I previously used 1" Lanyard Hooks; these are advertised as 15/16" in size. I naturally expected them to be almost the same size as what I had used but these are actually very TINY.
Gingher Knife Edge Dressmaker's Shears, 8-Inch
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $24.24
Today's Bonus: 39% Off
I compared the following fabric shears, listed in order of how well I liked them:
1. The Kai 7250: 10 inch Professional Shears N7250 (7250) Professional Shears
2. The Gingher 10 Inch Knife Edge Bent Trimmers (Note: I list these here because I prefer this length, but I only tested the 8" and 12" models below.)
3. The Kai 7300: 12 inch Professional Shears N7300 (7300) Professional Shears
4. The Gingher Knife Edge Bent Trimmers 12
5. The Gingher G-8T KE Tailors Shears, 8-Inch
6. The Gingher G-8 8-Inch Knife-Edge Dressmaker's Shears
7. The "Kai 110: 11 inch Tailoring Shears S-110 (S-110) Professional Shears"
8. The "Kai 7240-AS: 10 inch Serrated Edge Shears N7240-AS (7240-AS) Professional Shears"
I bought all the Ginghers on Amazon, and all the Kais from their web site (Amazon doesn't sell them). I evaluated them by cutting eight 4" long layered sheets of lightweight cotton fabric at once. My criteria were:
smoothness of cutting
was the edge straight, or did it wave?
comfort of scissors (hand position, weight, tightness of grip)
how often did I have to open the scissors to cut the 4" fabric?
With all 8" shears I had to open them too often, resulting in more effort needed to get a straight cut. With all 12" shears I had to open them too wide, which was difficult even with my very large (size 10+) hands. I thus settled on a 10" pair.
The Ginghers are all excellent -better than any of those colored-handle shears I've tried. They are rumored to last 25 years, and they're not that expensive ($25). Of those, the tailoring shears were ever-so-slightly smoother than the dressmaker shears. Not sure why.
But the Kai 7000 series were simply better. They're smoother, lighter-weight, sharper, nicer engineering, and they offer a $14 sharpening service. Wow. Them's be some sharp scissors. Holy cow. Did the "let's gently run my thumb perpedicular to this blade" test and a minute later realized I was bleeding... Didn't even feel it. Must also say the customer service was top-notch. They sent me the 3 pair I wanted to test in advance, and didn't charge my card till I picked the one I liked best.
Yes, they're $70. But Gingher's 10" pair are $50, too. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, I'd get the "Gingher G-8T KE Tailors Shears, 8-Inch" ($25). If you're looking for the best fabric shears period, I'd get the Kai 7000 series (the 10" ones for me).
Update (01/09/2013): A fellow reviewer pointed out to me that Amazon now carries some of the Kai shears. I have added links above to those they carry at this time. And I still recommend looking at the manufacturer's web site. They offered me super service -really above and beyond.
Janome Sewing Machine Resin Table for DC1050 8050 and more
I bought this table as an aftermarket item for my Janome DC2160. Sometimes these tables are included with your machine, but my machine did not include it. It makes a big difference in sewing, however.
1. The flat surface of this table is slightly convex. This lets your piece of fabric glide over the top into the feed easily and with no bunching.
2. You can see any pins coming along and remove them as you hold the fabric flat on the table. Sewing over pins is not a great idea (you CAN, but really, it's better not to.)
3. The light color makes it easier to see as it reflects more light on your sewing.
4. The table has legs that fold under for storage; when you don't want the table (say, you're sewing on the free arm) you can stow it easily on a shelf or in a cupboard.
5. There is an embossed ruler (metric and English) that is a handy guide for measuring.
If you sew larger items, flat items, or quilt, this is a very good addition to your machine.
1. The flat surface of this table is slightly convex. This lets your piece of fabric glide over the top into the feed easily and with no bunching.
2. You can see any pins coming along and remove them as you hold the fabric flat on the table. Sewing over pins is not a great idea (you CAN, but really, it's better not to.)
3. The light color makes it easier to see as it reflects more light on your sewing.
4. The table has legs that fold under for storage; when you don't want the table (say, you're sewing on the free arm) you can stow it easily on a shelf or in a cupboard.
5. There is an embossed ruler (metric and English) that is a handy guide for measuring.
If you sew larger items, flat items, or quilt, this is a very good addition to your machine.
Cricut Cartridge, Everyday Paper Dolls
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $23.39
Today's Bonus: 67% Off
This is a very fun cartridege! There are so many variations of what you can do with it. I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg with this one! Using chipboard to make the dolls and then cutting out the clothes and accessories with the Cricut for little girls is so much fun! Use the lighter weight paper for the clothes, not heavy cardstock! If you've priced paper dolls in the stores, they are quite pricey, so using this cartridge and your own colors to do the hair, etc. on the doll and the colors and patterns of paper you can use for the clothes and accessories is quite cost effective making them with the Cricut. I did these for a great niece and she loves them! I decorated a box with the copy of the doll on the lid and other fun things for her to keep her new paper doll and clothes, etc. in the box. I would give Cricut 10 stars if I could.
White W-100 Mighty Mender Lightweight Portable Compact Sewing
I purchased this machine two years ago and my first project was a complete baby setquilt, bumper pad, diaper stacker, etc. It was perfect while we were on the road and I loved the quality it produced. All of my sewn projects are still in great shape, two years later. This is a super starter-machine or perfect if you need a portable! I plan to buy a second one for my sister!
SINGER 14J250 Stylist II Serger Overlock Machine with 2-3-4
List Price: $449.99
Sale Price: $254.35
Today's Bonus: 43% Off
I bought mine elsewhere and have had it long enough to say I wish I had bought it here at Amazon. The price here is very good, and if you buy it with Prime, no shipping charge. A nice little serger, not too large, not too heavy, but heavy enough not to rock off the table at a fast speed. This is a manual machine, not automatic.
It comes with three additional presser feet, elastic, gathering, blind hem. The presser foot has an extra high lift so you can get thicker fabrics under the foot.
The threading is color coded and easy to follow as the whole front opens up for easy access, just follow the correct order of threading! (Correct order is in a paragraph below) You can get by with two cones of thread for the loopers and two spools for the needles if cost is an issue.
10/3/2013 UPDATE -there is a short YouTube video of this model with the Viking name on it -same machine titled: Husqvarna Viking HClass 200S Serger that shows threading and removing the stitch finger for rolled hem. The Lady doing the demo is quick so you need your manual if you are not sure where the stitch finger is or what it is.
The accessory tools are attached on the inside of the front cover which makes it very handy to keep them at the machine and in front of you.
Raise the thread pole (antenna) up as high as it will go for the correct tension of the threads.
(5/23/2013 New to serging, this workbook may help you. See WORKBOOK info at bottom of review.)
The Singer 14J250 Stylist II is a 2, 3, 4 thread serger, which means it can use two threads up to 4 threads for most basic serger needs. It will Not do the coverhem stitch which is the stitch you see on T-shirt hems that has the double or triple row of stitching. This machine does have differential feed which helps when the fabric tries to curl and you want to ease it flat, or when you want it to have a wavy edge.
It has a thread-chain cutter built in behind the stitching plate so no scissors needed to cut the thread chain to release the fabric from the machine (Love that Feature!!), an adjustable Fabric Guide -not seen on most other sergers. BTW, the main tools store in the front. Its open threading makes it one of the easiest threading sergers on the market. The cutting knife can be turned off if you don't need to use the cutting feature. The whole front opens up so you can easily get at the loopers for threading, just be sure to thread it in the correct order so the threads lay in there to function properly -The Singer manual states first Upper Looper, second lower Looper, then your needles, right then left. Follow the manual's instructions for 3 thread and 2 thread.
9/13/2013 Addendum to threading in manual: I called Singer today and found out that the threading order in the book was reversed. The correct threading is as I wrote above, first the Upper Looper, second the Lower looper, third, right needle and then left needle. This is the correct order for all threading except where you are leaving out one of the needles for a three thread or for a two thread.
You'd usually use 2 thread to make the tiny rolled hem on hankerchiefs and dinner napkins or the bottom edge of a tuck-in blouse. Three thread is the most normally used stitch for overcasting and finishing seams or fabric edges. I also use it when I have ravelling fabric and have to wash it, I first serge the edges and then toss it in the wash on delicate. The 4 thread you'd use on stress places like arm hole or the back seam on pants, because it is the three thread with the safety straight stitch along side.
This machine does not have automatic tension adjustment, you get to adjust it in small increments when needed. I'd highly recommend First writing down the tension settings as they are when you get the machine Before you change anything. That way you have a baseline in case stitching is way off and you need to start over to fix the tension.
There is no need to pull the fabric from the back. That causes needle(s) to bend and then break. Just let it feed, guiding only. Keep your fingers to the side. This machine feeds well from the front, just get it to the front edge of the foot and it will take it in, or just lift the foot a bit to put fabric under if you feel the need. If you don't use the adjustable edge guide and find that your serged stitch is wavering, anchor your right hand steady on the front of the machine guiding the fabric through your fingers, or rest your hand on the table edge.
If you need assistance serging with this machine, do an internet search for White Model Sergers group at yahoo as this model is like the White 2900 or the Viking 200S. There is a way to do a mock coverhem stitch using the serger and your sewing machine with a double needle. Ask that group how to do it. While HSN still has the Stylist II serger in stock there is a video under the picture you can watch.
I'd recommend getting a basic serger book with easy projects to help you get started. Singer had a good one and I know there are others. Make a cover for it and your sewing machine. Have fun.
4/26/2013 -For anyone just starting out, use a good quality serger thread. Best not to use the cheap stuff as it generally has a tendency to cause more lint to clean out more often -short fuzzy thread fibers. Serger thread is thinner than regular sewing thread due to the machine runing at high speed. The loopers use the most thread. One can get by with two cones of serger thread for the loopers and two spools of matching color thread for the needles. One well known sewing TV personality says basic choices are neutral colors, like grey or charcoal for dark fabric and beige tone for lighter colored fabric. If you wish to get to know which thread does what part of the stitch chain, use colored thread similar to what is marked on the machine. Run some stitching and see which looper thread is on top and which is at the back, and right and left needle threads so you can adjust if one is off kilter. Save your sample for future comparison with the settings marked on the fabric.
I tape a small bag to the edge of the table to catch the cut off waste. If preferred, thread catchers can be bought or made from patterns; some patterns are free on line.
5/23/2013 -WORKBOOK -For those who like additional information there is a free downloadable workbook for this model of serger by the original White company, which is now a part of VSP International company (Viking Singer Pfaff). Go to Singerco.com and under support / manuals you can put in the following model number -Put in 2000 and scroll down to the bottom manual titled "WSL2000 ATS (Part 1)" and "WSL2000 ATS (Part 2)." That is the free downloadable workbook that will work with this serger. I did a quick check and the differences would be the needles -Singer says use Singer needles -and the reference to a waste tray which is not part of the Singer 14J250 Stylist II. If this workbook helps you, leave a comment about it here. Thanks.
HP Artist Matte Canvas (60 Inches x 50 Feet Roll)
List Price: $485.10
Sale Price: $383.70
Today's Bonus: 21% Off
I am delighted with this roll of canvas. I have several frames to cover with canvas and this size is perfect as it allows me to play with the width a little. The value is excellent.
Scotch Filament Tape 8981 Clear, 24 mm x 55 m (Pack of 1)
List Price: $34.90
Sale Price: $6.99
Today's Bonus: 80% Off
This Stuff Works Great To Tape On Things Without Leaving Alot Of Resadue Behind. You Can Take The Tape Up And There Isnt Anything Left Unlike Grey Electrical Tape For Example
Foot Control #(043271133) or (043271111) Model 21371 - Janome
I have had to replace this foot control twice. While it works great, I'm disappointed in general that these controls die after a year of heavy use. I rely upon Janome for all my professional sewing needs, and while the machines have been super reliable, I can't say the same for the foot controls. My 3 star rating is only because of the un-reliability of this item. I'm pretty sure this one will die in about 12-14 months and require me to buy a new one.
Singer 086742-P Ruffler Foot
This Ruffler Foot is a fantastic time-saver if you have a lot of ruffles to do. You get much more even ruffles than you would by hand-basting and you can a lot more ruffles in very little time. It takes a delicate hand and a little practice but, once you get the hang of it, you can start putting ruffles on everything in sight.
Of course, this foot is only going to work on certain machines so make sure that your machine is listed up there in the technical details and, even if it is, take a good look at the foot and ankle of your machine and compare it to the photo. This foot is for a low-shank machine with a rectangular ankle where the foot is attached by a screw-bolt. (If you have a Singer, the model number is usually printed underneath the technical specs which are usually near the power switch on the side.)
The instructions are very short and a little vague in places. It lists the names and purpose of parts of the foot but does not actually identify them on a diagram.
For the record, the "Adjusting Indicator" is the screw-bolt on the front (mine has an orange plastic cap on the end). When the bolt is almost all the way out, the ruffles come out close to a 1:2 ratio. When it is all the way in, the ruffles are about 1:8 ratio.
Super Important Tip: The foot is very big and bulky so it is easy to think the foot is down when it is not. If you don't put the foot down before you start ruffling, you'll just wind up with a big knot and a tangled bobbin so always make sure you definitely have the foot down.
Since the ratio control is difficult to keep precise, a ruffler foot may not always be the best choice if you have an exact length to match up and no extra cloth for a margin for error. However, if you are planning to put rows and rows of ruffles on something, you can use this foot to make one super-long ruffle and then cut it to fit after using the ruffler foot and it works a treat.
Of course, this foot is only going to work on certain machines so make sure that your machine is listed up there in the technical details and, even if it is, take a good look at the foot and ankle of your machine and compare it to the photo. This foot is for a low-shank machine with a rectangular ankle where the foot is attached by a screw-bolt. (If you have a Singer, the model number is usually printed underneath the technical specs which are usually near the power switch on the side.)
The instructions are very short and a little vague in places. It lists the names and purpose of parts of the foot but does not actually identify them on a diagram.
For the record, the "Adjusting Indicator" is the screw-bolt on the front (mine has an orange plastic cap on the end). When the bolt is almost all the way out, the ruffles come out close to a 1:2 ratio. When it is all the way in, the ruffles are about 1:8 ratio.
Super Important Tip: The foot is very big and bulky so it is easy to think the foot is down when it is not. If you don't put the foot down before you start ruffling, you'll just wind up with a big knot and a tangled bobbin so always make sure you definitely have the foot down.
Since the ratio control is difficult to keep precise, a ruffler foot may not always be the best choice if you have an exact length to match up and no extra cloth for a margin for error. However, if you are planning to put rows and rows of ruffles on something, you can use this foot to make one super-long ruffle and then cut it to fit after using the ruffler foot and it works a treat.
Iwata-Medea Studio Series Power Jet Pro Double Piston Air
List Price: $556.95
Sale Price: $459.99
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
I have been using airbrushes since 1984. I started off with a compressor that would vibrate right off the table. I then graduated up to a silent compressor which lasted about 15 years. I then bought another compressor that lasted about 10 years and have just acquired a Power Jet Pro compressor from Iwata-Medea, Inc in Portland, OR.
This compressor has so many excellent features and I'll mention them:
-It has two ports for two separate airbrushes. They can be set at different PSI levels. One airbrush can run at 30 PSI and the other at 15 for example. It can also handle the two airbrushes with no lack of power.
-The on/off switch lights up when it is on. With a quick look at the compressor you can see if it is on or off from a distance. The other ones you often have to get really close to see if they are still on.
-The compressor is quite light but don't let it fool you. It has plenty of power. I spray watercolors through my airbrush and never have to go much higher than 15-25 PSI and most fine artists never do.
-It is oil-less. Some compressors require oil and the oil is pricey and messy. This compressor is extremely maintenance free.
-When it reaches pressure it does not have that awful burst of compressed air before it shuts off and you can work in quiet. When it reaches the pressure you want it shuts off quietly.
I have had four compressors in the last 25 years and would rate this one as the very best for the money. It is distributed by the best airbrush company in the world and they have an outstanding support staff there (503-253-7308). You should look around and get the best price you can.
You can see my artwork at .
Dooni Designs Random Toons - Dragons Need Love Too - Quilt
List Price: $13.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
This square along with several others is perfect for a quilt I am making for my granddaughter. She is crazy about dragons. I find the material quality is excellent and the colors vibrant.
Janome DC5100 Computerized Sewing Machine
List Price: $899.00
Sale Price: $549.00
Today's Bonus: 39% Off
I have been trying this machine out for 2 weeks now and I'm in LOVE!! I have owned Brothers, Singers & Vikings over the last 30 years and this is the quietest, smoothest machine I've ever owned. Plenty of power! I was looking to upgrade but couldn't afford the high price of a new machine from a local sew 'n' vac store. I sew & sell online, and my former Viking just couldn't sew evenly through several thicknesses of fabric & interfacing, plus I was Constantly having to adjust the tension. I sew purses and cases so was constantly changing thicknesses just in one seam! This machine automatically adjusts to the thickness NEVER misses a beat-never phased, and is SOOoo quiet! I love it!
I was a bit scared at first because I've never sewn with a computerized machine but it's EASY! The difference between the old manual typewriter and an electric or a computer of today ... It's phenomenal!
Comes with Many attachments and the auto thread is great! Fast shipping with Amazon. No complaints Totally happy!
Ackfeld Spool Rack, Sewing Machine
List Price: $25.89
Sale Price: $20.55
Today's Bonus: 21% Off
This was such a disappointment. It's small and flimsy and came with two screws that I wouldn't trust to keep it hanging on the wall. I was going to send it back but had already invested $20 with SH and would need to pay SH to send back PLUS and restocking fee of 15%. Decided instead to write a review and warn future buyers of the quality (or lack thereof in this case) so be WARNED!!
Instant Zipper- Set of 4 Replacement Zippers in Black
I thought I'd have to find a cobbler not an easy task in the rural area I live in to fix a zipper on my leather notebook briefcase. Decided to try this kit. They provide four replacement zippers and easy to follow instructions. The first challenge is to remove the broken zipper. I used an old hand-held wire cutter and it worked fine. HOWEVER, put a cloth over the top of the zipper because, when the old zipper snaps in two, the upper half becomes airborn and could injure someone or do other damage. The new zipper snaps onto the track quickly, and that's that! Quick, easy, perfect!
Rewards4life Gifts - Furry Zebra Blue - Quilt Squares
List Price: $20.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 19% Off
I bought this for my daughter for her room and she loves it
I borowed it so much that i just had to get one my self
it is great quality hilly recommend
3 Pocket Watch Movement Repair Part Dust Cover Tools
Everything was good, but since it was described for pocket watches, I thought it would be slightly bigger. Definitely for small movement watch parts.
