Not to quote Cher, but no matter how hard I try…I cannot stop buying needle minders. Sure, I know she didn’t sing the last bit, but it’s all relative. Purchasing these little project pals have become quite the problem at this point, but do I stop? Do I, heck.
Depriving myself of these joyous little things is something I’m not willing to do. I am, however, willing to create a post and make all of those who are just like me, feel better about getting a new one with each new product drop.
So without further ado, here are some ways to utilise your other needle minders, rather than just keeping them stashed away. Just a note to remember to practice magnet safety as you proceed through this post. Many magnets cannot be used around pacemakers and the like, so please be mindful of your health and check your supplier’s website for more information regarding safety.
‘Wrapping’ Your Fabric
Now I’ve spoken in a previous Tip Time about this, but just in case you need a reminder, I use my needle minders to ‘wrap’ my projects.
Not only does this help my main design stay a little bit cleaner, I can also see my lovely little magnets more often. I’m a sucker for a themed one, so it’s nice to use them all together.
On the left was my first Caterpillar Cross Stitch project, Stitch Into Christmas, along with my first needle minder of theirs, the super-cute Teacup. Two of my favourite things: a cuppa and Christmas!
P Is For Parking
Another project related use that you may not have thought of is to use your magnetic mates to park your threads, rather than forking out more money to invest in parking bobbins.
Many stitchers find their own rhythms with figuring out what they prefer to do on their own projects. I prefer to stitch with one colour in an area and move onto the next. However, some prefer to use multiple threads as they go to really witness the bloom of their work!
Using needle minders to hold, or park, those threads you’re not currently using is a great way to not only keep them out of the way whilst you’re working on another colour, it allows you to group sections off, also.
As you can see, I’m not the best at parking stitches. I’ll stick with parking the car; paralell’s my strong point, clearly!
Badge Of Honour
Keeping your health and safety in mind for this one, you may be able to use your needle minder as a bit of a fashion accessory!
Perfect to perk up those casual lapels or pockets, swapping out your needle minders to elevate your clothing is a great way to show them off no matter the season.
Again, please ensure to practice magnet safety when thinking about wearing your needle minders!
Quite The Collection
If you’re a bit of a collector like myself, you might like to have these in view all year round. You may have an abundance of fabric or aida (guilty) and a few spare embroidery hoops (oop, guilty again) lying around. Easily slip your fabric inside the hoop and pop on your magnets.
Not only is this a wonderful way to view your collection, it serves as easy fixing and removal for the next time you wish to grab one as a helping hand for your next project.
The best part is, it’s a quick ‘make’ as such. Rather than sewing, I’ve just used the magnets to pin down the excess fabric. I’ve used an old William Morris remnant here and I’m thrilled with how quick and easy this was to put together!
How do you use your needle minders? Got a great idea to share? We’d love to hear it! Let us know over on our socials using #WWCrafters!