Hello, lovely sewing people … I’m back with a perennially favourite topic of mine : a roundup of my latest sewing tools and gadget loves! Although a somewhat eclectic mix of stuff, they’ve all passed the Indispensable Test – not only have I really enjoyed using them, they’ve all achieved ‘How Did I Ever Manage Without Them?!’ status to become absolute essentials in my sewing kit.

In no particular order :

Clover Loop Pressing Bars

This is one of those gadgets I’ve often thought I needed without knowing it actually existed : a heat-resistant resin bar for pressing straps and ties etc. How many times have you made fabric straps, button loops, ties and the like for a garment, successfully turned them the right way out and then fiddled like crazy when pressing them to get the seam to lay straight and uniformly?

This simple tool slips inside your just sewn fabric ‘tube’, allowing you to press the seam allowance open in the middle – or to the side if you prefer. Then when you turn the strap right side out, slip the bar back inside and re-press, again aligning the seam to the middle or side as you prefer. Everything lays nice and flat with no twisting. So simple, so effective; it comes as a multi-pack containing several different widths (6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 mm). The design at the end of the bars also allows you to thread elastic or ribbon, so you can use them like extra length bodkins! I bought mine HERE.