Archive for July, 2009

A few of us here at Havel’s Sewing have been comparing notions in our sewing baskets. We’ve got a variety of needles and rulers and pins, for sure. But when it comes to our cutting tools, everyone agrees on three absolute essential cutting tools to complete your sewing kit.  We all agree, too, that Havel’s Sewing offers your best bet for great quality notions.

Three Sewing Basket Essentials:

1. A good, sharp seam ripper.

2. A snazzy thread snipper.

4 3/4″ Dura Snips on a Neck Strap

3. A pair of durable multi-use 8″ shears.

We like to have one of each product shown at our disposal, but only one seam ripper or one pair of scissors is absolutely necessary.  Over time, as your collection and assortment of tools grows, we imagine you’ll want to take advantage of our wide range of scissor sizes and angles.  Then, when you’re comparing notions with your friends, you’ll be the one with the neatest tools.  And you’ll be the one who knows where to get ‘em.

And then, there’s theme tees.  Wearing your motto for all to read is a more direct statement, certainly.  But, no one will doubt your commitment to the craft when the see what you have to say.

Or, maybe, your friends and family always see your tote bag stuffed with fat quarters, but they might need to read the message to understand why.

Do you fuel your sewing frenzies with a little caffeine?  Keep your coffee close by in a cute coffee mug made for those of us who make things.

These are just a few of our favorite sewing accessories. They don’t beat needles and thread. But we think they’re as sharp as our scissors!

On the rare days when we’re not feeling so crafty here at Havel’s Sewing, we like to jump online and browse through the ever-amazing blogosphere for ideas and inspiration. A few of our favorite fabric designers have wonderful blogs, as well as wonderful books, that keep our imaginations soaring with dreams of potential projects covering our studio counter. Havel’s Sewing would like to share a few of our favorites and extend our gratitude for their creative spirits.

Anna Maria Horner is the designer of Good Folks fabric and the author of Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing. She manages to design, sew and raise a big family AND blog on a fairly regular basis.

Amy Karol is the woman behind the blog Angry Chicken. She offers lots of great projects on her site. She is an artist and illustrator and the author of Bend the Rules Sewing. Her latest book, Bend the Rules with Fabric will be available in August 2009.

Heather Ross designs the Far Far Away fabric for Kokka from Japan. She is also the author of Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Project and Ideas for Inspired Stitching. Her blog is full of delicious photos and a peak into her life.

Jessica Jones is the designer behind Amusement Park fabric and author of the crafty blog How About Orange? You’ll find lots of inspiration and links to how-tos on her site.

For more trusty how-tos, check out J. Caroline Creative’s How-To section. You’ll also find plenty of inspired projects on her blog – and the fabric to complete them in her shop.

Once we’ve browsed through these few sites, we’re back at our sewing machines and ready to go! Now, we’d like to know: where do you get your sewing inspiration?

Here at Havel’s Sewing, we know a lot about scissor care. We know how to sharpen scissors, when to oil scissors (if you oil them) and how to prolong their cutting life by using them ONLY to cut their designated material (don’t cut paper with fabric scissors!) And now we’re curious: where do you store your scissors?

Of course, we all have a spot in our studios or sewing rooms where we keep our cutting tools. But where do you keep them while you work on a project? Is the spot in the studio or sewing room conducive to their care? Easy to reach? Fun and flirty? Boring and drab? Scissor storage might be an afterthought, if it’s a thought at all. Today, I wanted to do a little digging and find exciting scissor keepers for the scissor-keeping sewist.

First, we have fancy chatelaines. Women in history often wore these around their necks to keep track of keys and other household management items. They do seem very sturdy, and very decorative.

Many crafters have made their own. A quick search on Etsy led to a few fabulous handmade finds.

Havel’s Sewing would like to know: where do you keep your scissors?

Diane Lewandowski is the proprieter of Heritage Shoppe, a website “…devoted to promoting embroidery in all its forms.” She stitched her first stich at age five. Her mother taught her a stitch and she completed her first project – a red rabbit outline. And off she went. She caught the bug to make things.

She’s studied with masters in white work, the intricate embroidery characterized by white stiches on white material. She took lessons through the mail and met other embroiderers on the internet. She took lessons from Italy in open work and in schwalm, another form of white work, from Germany. Along the way, she developed her expertise in surface embroideries, such as ayrshire. Ms. Lewandowski is now the Chair of The Master Craftsman Program in Surface Embroidery offered by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. She sets the standards for the certification program. If you need to know what makes an embroidered piece a work of fine art, she’s the artist who can tell you.

Ms. Lewandowski recognizes that hand embroidery is a lost art. “There was a resurgence in interest twelve to fifteen years ago, but that’s leveled off in the last few years,” she says. Possible reasons for the loss of interest include the availability of machines that do more intricate work and the amount of time involved in completing a hand embroidered piece.

“It can take months, depending on the size of the project,” Lewandowski says. “And it’s very intense. You can get carpel tunnel or wreck your fingers.”

Hand care might be another reason for the decline in interest. She describes “chikan embroidery” as a lost art. “It was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s taught to kids in India at ages four and five because you can’t teach an adult. You must train hands when they’re little. And it has almost disappeared. It has disappeared,” she says. “The designs are East Indian. Gorgeous stuff.”

There are, fortunately, a select few who are still interested in the art and tradition of hand embroidery. Thus, Heritage Shoppe. Just browse through the gallery to get a feel for the amazing work people are pouring their time and energy into. It’s truly stunning.

Dianne Lewandowski is currently teaching a correspondence course through the Embroiderers’ Guild of America in the Australian embroidery technique of using wool threads on wool grounds. The result is “Molly,” the bear in the photo. Students use dollmaking techniques, as well, to make the bear by hand and machine.

To learn more about embroidery arts, read Ms. Lewandowski’s Primer.

If you cut a lot of fabric, then you’ve seen your scissors dull over a short amount of time. To put the “life” back in your favorite pair of scissors, you may want to sharpen them safely and efficiently. Lots of instructions exist on how to sharpen scissors frugally (with sandpaper, aluminum foil or a screw driver). Expensive options include the purchase of a sharpening stone or a fancy electronic scissor-sharpening machine for around $100. Havel’s Sewing would like to suggest a very reliable, reasonably-priced method.

Havel’s Sewing offers you an affordable tool designed specifically for sharpening your favorite blades: The Swiss Combo Star.

For $15.95 you can sharpen your scissors in an instant. The Swiss Combo Star features one side of steel and one side of stone. Just grip the handle and run the steel side along the length of your blade. Repeat with the stone side to smooth and clean the freshly sharpened scissor. Instructions are included with The Swiss Combo Star, as is a nice velvet pouch in which to keep the tool and instructions.

The Swiss Combo Star is a great addition to your sewing basket or craft table. Keep it near your scissors and never experience messy, dull cuts again.

Several years ago, knitting made a comeback. Knitting circles (think Stitch ‘n Bitch) popped up all over the map and the craft world was filled with lots of yarns about knitting patterns and projects (pun intended!). The handmade movement aided in the reclaimed popularity of the needle arts.

But now, it seems, sewing has made a resurgance. Always popular for some people, sewing has gained a tremendous online following. Many fabric designers are blogging, as are women who write books on crafty do-it-yourself projects. Check out our blogroll to read about those nifty gals. And check out this article on AOL about sewing’s renewed esteem: A Sewing Renaissance.

Here at Havel’s Sewing, we’re glad to see the fans – the faithful and new. Take a look at our product lines to find scissors and tools to help you in your latest sewing adventures.

Applique is the process of ironing or sewing one piece of material onto another. In order to make the object being applied, you must be very precise in cutting your fabric. The pieces used must be very carefully trimmed. Havel’s Sewing offers a variety of specialty scissors designed to make your applique projects cut close to perfection!

Our Multi-Angled Pelican Scissors (which come in right and left hand versions) provide better viewing and a more comfortable position when cutting. The Pelican “bill” lifts fabric as it trims it away.

The Curved Scissors for Iron-On Applique have a rounded blade on the bottom to keep fabric safe, while the longer handles makes cutting around corners simple.

Our Double Curved Applique Scissors feature short narrow blades with rounded tips reach into small areas without poking or tearing fabric. These are also available with pointed tips, and in both right and left hand versions.

In the applique process, you need to cut closely, with acute precision. And close cuts are what Havel’s Sewing scissors are all about. With designs for both right and left-handed sewers, and multiple angles for better control, you can’t help but stay sharp while you cut your pattern for your applique project.

Check out this video from Graspr that demonstrates how to use one of our most popular items!

Havel’s Sewing is excited to introduce our new E-Z Grip Seam Ripper. Not only is it a great new addition to the Havel’s Sewing line, but it’s a product that embodies one of the great values of our line of cutting instruments: the health of your hands.

The ergonomic design of the E-Z Grip Seam Ripper allows for greater control over the area being cut, but it also reduces the stress on your thumb and forefinger. Many sewing tools require you to grip and twist your wrist at odd angles. The Havel’s Sewing line is designed to cut closer and with more ease, therefore taking the pressure off your wrists and fingers!

A lot can be found online about ergonomic sewing stations, and we strongly believe you should care for your back and shoulders while you’re at your sewing machine. But little can be found about how, in a world of keyboards and wrist-rests, to help reduce the risk to your hands and forearms when sewing and embroidering. Havel’s Sewing products can help. Just take a look at our line of Multi-Angled Scissors to see all the solutions we’ve created to solve all sorts of cutting problems! We carry a variety of left-hand scissors and scissors with larger finger-loops for greater comfort, as well.