Sewing has been a fulfilling part of my life for many years now! Heartfelt thanks to my Mom for encouraging my endeavors and giving me my first big break.
 
To my high school home economics teacher Miss Pierce, if you're out there, I owe you many thanks too! You never told me I "couldn't" make something. Even when it was a crazy project like a full length fake fur coat my mom ended up wearing as a bathrobe years later! You never said that's too hard, try something easier, you just smiled and let me muddle my way through, learning valuable lessons along the way.

This set was originally valued at $165! Drawing will take place on Friday April 9th at 6PM Eastern Standard time. Offer good for USA residents only. I will email the winner on Saturday April 10th. 

UPDATE! I was able to draw not one but tow winners. Congratulations to Gail and Anita for winning the It's Sew Easy TV DVD collection! It was a joy to read your stories!!! Please feel free to keep adding to the ones below.

Hello Sewing Friends! I recently had the chance to be a guest on the Brother sponsored Facebook show hosted by Angela Wolf. My friend Emily Thompson was there too. For an hour we had a great time chatting about all things sewing related, visiting with everyone who popped into the show, sharing ideas, and having a few laughs.
 
There's a link to this show at the end of this post but one of the topics bantered about was that of favorite sewing tools. My first thoughts were the big tools, our modern machines that make almost anything possible. But then I swung to the opposite extreme and my thoughts went to semingly insignificant tools found outside the notion’s aisle. None of these are earth shatteringly new, but they may be new to you, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

One of my "go to" tools has been in my sewing space for a few decades. I use this pair of small, smooth (non-serrated) needle nose pliers as a griping tool.

I think my Snap-On brand E 708 model might be a collectable now but I'm sure you can find something similar from a good tool supplier. Here's what I use them for most often:

• The pliers save my fingertips. The small, smooth tips allow me to grab threads tails when ripping stitches.
• They're wonderful for removing bar-tacks and other stubborn stitches while prepping for alterations.
• Perfect for pushing or pulling hand sewing needles through stubborn fabrics. Sometimes I'll put a piece of cloth between the pliers if I need to pull on something rough and I don't want to damage the smooth surface of the pliers.
• They're ideal for pulling up basting stitches sewn for gathering.

Truly, any time you need to get a grip on the tiniest of things, these come in handy. This tool takes top place top on my list, within arm's reach whenever I am sewing anything, cos we all know you rip what you sew!

P.S. If you need help in your search, ​I saw a pair of jewelry pliers that look very similar. Here is the link: 5-inch chain nose pliers.

Eyebrow trim and shape razors work as an alternative to a seam ripper on some occasions. 

Simply spread apart your seam and gently nip the stitches with the serrated blade. This technique is especially helpful for ripping seams sewn with a super short stitch length.

I love this little lambswool duster for dusting off the outer casing of my sewing machine and serger. 

I use bristle brushes made for sewing machines for cleaning out the real nitty gritty lint, but this is great for a quick polish of the outside casing. Keep in mind, the less dust there is on the outside of the machine the less will migrate to somewhere inside, like tension mechanisms. The soft nature of the wool means you won't have to worry about scratches. Again, I've had this little gem for years. I think I picked it up on a trip to Amish country but similar ones are easy to find on Amazon. From time to time I wash mine with baby shampoo to freshen it up.

My handy dandy lint roller gets used every day. I clean my rotary mat with this, use it to pick up stray threads from ripped stitches, clean up embroidery designs after final trimming, etc., etc., etc. I also like to use it on the wrong side of fabric pieces before inserting lining, so no dark or unsightly thread shows through when I'm finished. If I'm sewing something fuzzy it is essential as a clean up tool for whatever I'm wearing too!

I keep this on a clip so I can hang it on my closet rack and always know where it is at.

The last item for today is tape. Specifically, low tack painter's tape which I use for a dozen things, including marking the wrong side of fabric to avoid confusion, and then my ever-present roll of 3M™ Transpore™ medical tape for in-the-hoop embroidery projects. 

The medical tape tears easily and works well to hold fabric, zippers, and such temporarily while stitching. In most cases it is sticky enough to stay in place but removes easily. Speaking of removing, never let tape stay in one place for very long or the glue may transfer to your fabric and leave a permanent residue.

Next to sewing and craft stores, I love to browse hardware stores and office supply establishments. We all know that a tool by any other name is still a tool! Whatever it's named and wherever it came from is of no consequence. As long as it works it can go right into the notions drawer along with our other sewing must haves.

I'm sure many of you have some genius ideas for using unconventional tools as useful items in your own sewing space. Please share your thoughts in the comments below! We'd all love to learn your best kept, unconventional sewing tool secrets! If you like, you can CLICK HERE and send me a photo of your favorites. I'll do my best to update the post with your tips and your photos too.

Below, you'll find the video with all the sewing chit chat and more tips for making the most of your machines. Enjoy!