I love your ... Heart ... Spirit ... Instructions ... Honesty ... Demonstrations ... Humbleness ... Delivery ... Manner ... and more. Thanks for sharing You with Us, it's a treat!
My grandmothers used soap slivers to mark fabric, both my American and Danish ones! The trick is to used just a sliver, you know, when you are almost down to nothing left of the bar. Ivory soap was traditionally used because it is a very old brand and very pure with no additives.
What a resourceful way to use soap scraps. And yes pure Ivory soaps sounds the most sensible, I used a no-frill no perfume classic soap and it worked so well!
My mother always saved dried slivers of soap in a tin box to be used on fabrics for adding seam allowances and more. I still do occasionally myself, on anything but silk. As for the cutting mat, I use small plastic spring clamps to hold the mat to my cutting table as it tends to roll up at the ends. Love your videos Johanna 😊
You can also use a little Elmers glue and put a piece of rubber shelf liner on the bottom. Its very easy to take it off if you need to put a new piece!
I had a really, really warped mat (I left it in the trunk of my car on a hot, sunny day in Florida 😣). I used the iron method but I placed damp towels on top of the mat then ironed it using steam. It took time but eventually it worked. I also placed heavy books on top. I had tried other ways that had limited results but the damp towel and iron method worked best.
You can put Hot Glue dots on your pedal, or you can buy "Dritz Quilting 24 Clear Fabric Grippers". I use them to put under my looms, so they don't slip. For my rulers, I use "Dritz Quilting 32 Quilter's Slip 'N Grips" There like round dots with sandpaper; it prevents moving, so I have a better cut. In big projects, I use small 2 or 3-pound ankle weights to control sleeping. I hope these tips help you.
Thank you for making this video! You asked for our thoughts, so here are mine: I think using soap instead of chalk would be better because I've had chalk marks disappear on me if I move the fabric for any reason. I've had more luck using aluminum foil to sharpen my paper scissors than my fabric scissors. I'll use a sharpening stone on my fabric scissors (and don't let me catch you using them for anything BUT fabric!) I'll have to try the rubber bands on my machine petal to see if it stop sliding on my carpeted floor. That's my biggest pet peeves with sewing. And I think I'll avoid trying to use heat on my cutting mat because, knowing me, I would melt it! I've had luck laying the mat out in the sun with the curved part down and weighing the rest of the mat down around it to help it flatten out.
Thank you for your input! Yes I agree, chalk have a very little staying power on some fabrics and I will use the soap on those moving on, but switching to slivers as suggested by several commenters. And the foil trick for paper makes more sense, I just don't think foil cuts so to speak for the demands of fabric scissors. And the rubber band works so great, I have very slippery floor and it made a big difference
I have used soap to mark my fabric for some 50 years. The end slivers along with the little bars you get in hotels are ideal. And they can be "sharpened" by rubbing them between your hands wet. An endless supply, inexpensive and always comes out.
I ended up using an inexpensive dollar store cabinet mat, cutting pieces about an inch larger than my pedals, and then bounded the edges with bias tape. It worked OK, but when I got a second machine I did it again and put a loose strip of bias tape about 10cm in from one short edge and then finished the edges. The end of the pedal gets some resistance from the crosspiece and that's been more secure.
I wouldn't dream of risking ruining my good sewing shears by trying to sharpen them with foil. The soap marking idea does work -- I wait until I have a bar of soap that is nearly used up, and the remaining sliver is great for marking. You could also put a small square of the non-slip shelf lining that is sold for kitchens and recreational vehicles, it is an open mesh that is covered with a light rubber coating.
Hi Johanna, regarding scissor sharpening I have never heard of trying aluminium foil, but on several occasions I have come across the tip to cut through fine sandpaper. Haven't tried it myself yet.
Another RUclips Chanel had indicated that foil doesn't actually sharpen your scissors, blades, etc but rather helps remove debris from the blades which in turn can help them cut better but otherwise doesn't sharpen them.
The trick with the soap is to use slivers of it, not a bar...can get a much finer line if you lay soap at an angle and not so much pull. Also keeps a finer edge. I tried the tin foil, never worked for me, bought a Henkel sharpener and never looked back! I Enjoy your videos, thanks and stay safe❣️
I love trying 'tricks'. I tried sharpening my rotary cutter blade - didn't work, but I was pleasantly surprised when cleaning my cutting mat with soap and warm water. Result: a clean and absolutely flat cutting mat!
What a nice tip about the soap, that is not an outcome I would have expected. After my mat warped I was nervous even cleaning it due to the moist, so good to hear it's safe and can even be good
If you're happy with the rubber bands, as a short term fix, they're relatively inexpensive to replace. I find, over time though, the bands deteriorate and snap. If you buy a non-slip mat, that can be purchased in a roll, they're more effective and last longer. Just more expensive to buy. I purchased my non-slip roll to line my kitchen drawer, that holds large, sharp knives. So when opening and closing the drawer, the knives aren't slipping backwards and forwards - poking the end of the drawer. I wonder if it can work in a sewing drawer with things that roll around too? I have some mat still leftover, so will try it on my machine pedal. I've found the non-slip mats, the best thing to grip anything. I've even used it under my sofa bed mattress, that tends to slide down in the upright position. Been using it for many years, and it still grips.
Super informative video. I have a 1090, which is similarly featured and approximately the same age as your machine. I love mine, and, several women I know have our machines. Built to last and still in use in my sewing room. I do have a 750QE, which is very nice, however, my 1090 is still the go to for certain features like top stitching and satin stitching. If I’m making bags, both machines are set up, helps that I don’t need to change threads! I find the 750 can be a bit fussy at times and doesn’t travel as well as the 1090. Lighting and throat space on 750 is far superior. I always enjoy your videos and books! Thank you for your efforts!
Thanks for your video! I wanted to ask- did the rubber band press down on your foot pedal loosing the amount of “play” you have for slow to fast speeds? Also- the tinfoil never worked for me too. I feel like it is a leftover words of wisdom from vintage times that really doesn’t work. I have heard of the sand paper version too and I have tried that- but it leaves scratch marks on your scissor blades. Like you I prefer the fiskars sharpening- it really does help in a pinch and doesn’t mark up your scissors. Sometimes our farmers markets have a scissor sharpening booth and I try to take my scissors and knives in for yearly professional sharpening. It really doesn’t cost a lot.
Yes, that I think is the most wise and resourceful method in the long run, using foil as a quick fix is not really very sustainable when one think about it
Agreed. Just be careful on who you select to sharpen them. I had my nearly $100 Kai dressmaker shears* essentially ruined by the guy grinding them too deeply. :-( ... *Before those got trashed, they were awesome, though. I now have three other pairs, of varying sizes/shapes. Highly recommended. They make Gingher and (cough) Fiskars look like toys. But, I digress.
a1nelson when in doubt mail your scissors to either the manufacturer for sharpening or an authorized service center. I would never let some random person with a grinder sharpen my shears.
Here’s a long one 😲 Buckled mat: To flatten the mat heat from the inside of the curve, in your case from the bottom. Heat a larger area than you think you need, at least as large as your weights. It will take a while for the heat to dissipate under those books so let it sit until you are sure it has cooled down completely. Yes, even lifting to check “ruins” the process. Patience. Dull scissors: When using aluminum foil fold it over until you have 6 layers, 1-2” longer than your blades. Place the near edge of your foil into the mouth of your scissors and cut the full length of the blade. Move over 1/4”. Make another parallel cut the full length of the blade. Cut relatively slowly. Continue to cut until your scissors will cut through a piece of gauze held perpendicular to the floor (waving in the breeze as it were). If this doesn’t work your blades may need to be tightened. If there is a screw and it will move when you turn it to the left then tighten it to the right and test your cut again. If that still doesn’t work take a fine nail file (for smoothing, not shaping), lay it along the bevel and smooth from the mouth of the scissors to the end. A foam file works well but you have to make sure you don’t use a lot of pressure. You want to ease off your pressure when you are close to the tip, like a bird taking flight. You will start to notice dark marks on the file and maybe your fingers, this is good. That is steel being removed and your blades are getting sharper. Cut again. Do you feel a snag as you cut? That is from the burr of metal created on the inside of the blade. Open your scissors all the way, lay the inside of the blade flat on the nail file and push it in a diagonal to the end several times. Look at the blade. You will see a polished area around the 3 outer edges. Any teeny dark “spots” along the edges mean there are still burrs and you need to continue smoothing. When your scissors cut the gauze you are done. Scrunch up the gauze and rub both sides of both blades (being careful!), rotate to a clean portion of gauze and polish away any remaining powder. Toss that gauze. Rinse scissors with hot water. Dry them well then set them in the sun or near a heater vent to get rid of any excess moisture. If you are in the habit place a drop of oil at the pivot point, let sit for 5 minutes then wipe clean. If you find you have lint build up when using the scissors wipe the blades with a paper towel soaked in alcohol, then wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any residue and set out to dry. Hope this helps!
I use soap on fabric that can be washed. I tried the foil a while ago and if anything it made my scissors more dull. I think I’ll have to get them professionally sharpened. I never had a warped mat but I’ve heard to let it sit in the sun for a few hours and it will flatten. I’ll definitely try the rubber bands. Thanks for the video.
Three solutions to wandering pedals. All of them tested. My mother had a rug under the sewing table. Under the rug she put a quarter-inch piece of plywood with six 'pegs' (actually nails filed off and rounded) sticking up through the rug, and the pegs held the pedal securely in place. On my old sewing machine, I attached the pedal to the sewing machine cabinet and operated it by pressing sideways with my knee. I liked the sideways pedal very much but my wife hated it because she likes to get out different sewing machines for different jobs and move them around to different cabinets and tables. So we now have sewing machine pedals firmly attached to old mouse pads. I don't think it's as good as my sideways pedal but I'm still surprised by how well it works.
Thanks for this video. I tried using the aluminum foil to sharpen kitchen scissors in the past and was less than impressed. The fine sandpaper suggested by Leonie didn't work then either. I'm curious to know how your cutting mat came to be wonky. Heat? Sun? I've had one of mine do that from heat...I had moved my wool mat onto it temporarily to clear a spot on my ironing board. It wasn't on long so I just put heavy books on and let it cool that way. I got lucky. That was a cheap lesson and I'm much more careful now. It's so nice to have your videos and other "constants" these days. I'm in Canada and we're doing okay, with everyone hunkered down. Lots of sewing going on. Wishing you and all your viewers happy and safe sewing.
I suspect it was either heat, sun and maybe some moist from the hardwood underneath? It seems super common so who knows what really caused it. Good to hear that you managed to fix yours too. And happy to hear you found my video a well-needed distraction, I made a conscious decision to make a video that's light and entertaining this week, while still offering some educational value. I think we need a little distraction right now!
Interesting! I haven’t noticed any warping in my cutting mat, but (a) I probably don’t use it as much as you do and (b) my sewing room doesn’t get direct sun. I wonder if putting your mat outside on a sunny day would work? Let the mat warm up, then put heavy items on top?
The most valuable hack I learned is using plastic debris bags from the Action instead of tracing paper. It is so easy to trace patterns with that. You can just use normal ballpoint which stays on forever. It stores so much easier and most of all. It does not tear :-)
Thank you so much for testing these tips. I have not had any luck with the aluminum foil for my scissors either and I would be curious to know what they did different that made it work
Hi, I use to use soap all the time to mark my fabric but it can stain some fabrics because of the oil content. Also, I was told by a technician once that we should not use soap for marking fabric. Soap residue could get into the machine while sewing and create a gooey residue that will built up over time and create issues for the machine.
On the foil, I've seen where you're supposed to cut through several layers at once. It has helped a little but you have to do it again and again. So instead I just use what you do.
Ah, that could improve things I guess. But it does seem like such a wasteful method compared to using a sharpener or seeing a pro. So I'm with you, I'm giving up on the foil 🙂
Foil is marginally useful but not a long term solution. -Soap works by cutting wedges with a cooks knife. It gives a finer line to mark with. - The iron method works over time. I’ve even heated the over to 50c for a smaller Matt to warm the whole Matt to get it to relax and then weigh down. - As for the foot pedal I use carpet samples or a carpet tile to stop slipping.
Thank you for your tips! I was super nervous about the heat and probably went a bit low, but as you say this method really work if one have the patience. Now on day 3 it's mostly flat!
I’m curious if other sewists have considered this: do the pedals need to move at all? If you need to move and/store away your machines, that’s great. But, if you have a more dedicated space, the portability becomes a hinderance. On my commercial machine, the pedal is held in place by a steel frame and, quite obviously never moves. That’s much nicer than you’d probably expect - it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to focus on the material instead. I’ve often thought about (somewhat) permanently mounting the foot pedals of my other machines to a piece of plywood or melamine, or a perhaps a frame of some sort. Has anyone tried this? What did you do?
Yes, I glued mine to a rubber mat roughly 12 inches square, cut out of an old thin yoga mat, used contact cement, my heel presses the mat to the floor, no slipping. Works great and can still reposition it if needed.
I´ve tried the foil hack on my rotary cutter, but was not really satisfied. As suggested in a hack I´ve read on a blog, I´ve scrunched the foil up before cutting through it, but the effect was not immense. But I have a special rotary cutter just for paper. There old blades come to a good use.
Once again thank you so much for your informative videos! Hope all is well in your country about this Corona virus, here in Canada it's not fun but we are ok. Most disappointing is my favorite fabric store is closed for now, argggg!!!!
Thank you! The situation in Sweden is also okay, we are not put in a lockdown, just with some restrictions and the spreading is so far seem to be at a moderate pace. But there is definitely some anxiety for what will happen next! Especially in the light of what has happened in Southern Europe
I have been using the soap method for a long time. What I usually do is use the bars of soap that are about 75% used then they are thinner and easier to handle.
Hi Johanna, I'm a bit late watching this but here is my tip 😁... I use an empty water bottle to stop my peddle moving and it works a treat....😉👍. Really enjoyed your experiment and keep safe Johanna👌😁😘
I have a question about clean up. I don't have a room dedicated to sewing so I clean up, sweeping frequently. I found that a towel over a broom works well, but do you have a vacuum cleaner you like that works well picking up strings?
Re the mats warping, I read somewhere that it was due to moisture and the way to avoid it in the first place was by turning it upside down from time to time. Sandpaper sharpens most scissors somewhat by creating mini serrations in the cutting edge. This works only if the edges are not very worn or dull. Otherwise, professional sharpening of a good quality carbon steel scissors will feel like a miracle resurrection. One can buy scissors with serrated edges that do not need sharpening as often as those with smooth cutting edges. Daniel
Thank you for explaining the finer details of how a DIY sharpening might and, that confirms my suspicion that there is no miracle in these DIY methods. I use my home sharpener my less precious scissors and am about to drop off my first pair of scissors to a pro
My cutting mat was badly warped so I left it on th cement driv way for an entire day in a heatwave in Australia . Fixed it. The foil thing didn’t work for my scissors
Yep the mat trick does work! I'm on day 3 now and it almost flat, I don't think it will be 100% restored but now I can finally use the entire mat to cut again! '
I live in Phoenix AZ USA. It gets so hot here in the summer, so I threw my mat on our concrete driveway in the middle of the day! Mat was flat as a pancake!☀️😁
I really liked the video. I sharpen my scissors with a glass bottle - check it out on yt. I have no idea why, but it works :D When I saw marking fabric with regular soap it reminded me immediately of my grandfather, who was always using it while sewing 💗
Wow, I need to find a tutorial on that one! I would like to do a follow-up video one day on different ways to sharpen scissors, so I might tyr that one! And how wonderful that the soap trick reminded you of your grandfather!
Don't do it, Foil is aluminum. Aluminum is softer than the steel blade in the rotary cutter. To sharpen any cutting instrument requires the removal of material from the cutting edge by a tool that is harder than the cutter. The edges of the cutter come to a very sharp edge much like a razor knife, rolling the cutter over a flat surface of something hard will dull the edge, not sharpen it. You can't sharpen a knife by trying to cut concrete.
on my warped cutting mats, I will lay them is full sun for a few hours in summer which works really well for me. I have a friend who swears by using hot water in the bath tub. I don't have that option, but I know the full sun works for me.
I've never tried the iron or dryer trick on my cutting mat but whenever I notice an area of the mat is starting to warp, I simply place my sewing machine or serger on top of that specific area. Either machine is heavy enough to provide the weight needed to flatten the mat. After a few days, the mat begins to flatten out.
I folded the foil into 8 layers two times longer than the blade and cut 8 narrow strips. This method did a good job on 2 of 3 pairs of sizzors . One or two layers made no difference .
I may try the rubber band solution for my sewing machine. My cutting mats (fabric and craft) are still flat. Cutting tin foil with my nice Ginghers is not going to happen... 😁
Yes keep those Ginghers away from the foil! I didn't use my fine scissors for this experiment either and I'm very happy I didn't.But the rubber band really does work
I've had great luck heating up my cutting mats and getting bumps out. I prefer to use a heat gun. It's the best of both worlds- control and lots of heat quickly.
Files or sharpening stones they are always harder than the metal they sharpen. Take a bar of aluminum and try to file a steel bar and watch the aluminum get scraped away and the steel be unaffected. The only reason the scissors may appear sharper is that the scissors blade may have been dirty or gummy and the foil cleans the blade. To sharpen a blade material must be removed by abrasion to restore and straighten the cutting edge.
I’m not sure, but I think the aluminum foil trick mostly works for scissors that were previously very sharp - perhaps over-sharpened. In this case, the edge curls, rather than wears down in a conventional way. So, the foil can remove the curved burr. As for the mat, it’s very important that *both* surfaces be treated the same. The bowing exists because the stresses/dimensions aren’t exactly the same anymore. This is effect is rather similar to the way fabric behaves - especially at the seams. The heavy weights/books are fine, but I haven’t found them to be necessary. Also, the mat needs water to heal and, like wood, if one side is exposed to more air/moisture than the other, it will warp. So, iron the back (and, front, if necessary) with a little steam, through a towel, until you get a very slight dome shape (rather than a bowl shape) then simply let gravity do the rest, over a few hours to a day. Works great.
Thank you for explaining in better details how to flatten the mat, that makes sense for sure. I've heard flipping the mat over can help prevent this issue too. I'm so grateful for you guys to share your immense knowledge, I have the best viewers!
And, if the rubber band is a bit too tight the sewing machine might just take off, stitching all by itself. Which is quite amusing to think of. So be careful!
Aluminum foil is much softer than the metal in your scissors. It will not do much of anything, even to fine sharp edge. Your sharpener is harder than the scissors, and will remove metal, creating a new sharp edge.
Yeah, that makes total sense, I was very underwhelmed by how the foil performed compared to my very basic cheap scissor sharpener. Sometimes when things sound too good to be true, that really is the case 😀
YIKES!: Cutting foil or sand paper with your scissors is a good way to dull them. I won't even cut paper with my good fabric scissors because it is too abrasive. NEVER cut foil or sandpaper with fabric scissors. Scissors are shearing machines, where one blade rides exactly on the other edge. These knife edges are ground to very precise angles. Nicks or burrs on the cutting edge are bad. The two faces of the blades are flat or hollow ground, the top cutting edges are angled (beveled) away from the cutting line from 15 degrees to 45 degrees and also ground. The higher the angle the more fragile the cutting edge, these knife edge scissors are used for cutting the finest silks or on high quality dress making shears. A flat bevel is used on children's scissors. The sharpen tool in the video has the right idea for sharpening the blades but may not match the angles of your particular scissors. Bottom line: cutting foil or sandpaper don't fix dull cutting edges, have your scissors sharpened by a professional or by someone that at least understands the cutting principles.
I love your ... Heart ... Spirit ... Instructions ... Honesty ... Demonstrations ... Humbleness ... Delivery ... Manner ... and more. Thanks for sharing You with Us, it's a treat!
Thank you for sharing your ideas and thoughts very handy hints and tips 👏👏👏👏😊😊
My grandmothers used soap slivers to mark fabric, both my American and Danish ones! The trick is to used just a sliver, you know, when you are almost down to nothing left of the bar. Ivory soap was traditionally used because it is a very old brand and very pure with no additives.
What a resourceful way to use soap scraps. And yes pure Ivory soaps sounds the most sensible, I used a no-frill no perfume classic soap and it worked so well!
Heard of this too. Must be slivers. Almost like white tailor’s chalk
My mother always saved dried slivers of soap in a tin box to be used on fabrics for adding seam allowances and more. I still do occasionally myself, on anything but silk. As for the cutting mat, I use small plastic spring clamps to hold the mat to my cutting table as it tends to roll up at the ends. Love your videos Johanna 😊
That’s right, cutting the soap with a cooks knife at an angle gives a finer edge to mark with.
I have the little soaps from hotels. Those are just right.
You can also use a little Elmers glue and put a piece of rubber shelf liner on the bottom. Its very easy to take it off if you need to put a new piece!
I had a really, really warped mat (I left it in the trunk of my car on a hot, sunny day in Florida 😣). I used the iron method but I placed damp towels on top of the mat then ironed it using steam. It took time but eventually it worked. I also placed heavy books on top. I had tried other ways that had limited results but the damp towel and iron method worked best.
You can put Hot Glue dots on your pedal, or you can buy "Dritz Quilting 24 Clear Fabric Grippers". I use them to put under my looms, so they don't slip. For my rulers, I use "Dritz Quilting 32 Quilter's Slip 'N Grips" There like round dots with sandpaper; it prevents moving, so I have a better cut. In big projects, I use small 2 or 3-pound ankle weights to control sleeping. I hope these tips help you.
Thank you! Great video! Placing my mat out on my patio cement where sun hits it all day ...is truly miraculous! 💜
Thank you for making this video! You asked for our thoughts, so here are mine:
I think using soap instead of chalk would be better because I've had chalk marks disappear on me if I move the fabric for any reason.
I've had more luck using aluminum foil to sharpen my paper scissors than my fabric scissors. I'll use a sharpening stone on my fabric scissors (and don't let me catch you using them for anything BUT fabric!)
I'll have to try the rubber bands on my machine petal to see if it stop sliding on my carpeted floor. That's my biggest pet peeves with sewing.
And I think I'll avoid trying to use heat on my cutting mat because, knowing me, I would melt it! I've had luck laying the mat out in the sun with the curved part down and weighing the rest of the mat down around it to help it flatten out.
Thank you for your input! Yes I agree, chalk have a very little staying power on some fabrics and I will use the soap on those moving on, but switching to slivers as suggested by several commenters. And the foil trick for paper makes more sense, I just don't think foil cuts so to speak for the demands of fabric scissors. And the rubber band works so great, I have very slippery floor and it made a big difference
I have used soap to mark my fabric for some 50 years. The end slivers along with the little bars you get in hotels are ideal. And they can be "sharpened" by rubbing them between your hands wet. An endless supply, inexpensive and always comes out.
Good old Chicago Manual of Style! You are a woman after my own heart.
🙂 I bought it when I started to write sewing books in English, very helpful, I love to nerd on that stuff!
its nice watchin you- the most pleasent sewing channel i have watched so far
Tip: put aluminum foil under your ironing board cover. It traps the heat & sends it back through your clothes for a shorter ironing process.
THIS I will try, thank you!
This sounds like it could also be hazardous? No critique - just wondering
My mother always did this. She doesn’t iron anymore.
A square of rug grip mat under the pedal works even better than the elastic bands, although they are good too. Available on eBay 👍🏻
Thank you for the tip, that sounds like a good and easy to get option too, I think many of us have those at home already
Can agree with that. I use that method also for some years now.
I ended up using an inexpensive dollar store cabinet mat, cutting pieces about an inch larger than my pedals, and then bounded the edges with bias tape. It worked OK, but when I got a second machine I did it again and put a loose strip of bias tape about 10cm in from one short edge and then finished the edges. The end of the pedal gets some resistance from the crosspiece and that's been more secure.
I wouldn't dream of risking ruining my good sewing shears by trying to sharpen them with foil. The soap marking idea does work -- I wait until I have a bar of soap that is nearly used up, and the remaining sliver is great for marking. You could also put a small square of the non-slip shelf lining that is sold for kitchens and recreational vehicles, it is an open mesh that is covered with a light rubber coating.
Hi Johanna, regarding scissor sharpening I have never heard of trying aluminium foil, but on several occasions I have come across the tip to cut through fine sandpaper. Haven't tried it myself yet.
That could be a topic for a part to of this video, have not tried that one 👍
I don’t believe I wood’t dare put my scissors on sandpaper lolol idk
Another RUclips Chanel had indicated that foil doesn't actually sharpen your scissors, blades, etc but rather helps remove debris from the blades which in turn can help them cut better but otherwise doesn't sharpen them.
The trick with the soap is to use slivers of it, not a bar...can get a much finer line if you lay soap at an angle and not so much pull. Also keeps a finer edge. I tried the tin foil, never worked for me, bought a Henkel sharpener and never looked back! I Enjoy your videos, thanks and stay safe❣️
I love trying 'tricks'. I tried sharpening my rotary cutter blade - didn't work, but I was pleasantly surprised when cleaning my cutting mat with soap and warm water. Result: a clean and absolutely flat cutting mat!
What a nice tip about the soap, that is not an outcome I would have expected. After my mat warped I was nervous even cleaning it due to the moist, so good to hear it's safe and can even be good
Try using grip liner from the dollar store under foot paddle it works. Just a right size to use. Cut the size u want.
If you're happy with the rubber bands, as a short term fix, they're relatively inexpensive to replace. I find, over time though, the bands deteriorate and snap. If you buy a non-slip mat, that can be purchased in a roll, they're more effective and last longer. Just more expensive to buy. I purchased my non-slip roll to line my kitchen drawer, that holds large, sharp knives. So when opening and closing the drawer, the knives aren't slipping backwards and forwards - poking the end of the drawer. I wonder if it can work in a sewing drawer with things that roll around too? I have some mat still leftover, so will try it on my machine pedal. I've found the non-slip mats, the best thing to grip anything. I've even used it under my sofa bed mattress, that tends to slide down in the upright position. Been using it for many years, and it still grips.
Super informative video. I have a 1090, which is similarly featured and approximately the same age as your machine. I love mine, and, several women I know have our machines. Built to last and still in use in my sewing room. I do have a 750QE, which is very nice, however, my 1090 is still the go to for certain features like top stitching and satin stitching. If I’m making bags, both machines are set up, helps that I don’t need to change threads! I find the 750 can be a bit fussy at times and doesn’t travel as well as the 1090. Lighting and throat space on 750 is far superior. I always enjoy your videos and books! Thank you for your efforts!
Fun video topic! I learned a few new tricks as well as that using tinfoil to sharpen scissors probably doesn't work.
Thanks for your video! I wanted to ask- did the rubber band press down on your foot pedal loosing the amount of “play” you have for slow to fast speeds? Also- the tinfoil never worked for me too. I feel like it is a leftover words of wisdom from vintage times that really doesn’t work. I have heard of the sand paper version too and I have tried that- but it leaves scratch marks on your scissor blades. Like you I prefer the fiskars sharpening- it really does help in a pinch and doesn’t mark up your scissors. Sometimes our farmers markets have a scissor sharpening booth and I try to take my scissors and knives in for yearly professional sharpening. It really doesn’t cost a lot.
Cutting fine sandpaper sharpens scissors really well.
I love my scissors so I have them professionally sharpened. It makes all the difference in the world.
Yes, that I think is the most wise and resourceful method in the long run, using foil as a quick fix is not really very sustainable when one think about it
Agreed. Just be careful on who you select to sharpen them. I had my nearly $100 Kai dressmaker shears* essentially ruined by the guy grinding them too deeply. :-( ... *Before those got trashed, they were awesome, though. I now have three other pairs, of varying sizes/shapes. Highly recommended. They make Gingher and (cough) Fiskars look like toys. But, I digress.
a1nelson when in doubt mail your scissors to either the manufacturer for sharpening or an authorized service center. I would never let some random person with a grinder sharpen my shears.
Good tips. I have used the soap tip but I use a soap that is just a sliver and makes a thinner mark.
Here’s a long one 😲 Buckled mat: To flatten the mat heat from the inside of the curve, in your case from the bottom. Heat a larger area than you think you need, at least as large as your weights. It will take a while for the heat to dissipate under those books so let it sit until you are sure it has cooled down completely. Yes, even lifting to check “ruins” the process. Patience. Dull scissors: When using aluminum foil fold it over until you have 6 layers, 1-2” longer than your blades. Place the near edge of your foil into the mouth of your scissors and cut the full length of the blade. Move over 1/4”. Make another parallel cut the full length of the blade. Cut relatively slowly. Continue to cut until your scissors will cut through a piece of gauze held perpendicular to the floor (waving in the breeze as it were). If this doesn’t work your blades may need to be tightened. If there is a screw and it will move when you turn it to the left then tighten it to the right and test your cut again. If that still doesn’t work take a fine nail file (for smoothing, not shaping), lay it along the bevel and smooth from the mouth of the scissors to the end. A foam file works well but you have to make sure you don’t use a lot of pressure. You want to ease off your pressure when you are close to the tip, like a bird taking flight. You will start to notice dark marks on the file and maybe your fingers, this is good. That is steel being removed and your blades are getting sharper.
Cut again. Do you feel a snag as you cut? That is from the burr of metal created on the inside of the blade. Open your scissors all the way, lay the inside of the blade flat on the nail file and push it in a diagonal to the end several times. Look at the blade. You will see a polished area around the 3 outer edges. Any teeny dark “spots” along the edges mean there are still burrs and you need to continue smoothing. When your scissors cut the gauze you are done. Scrunch up the gauze and rub both sides of both blades (being careful!), rotate to a clean portion of gauze and polish away any remaining powder. Toss that gauze. Rinse scissors with hot water. Dry them well then set them in the sun or near a heater vent to get rid of any excess moisture. If you are in the habit place a drop of oil at the pivot point, let sit for 5 minutes then wipe clean. If you find you have lint build up when using the scissors wipe the blades with a paper towel soaked in alcohol, then wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any residue and set out to dry. Hope this helps!
Thanks Laura! Excellent instructions.
Thank you for your detailed instructions, especially regarding sharpening scissors!
I use soap on fabric that can be washed. I tried the foil a while ago and if anything it made my scissors more dull. I think I’ll have to get them professionally sharpened. I never had a warped mat but I’ve heard to let it sit in the sun for a few hours and it will flatten. I’ll definitely try the rubber bands. Thanks for the video.
Three solutions to wandering pedals. All of them tested. My mother had a rug under the sewing table. Under the rug she put a quarter-inch piece of plywood with six 'pegs' (actually nails filed off and rounded) sticking up through the rug, and the pegs held the pedal securely in place.
On my old sewing machine, I attached the pedal to the sewing machine cabinet and operated it by pressing sideways with my knee. I liked the sideways pedal very much but my wife hated it because she likes to get out different sewing machines for different jobs and move them around to different cabinets and tables.
So we now have sewing machine pedals firmly attached to old mouse pads. I don't think it's as good as my sideways pedal but I'm still surprised by how well it works.
Thanks for this video. I tried using the aluminum foil to sharpen kitchen scissors in the past and was less than impressed. The fine sandpaper suggested by Leonie didn't work then either. I'm curious to know how your cutting mat came to be wonky. Heat? Sun? I've had one of mine do that from heat...I had moved my wool mat onto it temporarily to clear a spot on my ironing board. It wasn't on long so I just put heavy books on and let it cool that way. I got lucky. That was a cheap lesson and I'm much more careful now. It's so nice to have your videos and other "constants" these days. I'm in Canada and we're doing okay, with everyone hunkered down. Lots of sewing going on. Wishing you and all your viewers happy and safe sewing.
I suspect it was either heat, sun and maybe some moist from the hardwood underneath? It seems super common so who knows what really caused it. Good to hear that you managed to fix yours too. And happy to hear you found my video a well-needed distraction, I made a conscious decision to make a video that's light and entertaining this week, while still offering some educational value. I think we need a little distraction right now!
Interesting! I haven’t noticed any warping in my cutting mat, but (a) I probably don’t use it as much as you do and (b) my sewing room doesn’t get direct sun. I wonder if putting your mat outside on a sunny day would work? Let the mat warm up, then put heavy items on top?
The most valuable hack I learned is using plastic debris bags from the Action instead of tracing paper. It is so easy to trace patterns with that. You can just use normal ballpoint which stays on forever. It stores so much easier and most of all. It does not tear :-)
What are these? I’m in Australia
Thank you so much for testing these tips. I have not had any luck with the aluminum foil for my scissors either and I would be curious to know what they did different that made it work
Hi, I use to use soap all the time to mark my fabric but it can stain some fabrics because of the oil content. Also, I was told by a technician once that we should not use soap for marking fabric. Soap residue could get into the machine while sewing and create a gooey residue that will built up over time and create issues for the machine.
On the foil, I've seen where you're supposed to cut through several layers at once. It has helped a little but you have to do it again and again. So instead I just use what you do.
Ah, that could improve things I guess. But it does seem like such a wasteful method compared to using a sharpener or seeing a pro. So I'm with you, I'm giving up on the foil 🙂
Foil is marginally useful but not a long term solution. -Soap works by cutting wedges with a cooks knife. It gives a finer line to mark with. - The iron method works over time. I’ve even heated the over to 50c for a smaller Matt to warm the whole Matt to get it to relax and then weigh down. - As for the foot pedal I use carpet samples or a carpet tile to stop slipping.
Thank you for your tips! I was super nervous about the heat and probably went a bit low, but as you say this method really work if one have the patience. Now on day 3 it's mostly flat!
Hi Johanna!! Wonderful vlog.. So many wonderful tips to put to use.... 💜💜💜🧵🧵🧵
I’m curious if other sewists have considered this: do the pedals need to move at all? If you need to move and/store away your machines, that’s great. But, if you have a more dedicated space, the portability becomes a hinderance. On my commercial machine, the pedal is held in place by a steel frame and, quite obviously never moves. That’s much nicer than you’d probably expect - it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to focus on the material instead. I’ve often thought about (somewhat) permanently mounting the foot pedals of my other machines to a piece of plywood or melamine, or a perhaps a frame of some sort. Has anyone tried this? What did you do?
Yes, I glued mine to a rubber mat roughly 12 inches square, cut out of an old thin yoga mat, used contact cement, my heel presses the mat to the floor, no slipping. Works great and can still reposition it if needed.
I use the foil from pies or coffee tins as it thicker and I find that better or several layers of foil.
I´ve tried the foil hack on my rotary cutter, but was not really satisfied. As suggested in a hack I´ve read on a blog, I´ve scrunched the foil up before cutting through it, but the effect was not immense. But I have a special rotary cutter just for paper. There old blades come to a good use.
Once again thank you so much for your informative videos! Hope all is well in your country about this Corona virus, here in Canada it's not fun but we are ok. Most disappointing is my favorite fabric store is closed for now, argggg!!!!
Thank you! The situation in Sweden is also okay, we are not put in a lockdown, just with some restrictions and the spreading is so far seem to be at a moderate pace. But there is definitely some anxiety for what will happen next! Especially in the light of what has happened in Southern Europe
@@Thelaststitch take care of yourself. It’s quite closed here, am sure many are sewing more!
Love this video, very useful,thank you, but then again I love all your videos! 🙂
Thanks for the staining cutting mat Mam
I have been using the soap method for a long time. What I usually do is use the bars of soap that are about 75% used then they are thinner and easier to handle.
Hi Johanna, I'm a bit late watching this but here is my tip 😁... I use an empty water bottle to stop my peddle moving and it works a treat....😉👍. Really enjoyed your experiment and keep safe Johanna👌😁😘
Hi Sally- I can’t picture this! Can you explain more, please?
@@Lindarees55 I put the empty rubber water bottle on the ground and the peddle on top so when you peddle, it doesn't move 👍...hope that's helpful 😁
I have a question about clean up. I don't have a room dedicated to sewing so I clean up, sweeping frequently. I found that a towel over a broom works well, but do you have a vacuum cleaner you like that works well picking up strings?
Re the mats warping, I read somewhere that it was due to moisture and the way to avoid it in the first place was by turning it upside down from time to time.
Sandpaper sharpens most scissors somewhat by creating mini serrations in the cutting edge. This works only if the edges are not very worn or dull. Otherwise, professional sharpening of a good quality carbon steel scissors will feel like a miracle resurrection.
One can buy scissors with serrated edges that do not need sharpening as often as those with smooth cutting edges.
Daniel
Thank you for explaining the finer details of how a DIY sharpening might and, that confirms my suspicion that there is no miracle in these DIY methods. I use my home sharpener my less precious scissors and am about to drop off my first pair of scissors to a pro
My cutting mat was badly warped so I left it on th cement driv way for an entire day in a heatwave in Australia . Fixed it.
The foil thing didn’t work for my scissors
I haven’t had any success with aluminum foil either. I’m going to have to try the mat tip because mine is seriously warped
Yep the mat trick does work! I'm on day 3 now and it almost flat, I don't think it will be 100% restored but now I can finally use the entire mat to cut again!
'
Me either, or the cheap pie pan. I found files worked, but have to make sure angle is correct.
For the mat warping. Put a piece of glass over the uneven area and leave in sunlight.
I use the foil but I fold the foil into at least 4 layers before beginning to cut.
Thank for all hour Amazing tips
I live in Phoenix AZ USA. It gets so hot here in the summer, so I threw my mat on our concrete driveway in the middle of the day! Mat was flat as a pancake!☀️😁
Wow, that's awesome!
That’s what I have done too.
I really enjoyed it
Thank you!
Thank you!
Hello Johanna,
have ever concidered the Idea of sewing on an Industrial Sewing Machine?
I really liked the video. I sharpen my scissors with a glass bottle - check it out on yt. I have no idea why, but it works :D When I saw marking fabric with regular soap it reminded me immediately of my grandfather, who was always using it while sewing 💗
Wow, I need to find a tutorial on that one! I would like to do a follow-up video one day on different ways to sharpen scissors, so I might tyr that one! And how wonderful that the soap trick reminded you of your grandfather!
Foil can help sharpen rotary cutter blades too.
I had never heard of that one, will give it a try!
Don't do it, Foil is aluminum. Aluminum is softer than the steel blade in the rotary cutter. To sharpen any cutting instrument requires the removal of material from the cutting edge by a tool that is harder than the cutter. The edges of the cutter come to a very sharp edge much like a razor knife, rolling the cutter over a flat surface of something hard will dull the edge, not sharpen it. You can't sharpen a knife by trying to cut concrete.
The aluminium foil worked for my pinking shears
Interesting, I saw someone else say the same thing too, that foil jives better with serrated edges
Thanks I was going to ask about pinking shears!
on my warped cutting mats, I will lay them is full sun for a few hours in summer which works really well for me. I have a friend who swears by using hot water in the bath tub. I don't have that option, but I know the full sun works for me.
Hi there ty for sharing your ideas 😊
I've never tried the iron or dryer trick on my cutting mat but whenever I notice an area of the mat is starting to warp, I simply place my sewing machine or serger on top of that specific area. Either machine is heavy enough to provide the weight needed to flatten the mat. After a few days, the mat begins to flatten out.
That's good to know! I think I was too slow to react and that's when it all got completely curved, I will keep a better eye on this moving forward!
I folded the foil into 8 layers two times longer than the blade and cut 8 narrow strips. This method did a good job on 2 of 3 pairs of sizzors . One or two layers made no difference .
I put a sheet of shelf liner under the foot pedal...No more slipping
I may try the rubber band solution for my sewing machine. My cutting mats (fabric and craft) are still flat. Cutting tin foil with my nice Ginghers is not going to happen... 😁
Yes keep those Ginghers away from the foil! I didn't use my fine scissors for this experiment either and I'm very happy I didn't.But the rubber band really does work
I glue rubber shelf liner on bottom
I've had great luck heating up my cutting mats and getting bumps out. I prefer to use a heat gun. It's the best of both worlds- control and lots of heat quickly.
Try cutting motion in fine sand to sharpen your scissors.
Files or sharpening stones they are always harder than the metal they sharpen. Take a bar of aluminum and try to file a steel bar and watch the aluminum get scraped away and the steel be unaffected. The only reason the scissors may appear sharper is that the scissors blade may have been dirty or gummy and the foil cleans the blade. To sharpen a blade material must be removed by abrasion to restore and straighten the cutting edge.
I’m not sure, but I think the aluminum foil trick mostly works for scissors that were previously very sharp - perhaps over-sharpened. In this case, the edge curls, rather than wears down in a conventional way. So, the foil can remove the curved burr. As for the mat, it’s very important that *both* surfaces be treated the same. The bowing exists because the stresses/dimensions aren’t exactly the same anymore. This is effect is rather similar to the way fabric behaves - especially at the seams. The heavy weights/books are fine, but I haven’t found them to be necessary. Also, the mat needs water to heal and, like wood, if one side is exposed to more air/moisture than the other, it will warp. So, iron the back (and, front, if necessary) with a little steam, through a towel, until you get a very slight dome shape (rather than a bowl shape) then simply let gravity do the rest, over a few hours to a day. Works great.
Thank you for explaining in better details how to flatten the mat, that makes sense for sure. I've heard flipping the mat over can help prevent this issue too. I'm so grateful for you guys to share your immense knowledge, I have the best viewers!
And, if the rubber band is a bit too tight the sewing machine might just take off, stitching all by itself. Which is quite amusing to think of. So be careful!
Foil really works too sharpening scissors, but you should fold it up a couple times with the shiny side out okay? I do it all the time lolol
I have tried the foil thing before, did not work!
How did your mat got warped after all?
Probably a combination of heat and moisture
Fiskars sharpener doesn't really work. Was hoping foil would help.
Aluminum foil is much softer than the metal in your scissors. It will not do much of anything, even to fine sharp edge. Your sharpener is harder than the scissors, and will remove metal, creating a new sharp edge.
Yeah, that makes total sense, I was very underwhelmed by how the foil performed compared to my very basic cheap scissor sharpener. Sometimes when things sound too good to be true, that really is the case 😀
About soap trick. You will remove it 100% by steaming it out with an iron.
Why don’t you glue the mat on the table top?
You did the foil sharpening wrong. You gotta make it thicker by folding it then cut it many times. Try that
YIKES!: Cutting foil or sand paper with your scissors is a good way to dull them. I won't even cut paper with my good fabric scissors because it is too abrasive. NEVER cut foil or sandpaper with fabric scissors. Scissors are shearing machines, where one blade rides exactly on the other edge. These knife edges are ground to very precise angles. Nicks or burrs on the cutting edge are bad. The two faces of the blades are flat or hollow ground, the top cutting edges are angled (beveled) away from the cutting line from 15 degrees to 45 degrees and also ground. The higher the angle the more fragile the cutting edge, these knife edge scissors are used for cutting the finest silks or on high quality dress making shears. A flat bevel is used on children's scissors. The sharpen tool in the video has the right idea for sharpening the blades but may not match the angles of your particular scissors.
Bottom line: cutting foil or sandpaper don't fix dull cutting edges, have your scissors sharpened by a professional or by someone that at least understands the cutting principles.
I heard you cut into a SOS pad to sharpen scissors.
u can sharpen ur scissor by cutting into sand paper instead of foil
Don't use Dove soap as it is a moisturiser not a soap
Sharpening scissors with foil doesn’t work.