Sewing Items That Have Other Uses
I’ll be honest - I once looked at a bolt of fabric covered in what I thought were images of dental explorers, and wondered how many dentists would want this fabric… before I realized they weren’t dental explorers, but seam rippers. That was a case of mistaken identity (in my defense, I grew up in a dental family…), and I wouldn't ever suggest using a seam ripper in place of dental tools, but there are some sewing related items that I have used for alternative purposes.
Cardboard Cutting Board: puzzles - Puzxles are one of my guilty pleasures. They are the one thing I get so engrossed in that I will suddenly realize I should have gone to bed a couple hours ago. And the best place to work on them so they don’t block up your kitchen table? A cardboard cutting mat! It can be folded up and tucked under a bed or couch without breaking up the puzzle, and leaves plenty of space for spreading out the pieces as well!
Tulle Fabric: cat toy - A friend clued me in to this one. Did you know that cats love playing with tulle or netting? My cat Emma LOVES it when I get a piece out for her for her to run and slide on (you can find videos of this on my Instagram account). I don’t leave it out for her to play with unsupervised, but she really enjoys it when I get it for her. Also, I have noticed that the cats are a bit possessive of “their” piece, so I always have a piece around for each kitty!
Heat and Bond: card making - A customer at work clued me in to this one. I absolutely adore card making, but as I don’t need another hobby, I limit myself to once a year, when I make my Christmas cards. I often use fabric on them, and a fusible web such as Heat and Bond is SO much easier than glue for the fabric parts (I think the regular is a little better for keep any fraying at bay, but the light does work too).
Pattern Weights: bean bag toss - I don’t have a lot of kid toys around my place, and once when a friend dropped by unexpectedly, I wanted the chance to catch up with her, but needed something to occupy her kids while we visited. I scrounged up a few empty boxes and my pattern weights, and they had a marvelous time playing toss with them while we chatted. And, it was fun to hear them use their imaginations to change and create new rules for the game! Above is a new set that I just finished, with a cute Riley Blake fabric I found. They are made from 6.25” equal lateral triangles (each point is 60 degrees) simply sewn to bring the points together and stuffed with rice. (I added a little stuffing to the top to fill them out). I put cute bows on them to make them easier to pick up.
Pellon 50 Sew-In Interfacing: waxing - Ever waxed your legs at home? I quickly realized that the wax outlasts the amount of strips they included, but that was fine, because I recognized they were just pieces of non-fusible interfacing. I think #50 works best, but I've used #40 in a pinch. Plus, buying your own and cutting it up is definitely cheaper!
