Easy tailors ham storage, with some left over bias tape!  I added fabric loops to the my two hams and I hook them to my ironing board using a shower hook, a metal S hooks works well too!

Works great and I finally remember to utilize them.

I FINALLY made myself some pattern weights, I do not know why I’ve been suffering so long.
I used jean scraps from shortening my jeans and metal BBs. The jean scrap is perfect for holding up to the heavy BBs. A perfect fast whip up to make your next project so much easier.

Here’s how I like approach my PDF pattern collection.

First I look at the whole pattern, and only print the pages that have pattern pieces for the size I am making.

Then I do the dreaded cut and tape.

For the instruction I print those 2 pages per sheet since normally you can still see everything you need in that size.

For storage I add a label with the pattern info to a gallon zip lock. The label makes it faster to read than writing right on the zip lock.

Then I use an elastic scrap to hold the directions together.

When I’m making the pattern I swap out the elastic for a metal binder ring for easy flipping.

See where I store the rest of my patterns in this post.

I’ve been wanting to make my own tags for what I sew for ages, I’ve toyed with all the ideas floating around, but knowing me, the cut up Spoonflower custom fabric route works better for flat applications like quilting, I couldn’t settle on one of the more basic woven kind so that put me into more custom woven and I knew with how much they were I’d be pretty stingy with them… especially since I wanted two types of labels: one for Hello Kirsti and one for stuff I sew for friends and family.

Thus I decided to go the stamp route, and I’m happy I did! I got some 1” twill tape in natural goes with anything as my standard base, but armed with my fabric paint stamp pad most anything can be a tag!

My extreme OCD has even let go of making sure each stamp is perfect… it adds to the handcrafted nature right?!

For mine I ordered the custom stamp online, and I rigged my design as a twofer, the way I laid out the stamp. I dunno if I’d combo it again, since they weren’t that expensive and you have to be more careful with the combo, but it does work.

I just stamp away, press with an iron to set, then trim them down with pinking shears to complete the look.‘

In action!

In the same order I also got a Hello Kirsti embossing plate so now I can ship my shop orders in style! No paper in the house is safe!

Hello lovely Hello Kirsti readers!! I'm still here, busy working on house stuff, making headband holders for my shop, and oh yeah that whole work thing.... I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and has a great New Year. Here's something I did "before the move" that I still needed to share with you =D
Happy Crafting!
oxoxoxo, Kirsti
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Is it just me or do you ALWAYS forget to buy the notions sold by the yard? I totally do, especially if I’m not buying fabric.
So out of need of always forgetting to pick up some boning for various projects, I found something that would work in its’ place.
You know that plastic strapping stuff that comes strapped around large boxes??
We’ll it’s pretty similar in behavior to boning (I’ve also seen it called quilling).
I flattened it out using a old flat iron by sandwiching it in a piece of parchment paper, it worked well.

When I use it in the round I just tape ends together with scotch tape and then sew it.
Note, this will work for organizer projects and costumes but for apparel you’ll want to buy the real deal!

It took me a while before I really embraced using starch to help with with sewing projects, but now that I have I find it very helpful, stick around to learn how to best use and when.

The paramount beauty of starching what you sew is that it helps fabric behave more like paper. Let’s face it in a lot of situations paper is easier!

What you need to know:

Do not use starch with your hottest setting, the starch will build up on your iron and leave you brown ickies on your fabric.

Even not using the hottest setting, you’ll still get build up sometimes, so remember to look at your sole plate every once in a while, and go ahead and get some hot iron cleaner.

Starch washes out, so if you don’t want your project to be ‘crispy’ after you’ve used starch to sew, it will go away after you’ve washed it.

Costco has a good deal on bulk pack of it. You can also make it a in spray bottle, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Situations it helps in:

Helps keep hems pressed before sewing.

Makes ‘pleat’ planning so much easier!

Gives fabric keep it’s shape while decorative stitching, like in my Machine Stitch Sampler.

Prep fabric for applique with Heat n Bond Lite. I did this in my Skeleton Wall Hanging & Snowman Wall Hanging.

Prepare Fabric for cutting on a Cricut Craft Cutter. I did this in my Elmo Shirt Tutorial.

You can applique with it and freezer paper rather than using Heat n Bond Lite. See a tutorial on Sew Mama Sew.

It helps eliminate edge curls on tricky knit fabrics, get the lowdown from Four Square Walls.


(Source)

Makes tricky thin fabrics like chiffon easier to work with, Four Square Walls actually soaked her chiffon in her homemade starch and then ironed it into dry paper!