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Nancy Zieman Hobo Tote
What is it? – For today’s active life styles a handy tote is a required accessory. Satisfying requirements of both form and function they are both fashionable and useful. Totes of one kind or another are available everywhere. So many styles, so many colors, so embellishments. But therein lies the problem. Which one? Choices, choices, choices. Well, here’s another choice for you. What if you could make your own tote? Pick your own style, pick your own fabrics, pick your own embellishments. And what if you could have more…
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Takumi Knitting Needles
What is it?– In its most elemental form, knitting is simply a method by which we apply various technique to yarn with knitting needles and turn it into a unique fabric that mirrors our creative intent. Using knitting needles we are able to manipulate yarn to create multiple loops in a line on the needle shaft or cord. As each of these rows progress, a newly created loop is pulled through one or more loops from the previous row, placing the new row on the gaining needle. The resulting knitted fabric consists…
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Air Erasable & White Marking Pen
What is it?– “The devil is in the detail”. It’s a common enough phrase. Perhaps some of us has even used it. But what does it really mean, “the devil in the detail”? How often do we start a project that looks like it’s going to be a snap, only to get bogged down in all of the details. You know, all the little things that consume so much time, make us a little crazy and eventually affect the quality of our finished project or maybe even determine if it gets…
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Chacopy Tracing Paper
What is it?– Fashion, fashion accessories, heirloom sewing, quilting and home decor. All of these projects are often one time or another blank canvases that are truly enhanced with the addition of the appropriate decorative pattern. Some of these pattern designs are professionally developed while others are original work we’ve created all by ourselves. Beautiful, often meaningful patterns for sewing, quilting and embroidery. But they’re all usually on paper and we are not sewing on paper. How do we move them to our fabric in a manner that allows us to…
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Magnet Pin Caddy and Dome Threaded Needle Case
What is it?– “I’m on pins and needles.” We’ve all heard the phrase and we know what it means. A sense of anxiety or suspense. But how could that possibly apply to sewing? Pins and needles of course. We all use them but they’re all armed with wickedly sharp little points. Hence the anxiety or suspense. We’ve all been stuck more than once while we’ve had to sort through a pile of pins or needles looking for the one we need. But it’s a hodge-podge of shafts and points all aimed…
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Best Premium Assortments
What is it?– We’ve all been to our favorite purveyor of all things sewing and been amazed by the extraordinary selection of sewing machine needle styles. Lots of names like universal, denim, stretch, jersey, etc. It all sounds impressive but is it necessary? Can we do it all with just a universal sewing machine needle? Yep, we can. Do we want to? Nope. Why? Picture this. You’ve engaged a world class gourmet chef to prepare dinner for a very special family gathering. You’ve purchased all of the ingredients she specified and…
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Best Premium Needle Anatomy
What is it?– Every Tool School is packed with valuable, useful information. But if you use a sewing machine at any point in your creative process, this one may be one of the most important. So pay attention because there may be a test at the end of class. If I were to ask you what you thought was the most important physical element of your sewing machine what would your answer be? The sewing machine itself? How about a quality thread? Perhaps even the needle? Well, they all work…
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New for Winter 2017
What is it?-Clover is introducing some exciting new knitting and crochet notions this winter and, as Yogi Bear once said, “It’s deja vu all over again.” Well kind of. The products are new, but the realization that your friends at Clover have once again brought to market some great new tools that will support you in your creative aspirations is not new. It has become expected. And we hate to disappoint you. We’re happy to comply. That’s because at Clover there is always something cooking in the kitchen. For those…
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Bead Embroidery “Kantan Couture” Tool
What is it?-To most of us “couture” means high fashion and rightly so. It’s something special, something elegant. Unfortunately it also often means something expensive and something unreachable for most of us. It’s custom made clothing and accessories made by the most exclusive designers. And often the feature that sets the couture garment apart from the ordinary is the manner of embellishment. A mesmerizing array of decorative threads, sequins and beads applied with infinite creative design adds the zing to the bling. World famous designers and an army of skilled…
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Bamboo Repair Hooks
What is it?-You’ve been making remarkable progress on your new knitting project. Amazingly so and in spite of all of those interruptions. Who knew? Smooth sailing and it’s working up fast. But then you see it. Something looks wrong. Long, uninterrupted horizontal cords of yarn. It looks like a ladder right in the middle of your project. Oh no. Somehow you missed a loop and a stitch has been dropped. The problem is you didn’t even notice for several rows. Maybe even five or six rows. Now it’s ruined. …