I just realized the Schmetz needles are color coded now (I have a pack that’s probably 20 years old that isn’t) so you can easily see what needle is in your machine without having to take it out and get a magnifying glass. That’s awesome!
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Mine has duck tape on it…I have had it since college…painted it three times…now it is rusting through…
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I’m glad mine isn’t the only one that is rusting! I keep thinking there must be some sort of magic cover I can get to keep the steam from going through the cover but maybe that would defeat the purpose. Or maybe I’m just using too much steam?
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I spray a Rustoleum primer to stop the rust then an enamel metal paint on top. I use whatever color I have that still sprays. The original color is a robin egg blue. Holds up for a long time. But I am betting my kids wouldn’t be thrilled to be left such an heirloom. 
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I wrap aluminum foil around the board and then put the pad and cover on. It keeps the steam from going through to the metal frame and reflects the heat and steam back up to the clothes.
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@J-squared Good idea. This may give my ironing board a new life.
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I have a few different sorts of thread, some of that fuzzy stretch stuff for serging but I’ve only used it once. It’s fine, weird to thread of course.
I will use any sort of needle, I change them often enough that it doesn’t seem to matter. I have some really old unlabelled ones that are from who knows where and some higher end brands but they have all worked for me so long as I choose the right size for the fabric I’m using. More important to me are feet, I only use a few but the teflon and walking foot are essential imho.
I made that Karen Brown ironing board out of a wire shelf and I love it. Best thing ever.
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Zipper question - are zippers measured for the teeth length or the tape length? I have some nice metal zippers and the teeth portion is about 17.5” long and the overall tape is about 19” total, how long would that zipper be considered in regards to a pattern? The pattern is for a pouch and calls for an 18” zipper so I feel like I could make it work either way but curious for future reference.
That would be considered an 18" zipper. It is the teeth measurement only.
I use continuous zippers and cut my own, but when in doubt, longer is better because you can always cut regular zippers to any size to fit whatever project.
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Just came across a video showing a way to sew a zipper into an opening while making a stop for the zipper using the zipper fabric.
OOH! I was able to find the link, heh. Easy way to shorten a long zipper.
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I’ve seen those as well. I have quite a few bookmarked to try next time I have to put in a zipper.
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Does anyone do anything to keep track of the info for their fabrics? I remembered to take pics of the labels on the bolts when I was buying fabric yesterday and am trying to figure out if I want to do anything with that info. I just finished washing and drying everything and for now I just stuck a little piece of paper into the folded up fabric with the length on it.
Since I’m still super new to buying apparel fabric I’m considering making myself a little swatch book with a ~4” square stapled to a piece of card stock and info from the tags so I can have a little reference book for when I want to order fabric online. I’m thinking fabric type (pointe de Roma, French terry knit, etc), fabric content, and weight. I figure I can get a sense of the stretch and recovery from the physical sample. Any other info you have found useful? Has anyone done anything like this?
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Honest answer - no, I don’t keep any information. At all. You are such an organized person and I’m just .. not 
.
Here, most fabric is sold from market stalls in the open air or at fairs. Sometimes they own fabric stores or online stores, too, but I think most fabric is sold irl. Very often, it doesn’t come with details like fiber content and weight. As a kid I went fabric shopping with my family and that’s how I learned about fabric. I don’t really buy very fancy fabrics, usually just simple cotton, denim, corduroy etc and I don’t buy apparel fabric online. I want to see it with my own eyes and feel it. The only fabric I buy online (sometimes) is quilt fabric.
The other day I went to one of the biggest fabric stores in the country to buy fabric for my new coat, and they do have all the info on the bolt, including expected shrinkage. It is very useful information if you’re looking for something special, or if you want to buy a fabric that is similar to one you bought previously. I can definitely see the advantages of keeping a book like that if you think you’re going to buy most fabric online.
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I don’t keep track either. I might sometimes put how many yards a large piece is so I don’t have to measure, but I pretty much know what type of fabric it is just by touching or seeing it. I also seem to have a good memory of my fabric stash and where I got it. My organization is mostly so I can find where it is.
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I don’t keep track… When I was in college I learned how to tell some aspects of fiber content by burning a very small piece of fabric. Lol… other than that I just figure it out from the fabric.
But I got the idea yesterday to make a book of info for everything I make for my grandson so my daughter knows how to wash everything and maybe just in case some other reason pops up. Still deciding if that’ll ultimately be useful but I’m going to do it anyway.
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I do think if you are thinking of buying fabric online, it can be very helpful to keep track of weight. I bought fabric for a coat in a physical store the other day, because I’m lucky enough to have several fabric stores in my area. I know what a “good weight” fabric feels like for a coat, but until Friday I had no idea of the number (it’s 300 gram-ish ). So that’s good information to write down somewhere, for when you want to buy fabric of a similar weight online in the future.
I don’t really buy fabric “for stash”, I usually have a plan and look for fabric for a specific garment. At most I might go to a fabric market with a list of things I want to make for the new season. So there’s no need to keep a record of the amount I bought.
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Considering my back today, it got me to thinking. I could find something like one of those old time hot water bottles, but thinner. Then I could sew a towel around it with some elastic band on the back side. That way I could strap it to my chair and fill the water bottle part with ice and wouldn’t have to worry about it spilling water all over my chair.
And just writing that got me to thinking maybe I could take one of those wraps with velcro and sew a towel around it on the back side, 
. That way I could apply more pressure, and use it while walking around (as I just can’t sit still for long). But I definitely need to do that. This makes the second time this year I’ve had an issue with my back. Though, this time it’s my upper back and I can’t reach it to put anything on it.
Now I just need to find out what kind of bag to sew into it. . Let’s see if anyone has already created one.
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Have you tried these flexible ice packs? They are way better than real ice and don’t leak. You can definitely make a simple sleeve for them with a towel and add elastic. They can be used over and over. They were a lifesaver when my husband had his knee and hip replacements.
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I think the problem is how flat they are. I think I need something that sticks out a bit, so it can apply decent pressure between the shoulder blades. My shoulder blades stick out a bit, which makes applying anything to there very very difficult. O_o.
Ok, maybe they only stick out when I reach back there. .
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Ok! If I sew a towel like cloth along the width of the velcro wrap, I shouldn’t have too many issues with the stretchy part of the fabric. As that part should (in theory) shrink rather than stretch. The towel fabric will still pull a lot on those areas, though. , another method I could do, is forgo the sewing it to the wrap, and instead make a sleeve for the wrap to go through…That’s what I’ll do.
Now I just need to find the length of the wraps so I know which ones will work for my chest. 
So far I can only find the width, O_o, and that’s not much help, hea.
And if I went with 4 in wraps instead of the 6 in, I could criss cross it on my back, plus, I could round the ice pack towel piece, and and and, if I need to focus the ice onto that one vertibrae better, I could put a wash rag in to force the ice pack into a more ball like shape.
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