Inventions for Roberta and Polly

That fancy schmancy new Horn table has a cup holder as part of its bells and whistles.

lusted after one until I found out the price. I've blocked it out now...but I believe it was over $3300.00. The "show special" was 2500 (2700) if I remember correctly. I almost fainted! I'll have to hold my own cup. KJ

Polly, I remember my mother's old machine (the one I first learned on) having a strip like that, always full of pins and darners (mum's substitute for a stilletto).

I have one sewer now that is always putting pins in her mouth when she is sewing. Now I do that myself, but being a conscientious teacher I felt I should at least try to disuade her, and having a pincushion on the left is not viable as that is where the bulk of your fabric moves around and through the machine. So I made her a small block of foam to stick on the side of her new machine. She is a lefty so having the block on the left side of the machine (where it opens for access to the light, tension, etc) suited her. I tried foam rubber but the pins didn't go in very well, so I wrapped a piece of florist foam (called Oasis over here) in fabric. This will eventually break down but it's cheap to replace, and it's so light that double sided tape held it in place with no damage to the new machine.

Now I have a similar block that I use - but I just have mine on the table in front of the SM control panel, on the right. I know a pin cushion would work as well, but somehow I always preferred the block. Mine has a little piece of cork tile on the bottom to stop it sliding around.

And the cabinets I looked at (as opposed to the tables) STILL don't have needle centre positioning as standard!!!

How about a thickly padded bracelet? (worn on left wrist if you're right-handed and vice versa). The 'poker' - I actually have a 'purple thang' - can be poked underneath it. As to a cup holder: if I'm working at the computer, my cup + its mat is on the sewing table beside me; if I'm sewing, the cup would be on the computer table. Works for me! . In message , polly esther writes

Small magnets are fine on most machines, but best avoided on earlier electronic ones as the chips were not so well shielded as they are today. I use a foam mouse mat on the bench at the right hand end, into which I stab those odd pins and needles, and on which I rest the small scissors...

Ever since the Incident With The Wedding Dress, The Cup of Tea, and the Swimming Lily, I have avoided - nay forbidden! - drinks in the sewing room unless I am on my own and quilting. I have a special mug for those times, but still usually use it only outside the sewing room, when cutting out! :)

I actually think I've seen something like this in a catalogue at some point, but anyway:

Could you construct something to attach to the SM on the right (on the "body" part)? There are lots of sticky back things one could use to attach a small home made pin cushion, possibly with an added elastic strap to hold the poker?

I keep all my "stuff" just to the right of the SM, but begin left handed, it can turn into chair acrobatics at times. On the left is my fabric, so that wouldn't really work.

BTW, SM in this post is Sewing Machine, not Saint Mother...

Hanne in London

What about one of these -

Easy to make, fits left or right any finger, small enough not to get in the way, holds just enough pins, esp good for applique

Or make one for a wrist band. You can buy them of course, but I think the manufactured ones were made for small children lol

Oh that kind of poker! I was wondering what Polly would need a fire poker for when sewing. I need a cup of tea and some more sleep.

Sarah

I'm going to study the command hooks that our Charlotte told us about. Combined with something like a plain old clothespin, there may be a way to attach and easily remove a bit of pin cushion on top. I try to remember here that some of you understand English as a 2nd or 3rd language and then there's the wide variety of ages. Does everyone know what a clothespin is? Polly

Good question! I do (but then I've been living in English speaking countries for a long time). It would be easy to think of a clothespin as maybe a brooch?

The Danish word for clothespin translates to "pincher" (well, more or less, anyway!).

Hanne in London

I missed your incident of Wedding Dress, Tea and Swimming Lily. I am grateful to have missed it. So far, my spills have been off to cover acres of floor. Was your accident as terrible as I imagine? Polly

Kate wrote about "Ever since the Incident With The Wedding Dress, The Cup of Tea, and the Swimming Lily, I have avoided - nay forbidden! - drinks in the sewing room unless I am on my own and quilting. I have a special mug for those times, but still usually use it only outside the sewing room, when cutting out! :)

Aren't those Jeanne's specialties? I remember seeing her collection, they were sweet. There was also an article on those in the Fons & Porter Nov/Dec

2005 issue. I don't recall if they gave instructions.

Isn't it some type of jewelry that you pin on your clothes to make you look sophisticated? :oD

I think it's for her gators. Keeps them in line!

Well, we do use 'clothes peg'; but I can interpret your usage >g< . In message , polly esther writes

As to the cup holder--I have a cup holder for a car, the kind that will fit on the door by inserting a flange (?) down into the window groove. Anyway, I can put the *flange* in a right-hand drawer of the SM cabinet and close the drawer tightly, and it holds my coffee (or other beverage) handy but safely away from fabric.

Haven't seen them in a magazine. I get mine from the ladies in the local Embroiderers' Guild lol

Basically plastic bottle tops with holes for elastic, stuff a circle and glue in place, cover around the top with braid to make it look pretty. There are some pics on webshots.

They really are handy for applique.

...why not have someone create the impossible: a Stop Clock. This is very different from a stop watch - as a stop watch times things and a Stop Clock would stop time - totally - until you've finished the WIP or UFO you want/need/are obsessed about to get done!! Of course, there are several possibilities to the application of the Stop Clock...

Sue > When you get Roberta's underview mirror alert invented, do another one for

What we need is for someone to invent a nice sewing & quilting 'droid that doesn't cost too much $$$. S/he/It could just stand there holding the stuff we want handy but don't want to have sitting right smack next to the sm. AND the 'droid could have a multi-size cup holder, too! When you are finished with the day's work, you just walk out of the room and the 'droid cleans up and gets everything organized for the next session :-)! Now, how's THAT for wishful thinking -- LOL??? CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at