Last Wednesday, I talked about hand-stitching with sewing needles. These unbelievably important items for your sewing kit came in at #1 on my list of “must-have” tools for beginners who are just learning to sew.
While reading last Wednesday’s blog post, you may have been thinking, “But I hate threading needles! It’s hard!” Don’t worry; I’ve gotcha covered with my second necessity for those who are new to sewing:
#2 — A Needle Threader
Most sewing kits come with one of these cameo needle threaders. If you’re not sure how to use one, this tutorial (the same one shown at the top of today’s blog post) shows you how simple they are to use.
A threader often comes in a typical sewing kit, but I don’t recommend buying a “sewing kit” like you find at a grocery store. They use the cheapest thread (which breaks as you use it), crappy scissors that can’t cut anything, and they throw in a button that you’re never ever going to use!
And frankly, those cameo needle threaders aren’t the best.
Buy a nice set of genuine needle threaders like these traditional plastic ones or these fun shapes from Singer (the sewing machine company).
The traditional tin needle threader (pictured above) works fine in a pinch, but if you spend just a little more money on your needle threaders, you’ll feel your needle threader is fun to use and lasts a long time, instead of having it twist and bend and eventually come apart, which is usually what happens to the cheap tin needle threaders that have a cameo image on them.
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Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.
Dritz has some good ones, they cost a bit more than cameos but last longer. One has the wire that retracts, another has a little hook. Great especially for embroidery when you’re always changing thread. Great video!
I remember mum showing me how to use a needle threader when I was a child. Sewing kits always came with those cameo needle threaders that seem not to have changed in 60 years or more. I have broken so many of the darn things. I did eventually learn how to thread a needle without one but I’d welcome a better-quality threader.