Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Red Comparison

My little red scissors came today.....sooooo little, soooooo cute and sooooooo not quite there.
Don't get me wrong....they are cute, RED and sharp...they will get used.....a lot.

I compared them them to a pair of Gingher 4" knife edge scissors since they were the closet in style and size that I have.

As you can see, the red ones are 4.5" and the Gingher's are 4"
Both have finger holes on the small side, but the red are a touch bigger




The Gingher's have smooth blades and the Bohin's have one smooth blade and one micro serrated blade.




The Bohin's blade is a little thinner than the Gingher's and the angle of the sharpening is more severe.


They both snip embroidery threads quite decidedly. Six strand of floss to #8 perle and bakers twine....noooo problems for either.

They both cut two layers of fabric nicely, but the Gingher's will do four layers with ease....6 with effort. The Bohin's will not do four. I used a basic quilter's quality cotton fabric.

The Gingher's have a little bit smoother action, but they have been around awhile. They also have a little more heft to them. The tips are also a little finer with points all the way to the end of both blades. The Bohin's have one very pointy blade and one with a squared off tip.

Over all, the Bohin's are a nice pair of scissors and being red makes them a stand out.

Quality wise with a good price point, I still haven't found a pair that beats any of my Gingher's. And if you have a 40% coupon, you can get them at Joann's for under $20.00. The Bohin's were $25.00 plus shipping.

Yep, a big thumbs up. Are they scissors nirvana? Not quite, but darn close.

Now to save up for a pair of  Dovo's. They do not have a good price point and they will be about $40-45.00 plus shipping for a comparably sized pair. But I have heard wonderful things about them...glowing even.

Be sure to leave a comment on this post: Red, Red...I want Red for your chance to win a pair of Bohin mini embroidery scissors and a few embroidery supplies courtesy of me and my quest to find the perfect pair of scissors.

Happy Stitching!

Saturday, June 8, 2013

RED..RED...I WANT RED!

There's no substitute for red.........Sammy Hagar


I didn't need this little, red item......not in the least. However..........I really wanted them and I am on the hunt for the perfect pair. Will these be it?

What did I succumb to?
ahhhhhhh.......



Mary Corbet reviewed them. Then I started coveting them. lol.
I finally found some and they were quite reasonably priced, so I took the plunge. Crossing my fingers these get me one (or all the way) step closer to the perfect pair of scissors for me.

Guess I will have to do some kind of giveaway for all the scissors that have crossed my doorway only to be put aside to try another pair...hmmmmmmmmm yes....a giveaway will be happening quite soon.

How about now?!

Tell me what your perfect pair of scissors is or what you wish they were.
Make sure you leave contact information or you can't win.

What shall you win???  Mwah ha ha...... wouldn't you like to know?

A Loverly pair of Bohin mini scissors, a hoop and some embroidery goodies

I will pick a random generated winner one week from today........let the scissors love fest begin.......

Saturday, May 18, 2013

It's here, It's here! the Star Trek Blog Hop is out of the World!!

Today is finally my day to hop!
Have you enjoyed all the crafts? The giveaway? I know I have!!

I made a couple of things, with a couple more in the works, cuz a Trek Geek, I am.



First off...a teeny, tiny pincushion/ornament
Made with a wool blend felt in a command color...all hand done....including the star!!
This can be yours....just check out the lead hoptress at http://www.punkprojects.com/



In the background, you can see a stellar project bag...it needed a a little something to keep my smaller equipment all in one place.
Sooooooooo I unsewed this plastic grocery bag holder (since the eco nazis are taking away all the plactic bags) and used it as my fabric. 




I ♥ linen and red and polka dots and trek



One fold



Two fold



Three fold, then tie!!

Hope you enjoyed hopping and I KNOW you enjoyed Star Trek: Into Darkness!!

check out the other specTREKular hoppers!

Katie: (me) http://www.punkprojects.com/
Emily: http://emilymayhem.blogspot.com/
Mandy: http://www.chocolateandcreamcake.com/
Regena: http://thedistracteddomestic.blogspot.com/  ***you are here***
Melissa: http://www.scrappyjedi.com/
Taylor: http://thismemorablelife.blogspot.com/
Kam- http://www.campfirechic.com
Megan- http://thenerdnest.com/

Photo: too much? I think not! have a specTREKular day

Yes, I did wear this today along with my totally awesome Trek shoes from our own Miss Katie

Monday, May 13, 2013

CUTTING EDGE TOYS
okay, okay, I got some new scissors

Ever since I started doing embroidery, I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of scissors. 
I have several I like, a couple I love, and a bunch that work fine, but I take no joy in their use.
I admit, I am still searching for scissors nervana.........

On to the new toys......................


Mother of Pearl Thread holders
How could I not?  
Ewe need some too!


My latest test candidates.....



Karen Kay Buckley brand
Sharp, lightweight, large flexible finger holes
They are pretty good. Cuts pearl, floss and other lightweight threads and fabric nicely.
I wouldn't use them for fine, precision work because the tips are a bit squared off, but the blades are quite fine and they are a good all around scissors.



Fancy brand .... Bohin of France
Teeny, tiny, adorable, sharp
Finger holes are quite roomy... especially considering their 2.25" length
Cuts pearl well, and 4 or fewer strands of floss.
Not bad, but limited because of size
Did I mention they are too cute?



Silent Stitches Brand
Good weight, pretty, sharp, large finger holes
Cuts pearl, floss and fabric
Not a super fine blade, but a really good all around pair of scissors.
If the blade was a tiny bit thinner and the tip and little finer they would be per-fec-tion



My trusty Ginghers that I used as my base for comparison.



All the little duckies in a row

Over all, they will all do the job well. It becomes a matter of personal preference.
None of them were more than $16.00us and if you keep your eyes peeled, you can find them on sale.

So far, I love my cheapy reproduction pair and an old pair of Ginghers the best. 

I've used the green ones for a few weeks now....I am just not feelin'  them even though I can't find anything negative to say about them.

The Bohin minis.......they are a little too specific, but fun. They may end up in a giveaway since all I've done is test them on some thread.

The silent stitches pair will get added to my rotation and tested. I only got them two days ago.
 I am feelin them and I like a little heft to my scissors.

I still want to try a pair of Dovo brand and the Premax that look like they have a googly eye....Alas, those are a bit pricey and I am not quite ready to plunk down more than $100.00 for two pair of small scissors. I wouldn't mind borrowing a pair to see if I love them...hint, hint

Do you have a favorite pair of scissors? I would love to hear about them.

Happy Sewing!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

By Land, Air or Sea--Steampunk Inspired Transportation Blog Hop








May is National Transportation Month and what better way to celebrate than with a Steampunk themed blog hop?!

Our loverly hostess for this hop is Ms. Leslie Rahye....all the links are at the end of the post. Join me, won't you?










My inspiration fabric




Sewn on a 1941 Featherweight.......almost as old as the age Steampunk represents, right?



Transporting groceries, steampunk style!



I made this bag for a friend who loves him some bike riding and hates using his wife's girly grocery bags. lol

Enjoy the hop!!!  I know I will!!



Friday, May 3, 2013

ODDS BODKINS


FILE THIS POST UNDER: LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY
                                                EEEEWWWWWWWWWWW
          
I came across this handy little item looking at antique needlework tools. Boy, I am so glad I was born in modern times. LOL  I realize it isn't a lot different that using beeswax, but my modern ick factor kicks in, like when I saw thee most beautiful embroidery...super fine threads.....threads that were hair. Ew, ick and wow!


CHARLES I SILVER BODKIN with EAR SPOON
 England, c1630



     

(Actual Length 4.5 Inches - The images are oversized.)

Of very heavy gauge in the usual elongated flat tapering blunt needle form 
with wide open slot below a smaller round opening and scooped ear (wax) spoon  
(used to wax threads, like beeswax or thread heaven)
and decorated with Stuart style hatched engraving; unmarked (as most of this period are)

Note: A bodkin is a needle like tool that was used for pulling tape or ribbon through a series of loops.  17th century clothing was often joined by such as ribbons or leather straps.  
Bodkins were personal, often carried on the person, and passed through the generations.  
The word "bodkin" in earlier centuries also referred to sharp instruments, as stilettos, 
daggers, and pointed hair ornaments.

Can you imagine? 
Thread getting a little fussy? Just dig out some earwax and take the fussy factor out of it.
Ewww, ick and wow.......modern times have made us all a bit squeamish about our bodily functions....and I am kinda okay with that. LOL
Now, where did I put that little blue box of thread heaven.....................................................






Sneak Peek.....

Been working on a couple of blog hop items but I can't do the big reveal for a while yet, but I can show you some snippets.....





That's all folks....until blog hop time on May 12-18.........if the dates aren't a big, giant hint, I just don't know.........