Here’s the next installment in my best practice series – pins, bobbins and folding! It’s not a crafty business-related tip; more like reminders about being organized and efficient. If you have been sewing for awhile, these time-savers may seem like no-brainers to you. But sometimes I get lazy and neglect these simple tasks, so I thought you might have similar issues.
First up, bobbins. I use white, cream and grey bobbins a lot. But dang, I hate it when my bobbin runs out, I reach for a new one, and this is what I find in my bobbin basket – empties!
Take the time to fill up a good supply of bobbins, leaving a couple empty ones for those colorful projects that call for a different color. You will thank yourself when you are on a roll in the middle of a project and you have a supply of bobbins ready!
Next up, pins. The idea popped into my head after reading Amy’s recent post where she asked her readers what kind of pins they use. I was working on a patchwork project lately, using a lot of pins. I found an extra stash of pins in this box, and decided to use them. As I was pulling pins from this box, I wondered why so many of them were bent! So I sorted them into two piles, using the cover for straight pins, the black box for bent pins. If you have bent pins, quit putting them back into your pin cushion!
I never throw bent or dull pins in the trash because they could be dangerous for whoever is handling the trash. For this batch, I secured them to a paper plate using packing tape so they aren’t floating loose in the trash. You could also tape them to piece of cardboard.
Finally, when you bring your fabric home from the fabric shop, don’t shove it onto your fabric shelves like I did with these remnant pieces of muslin.
At least take the time to peel off those labels and refold them properly. I’m not a perfectionist, so personally, I don’t think it matters how you fold it. Just get your new fabric ready for proper storage, especially if you aren’t going to use it immediately. I had to press this pile to get it back into useable shape.
Do you have any sewing tips you do to keep your groove going? Feel free to share your best practice ideas in the comments or link to your blog.
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Previous posts about my Best Practices: