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I’ve discovered that one of my biggest pain points with historical costumes is trying to have my pins handy while I’m pinning on 12 yards of trim. I try to have my magnetic pin cushion near me while I’m working, usually resting on the edge of the couch, but then Bobo will come along and knock it off. (Yes, gravity still works Bobo… thanks for checking!)

I was joking to D that I needed to hang my magnetic pin cushion on my dressform somehow to make my life easier and her response was something along the lines of, “Well why don’t you?”

… Right!

So today’s post is possibly useful to no one but me, but now I’m excited to try out my new dressform magnetic pin cushion on my next outfit!

I purchased some super strong magnets from Home Depot. (I love Home Depot in case it’s not obvious…)

I measured my dressform neck circumference and added 3″ for how long to make my pin cushion strap. My dressform neck is 13″, so I cut a strip 16″ long and 3.5″ wide out of some leftover quilting fabric.

I folded the strip in half lengthwise and made a tube by sewing along the length of the strip using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Then I flipped the tube inside out and ironed it flat.

I folded the strip in half to find the center and marked a line 2 3/4″ from the center.

I stitched along the line, dropped the magnet into the tube, and then marked a vertical line on the other side of the magnet. I sewed along the new line, sealing the magnet in.

I closed the ends by folding the raw edges inside and stitching the tube closed on both sides.

I took my magnet necklace to my dressform and pinned it on and marked where the ends overlapped. I used a pin to mark where the overlap is, but you can also use chalk or a fabric pen.

Then I took the magnetic necklace off the dummy to sew a closure on. I prefer hooks and snaps over velcro because velcro can tear up fragile materials that I might be draping, but whatever you have on hand will work. I went with a huge snap because I have a ton of these.

And here is the finished magnet pin cushion necklace!

If you have pattern you really like and will be using a lot, backing it with fusible interfacing is a good way to preserve the tissue paper. Interfacing isn’t cheap though so I only do this for patterns I know I will be using a lot.

(And if you own cats, this is also a good way to rescue pattern pieces they’ve turned into cat toys…)

So here is Yoyo demonstrating his amazing pattern destruction abilities…  Thanks Yoyo!

Rescue your pattern piece from your fuzzy monster and lay it out as flat as you can on your ironing board.

After assessing the damage, this pattern doesn’t look too bad actually. If the pattern just has some crumpling and tearing, we can save it. If it’s been completely destroyed (like your cat used it for a chew toy as well as a scratching toy), it’s probably time to start stalking Joanns for the next 99 cent pattern sale, and just replace the pattern.

Set your iron to the lowest setting and start ironing your pattern. You want to go gently and lift up your iron in places where there are tears so you don’t tear the pattern farther. If the iron isn’t hot enough to press your pattern flat, turn it up a little. You don’t want to get too hot though as that will cause the tissue paper to warp.

Now get a piece of interfacing big enough to fit your pattern piece.

I like to wait for interfacing to go on sale at Joanns for 50% and then buy an entire bolt of the lightweight fusible interfacing. Always having interfacing around is pretty handy.

Lay your interfacing on the ironing board so the fusible side is facing up. Lay your pattern piece on top.

Now grab a scrap piece of fabric to use as a press cloth. I used a scrap piece of muslin. Lay the press cloth on top of the pattern and fusible interfacing, making sure you cover the areas where the fusible surface is exposed. The press cloth is to protect your iron from getting fusible gunk on it as you iron. You’ll probably want to throw it out after you’re done as it will have sticky residue on it.

Start ironing your pattern. You might need to turn the iron a bit hotter to make sure the fusible melts and attaches to the pattern.

Iron down your entire pattern and when you’re done, trim around the pattern piece.

And now you have a sturdy interface-backed pattern piece that will last a very long time!

So I am sporting a new war wound from the sewing trenches: I put a gash in my arm with my seam ripper. I have a bad habit of storing my seam rippers pointy side up in a basket, and this isn’t the first time that I’ve stabbed myself while reaching for something. I’ve decided it’s the last time though!

It’s bad enough that I keep cutting myself on the seam rippers, but my cats like to wander across my sewing table too and I’m worried that one of these days, they’ll poke out an eyeball or something. My cats are pretty clumsy for cats…

I know seam rippers come with a cover when you buy them, but I can never seem to hold on to mine. They always end up falling off and getting lost or misplaced.

I decided I could make a more secure solution using clear rubber tubing, so I headed off to Home Depot to check out the plumbing aisle. Yes, I actually took my seam ripper with me and tried shoving it into all the different size tubes to see what would work best. The Home Depot guys didn’t even blink an eye at me. =D

I decided on the 5/8″ wide tubing. Unfortunately Home Depot doesn’t sell tubing by the foot so I had to buy a coil of 10 ft. The total came out to a little over $5, which isn’t too bad.

When I got home, I put the seam ripper into the tubing again and marked the tube where I wanted to cut it.

I tried a couple different cutting techniques including using an x-acto knife and a regular pair of scissors. I got the best result using my rotary cutter. Use an old blade as cutting rubber obviously dulls the blade quickly.

And now my seam ripper has a cover!

If you have more than one seam ripper, check the measurement for each one individually. It turns out one of mine had a thinner handle and I had to cut a longer tube for it.

And then the seam rippers went into my basket, and now I won’t stab myself anymore!