you would never see it again.  I know, I’ve already had the “milling to exact specifications” lecture from my husband, blah blah blah,  “you’ll strip the head of the screw”  blah blah blah.  I get it.  I really do.  But lets face it, it’s not like these screws are hand milled by blind nuns in Switzerland.  Whatever.  Meanwhile, I’m working on a canvas tote bag, being very careful to not break the needle because I can’t replace it until my Porsche needle screw arrives.  Heaven help me if I rip open the envelope and drop the thing…..