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Surgical Tool in My Sewing Kit!

This post was originally published in Dec 2016.  I've updated it with a, hopefully, clearer and more comprehensive video. It shows you how I use this little tool to turn the corners of a collar for a shirt dress that I made for my daughter to wear for the Lunar New Year (it amazes me that she's at that stage -and age- where she's becoming interested in more mature styles. Also relieved and glad she still wants her mummy to make clothes for her!)

So about this handy little tool in my sewing box...


It's a haemostat.

Yup, I have surgical tools in my sewing room.

This little gadget is just great for turning collar points.
And it's really good for clamping 2 pieces of cloth together when you need both hands to work on something else.
It is by far my favourite 'non-sewing' sewing tool!

Here's a video I made of this little guy in action:




You can get one of these tools from any medical supply store or amazon for that matter.
This one was given to me by my father, who found it at a second-hand kiosk set up by the road side in Singapore (all you old-timers from Singapore will know Sungei Road and all it stood for).
And it cost him all of $2! 

My lovely father found more for me after I told him how well they worked out.




For turning collar points, I prefer the curved nose rather than straight, although the straight will work quite well. Just make sure it is as pointy as you can find them.

If you have another favourite non-sewing sewing tool, let me know about it in the comments.

Straight-tipped haemostat (longer ones; great for turning broad loops and pushing corners)

Comments

  1. I use my hemostats all the time, too! Straight and not pointy, but I use it more for stuffing skinny doll bits and pulling/turning long skinny things out that chopsticks fail at. So useful! That said, I must get one of them curved pointy ones, too, if they can do corner points of collars. And other acute angles.

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  2. I also would be lost without my hemostat. I use it for my invisible zipper installations every time and also for turning and other situations as they arise. Every sewist needs one!

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    Replies
    1. Indeed! It's indispensable in my kit :)

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