1.04.2011

It's a Tricks of the Trade Tuesday...


Have you ever spent days, weeks or even months looking for your last one of these...
only to find it wrapped around the brush of your vacuum cleaner
or
floating in the dog's dish with the white tag chewed off
or
to find a whole little collection of them in the cushions of your chair upon Spring cleaning???
If so, don't feel bad...join the club!


Here are a few tricks that help locate these stinkin' little necessities of that needle art
called
punch needle...
Trick #1 -


Replace the white tag with a much larger, fluorescent yellow sticky tag...you know the kind you label garage sale items with. This little trick was passed onto me by my 80 something year old mother a few years ago. She sent me a sweet little note with the above little suggestion and a sheet of bright yellow stickers to boot...Thanks Mom! While she never did quite conquer punch needle she was darn sure she was going to be keepin' track of her threaders!! Her little suggestion, in her hand-written note, ended in a double explanation point. She always, always draws a smiling mouth under her explanation points...
something like this
!!
U
only in handwriting...Mom was ahead of times and didn't even know it.


Don't have any labels...
Trick #2 - Well, how about nail polish? Bright nail polish, the brighter the better! A few coats of bright nail polish also helps to locate these little suckers.


Don't paint your nails??
Do you own any buttons? Do you have boxes, jars & tin upon tins of old buttons as I? Are you feelin' a bit creative??? Well then trick #3 is just for you...


Trick #3 - Well then, how about stitching a couple of your favorite old buttons to the tag of your threader. Remember the brighter the button the better. Simply hand sew the two buttons together with the white label sandwiched between the two buttons.

And taadaaa...
I not only have a threader I can see, but a threader one can hear when the dog is crunching upon the button, or the little "tinking" (is that a word?) sound it makes when falling to the floor. Yeah I know...first its the sight that goes and then it's the hearing (*sighing*)...isn't growing old lovely???

Happy Punching,
Brenda

P.S. should your threader succumb to the beating brush of your vacuum or your dogs next doggy treat...we do sell these on our website in packages of 2 for $2.50!!


10 comments:

vikki said...

~♥Love how your mom had sucha wonderful idea! i usually put mine in an envelope, that i have decorated or a wool piece that is folded & decorated. never fails, tho, it gits dropped...getting out of vehicles or the couch or chair, only to become missing... i sooo LOVE the button idea! i have soo many buttons & love to see them how cool is that?? real cool! i think! =) thank*U for sharing. hugs & blessings, vikki♥~xo

JANET said...

What a great idea. I love the buttons. I'm just getting back into punch needle and I think I'll add the buttons to my threader before I lose it :)

Annie Beez said...

wonderful idea!

Marguerite (Tina) Smith Hart said...

Those were great suggestions and I especially love #3, the button one! I think that is the one I will try! Thanks for the ideas and thanks to your mom too!
Tina xo

renee said...

Very good ideas! I will have to keep that in mind. They are easy to lose. One thing I have ALOT of is buttons! Thanks for sharing with us.

Dorothy said...

I just love the button idea, how wonderful and I know that 'crunch' sound. My dog likes reels of thread if I've left it lying on the chair.
Can you tell me name of the fabric behind your little red flower stitchery. It looks like hessian and want to order some.
Thanks

Shirley said...

Thanks for sharing the wonderful tricks of the trade. I learn more each time that I visit your blog. I enjoyed reading a previous post with your grandson. He is so cute. Have a great day. A Missouri Friend.

Coco said...

I don't have this problem because I don't practice punch needle... But I'd love (I have some of your patterns...)... Punch needle is not very used in France so I don't have the technics... I have an idea ! I propose you to come to France and teach this art to me and my friends ! Isn't it a very good idea ? )))
Coco (France)

Michelle~Sugar House Creations said...

Oooh, I do have jars and jars of buttons! LOL! I have seen some for sale with large beads on the end as well, but I have a thing for buttons. And, ahem, I have found them in the cushions of my stitchin chair. :)

BeFRuiTFuL KReaTioNS said...

Thanks Brenda I love the button idea!!!!!!