I love my loop turner

already sewn strap (down both the long side seams) & my beloved loop turner

Have you used a loop turner before? I literally couldn't live without mine. Well maybe I could 'live' without it but my fingers would be red raw from trying to turn out handles by my finger nails and there would be a lot more aggression in my studio!! Probably a few swears too ;)

They are cheap as chips, you can pick one up for around £2 and believe me when you have bought one and used it for the first time you will wonder why the hell you didn't buy one before!

Right what are they for? Turning handles or straps, including little fiddly spaghetti straps through the right way once you have sewn them. Go on then go grab your straps and a loop turner and I'll show you....

Push your loop turner in the opening of one end, keep pushing the fabric down until you get this ruched affect, nope its not to look fancy its so that you can hook then end of your loop turner to the opposite end of your fabric. As you can see here (photo above) once the hook is attached tuck the ends of your strap inside, *be gentle* until you can slowly pull the 'ring' end of your loop turner back towards you bringing the fabric back with you inside the strap.

This is what it should look like as you begin to pull the strap back through, once you get just over half way there you can ruche the fabric right up again so that you can grab the end (photo below) and pull the remainder through without the loop turner.

***TOP TIP*** Ease the fabric through gently, don't pull too hard or your loop turner will tear your fabric and you will have to sit and pull the fabric through and start again. Most annoying, please add swears here too ;)

This ugly looking thing, almost like a fabric snake is what you will end up with. Now all it need is a good press with the iron and you will have a perfect strap. Easy peasy!!

Bet you all wanna go buy a loop turner now?

Bull dog clips are just for stationary?

Right?? Not in my studio they're not. These fold back bull dog clips are fantastic for holding fabric together that is too thick for normal dress making pins. I use them in particular for my saddle bags where the hem round the top of the bag opening meets the bag flap. The sandwich of fabric, interfacing, more interfacing and a little more interfacing is way too thick for pins so I use these clips...

I know a lot of my sewing pals who use oilcloth use these clips so as to not pierce the cloth with pins (which means nasty pin holes where you don't want them). I always have a handful of them lying around just in case. They've come in mighty handy for the leather kindle covers I've been making too.

Do you use and odd stationary items in your crafting?