Anyone who's been to a class with me in the last year or so would know what a HUGE fan I am of this little tool. It really is the BEST thing for holding down tricky bits of fabric (strap ends, binding etc) while you're working close to the sewing machine needle.
You may have seen it in various tutorials I've posted on this blog.... here, here and here. It's great for poking holes in things, too.
And my flat Australian tongue has problems differentiating between AWL and ALL....
Anyway - we now have them in the shop. For $2.40 you can have the sharp, pointy finger you always wanted. Or perhaps you didn't know that you needed one...? Believe me, you do.
For $2.40 you can't really go wrong. Throw one in the shopping basket with your next order and you, too, may be singing like Mr Sinatra.
PS. Have you ever noticed that we Aussies are a bit mixed up with our W's and R's ? We don't say them where they should be - AWL , CAR etc, but say them where they DON'T exist - DRAWRING, SAWRING, "vodkar and tonic". It was pointed out to me once and now I can't stop noticing it....
I was wondering when you were going to stock these! I must get one.
ReplyDelete....and now you've got me thinking about Rs and Ws that should and shouldn't be there.
(How should we say it? orwool???)
One of these was part of the standard kit given to full time students. As a part-timer, I had to buy my own kit and only got things I couldn't live without (grade 'n' rule; notcher; drill!) so when I needed one, I'd ask to borrow from a classmate.... Give me your awl. ;-) So it sounds the same in a Scottish accent too!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
AJ
I'm awl excited ... yes, I must have one!
ReplyDeleteAs to the Rs ... I still fondly remember the first few classes I taught in Chicago, where the poor participants sat trying to fathom what on earth I was saying! They were very polite despite my insistence in talking about computas.
The "R" thing, it's a Brit thing that translated over to Oz I guess (my husband is from northern England and O.M.G. if I hear one more thing about the "cah" needing a tune up I will probably attack him with an awl. No, not really. The truly hilarious conversation I had with him and his mother was about how the city of Bath had an "R" in it. Honest. They both actually said to me, "well, you know, how people always pronounce 'Bath' with an 'R', it's so ridiculous." Now, they were saying "baaaath". Just like it's spelled. Not "barth". I finally figured out that they had become so accustomed to assume that an "aaah" sound was a dropped R that people of course were pronouncing "Baaaahth" with an "R" in it! Wrap your head around that one.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, "awl" and "all" are pronounced sliiiightly differently where I come from. Not hugely, just a teensy bit. Now I need to get an awl.
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ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I come across this tool. I always use my unpicker for the above-said sewing actions.. :)
ReplyDeleteOh no, don't get me started on the idiosyncrasies of the English language and how it's spoken in different countries!! Although I will say that I like the way our accent is more British but not so serious. We've got to have a laugh (larf not laff!) at ourselves!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nifty little tool for those tricky bits!
ReplyDeleteAs a Canadian 'Down Under', I hear the R/W thing all the time! However I get teased by the 'Butter/Budder' brigade here, so life is fair. Thanks for pointing out uses for the awl -- I received one with my starter kit and never thought to use it as an extra non-penetrable finger! Neala
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the episode this week of RPA (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital - real life medical situations) where a lady came in with a sewing machine needle through her finger - when the doctor pulled it out - the thread was still attached -AWLLLLLLL!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for getting out splinters, too....you have to find more things to get us addicted to for your next classes.
ReplyDeleteI was told once when I was a midiwfe that I had the strongest Ocker Aussie accent they'd ever heard- i'm paranoid now, so probably stuff up even more!
i so need one of these tools for my kit.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment i'm using my quick unpick to hold things down, which doesn't really do the best job.
Oooh, I am a sucker for little sewing tools. Definately be getting one of them next time I'm at your shop!
ReplyDelete