The Sewing Place
Tools of the Trade => The Haberdashery => Topic started by: Elnnina on July 13, 2019, 11:43:40 AM
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By chance I came across the final of the very first Great British Sewing Bee programme the other night. The first challenge was to make a man’s shirt, and it was whilst they were doing this that a reference to turning out the points on a collar that I picked up on, Ann Rowley the winner of that first series said that she used a pair of dolphin nosed surgical forceps and that they were excellent for getting the corners turned out neatly.
Going way back I happened to mention just how useful surgical forceps were to our sewing, they have so many uses, and for those who haven’t heard of them before they are roughly 13cms long although they can come in many sizes. I have been lucky in that I have a very obliging chiropodist who will order these for me, failing that there is always a chance that a local pharmacy will order but I have never tried.
You can get these surgical forceps in straight tops - they look just like a pair of dolphin nosed scissors, or you can get them so that the tips are curved – still dolphin nosed - excellent for getting into awkward and small spaces and for me a must have when threading up the overlocker.
Most of mine are the 13cm length, and I have one much smaller pair that came over from Canada and are kept with my embroidery equipment.
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There's a very good video by Kenneth D King for installing an invisible zip which uses a hemostat - which I believe is a type of forceps. I got one very cheaply from eBay
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Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=surgical+forceps&ref=nb_sb_noss) has quite a variety too. :)
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I remember Anne Rowley- she helped set up the (once upon a time) hugely successful Stitchers Guild online site. Any recent news of her?
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@jintie I believe she sadly passed away. She was such a talented lady.
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She was a very polite person, but stood up for herself. I wish I had met her.
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I’ve got 3 sets of hemostats. Wouldn’t be without them. They are absolutely wonderful for turning collars, corners of facings etc. Also useful for getting out stubborn tacking thread and when having to rip out a seam. My fingers don’t cope well with that nowadays.
I got mine from Amazon.
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I use the forceps from my dissecting kit circa 1970. I think most of the rat blood has gone now.
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I have 2 sets, and I love them for grabbing threads. They grip so much better than tweezers. I want my hubby to remove the latches from the handles though. I never have a need for them to be latched, and I get annoyed with having to unlatch them every time.
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@jintie I believe she sadly passed away. She was such a talented lady.
Actually she is still alive according to an article on previous Sewing Bee Winners published April 2019. It said she was 81 when she won. https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-great-british-sewing-bee-winners-list-who-won-past-series-where-now/
There is an obitury on Google but it must be for someone else with the same name.
The spelling of Anne is different as well.
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That article didn't actually say she's still alive just
She was last interviewed by fellow contestant Tilly Walnes on her blog Tilly and the Buttons in 2013.
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I've just heard that she posted elsewhere within the past month, which is good news.
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I have a straight and a curved pair. The curved ones are great for removing hair from dogs ears :)
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I have 2 sets, and I love them for grabbing threads. They grip so much better than tweezers. I want my hubby to remove the latches from the handles though. I never have a need for them to be latched, and I get annoyed with having to unlatch them every time.
I like them for grabbing thread too. I also use them for changing needles.