Favourite tools?

[nou]

I was just marking out some pieces for the next stage of my embroidered trousers earlier, and thought I’d take a few photos to show the usefulness of one of my favourite sewing tools... a mechanical chalk pencil. It makes such precise lines! The fabric in the photos below (click to embiggen) is linen, which is bumpy and not all that easy to draw on, but look how clear the lines are! And it’s plain white chalk, so it just washes out.

The one I have is made by Bohin, and the chalk refills come in different colours, but I’ve only ever used white. I find it useful for both embroidery and clothes-making.

What are some of your favourite sewing-related tools?

Comments

[fred_mouse]

My absolutely favourite, accidental acquisition, is a bodkin -- useful for threading elastic and ribbon through narrow casings, and also for turning, ...., umm the things where you get a narrow piece of fabric, fold it in half, and sew along one short edge and the long edge... turning them right side out.

[nou]

I know this one, from many watchings of the Great British Sewing Bee! The name for the things is “rouleau loops”.

For less-narrow casings I use a skewer that has a loop at one end (see photo [not mine] of loopy skewer). Baste the elastic to the loop then thread the skewer along the casing, then remove the basting once the end of the elastic has reached the other end.