Saturday, February 24, 2007

Miscellaneous Tips

Housekeeping: The best thing I've found to pick up threads, fabric bits, etc. from your work table, ironing board, or sewing machine area is a piece of medium or coarse steel wool. You just LIGHTLY brush it across the surface (lightly, not like you were sanding, but like you were dusting), and it picks up all the junk and doesn't redeposit. In fact, you can use the same piece almost indefinitely. I like this better than those micro-fiber cloths. They always look so dirty even after washing, and are too expensive to throw away. Steel wool is cheaper and lasts longer without looking hopelessly cruddy.
Who else has a secret?

Movie: My husband and I just spent two evenings watching an Italian movie (originally a TV miniseries, I think) called The Best of Youth. It's the story of two brothers over the decades from 60's to 2000's showing how their lives change with the turbulent times. I know that six hours--yes, six!--of a film in Italian with English subtitles isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if anyone likes that sort of thing at all, you should try this. The characters are fascinating, one of the actors (Alessio Boni) is amazing, there are beautiful shots of Rome, Tuscany, Sicily, and it's fun to see those excited Italian conversations and know what's going on. The last hour is a bit slow, but we were totally enthralled by this, even my husband who can't sit still for much.

7 comments:

Rian said...

I blow 'em off to the floor and get them with the vacuum eventually.

allie aller said...

Our local movie critic was ecstatic about that movie...
My personal favorite for Euro settings are the two BBC mini-series, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", and "Smiley's People"...London, Hamburg, Berne....and Alec Guiness in his best role ever. I know all 10 hours verbatim.

Will try that steel wool! I do keep a link rollar on hand while I'm piecing to keep the velvet clean...

Lori (A.K.A. Elkhoundmom) said...

Great idea to get people posting tips. I don't have any to share as I am more in the "desperate to come up with something" boat. I hope lots of people do share tips, though. I will be listening!

jenclair said...

Thanks for the tip. Can barely remember my name at the moment, so I have none to offer. I do keep a list somewhere, though.

Sounds like a Netflix moment for me!

Nellie's Needles said...

I'll have to try your steel wool trick.

I use latex gloves in my quilting and sewing. The latex easily brushes the hair from our two Shelties into pieces that I can pick from my quilt. Otherwise, I cut digits off the gloves to make finger cots for ease of pulling the needle through fabric when quilting as well as plain sewing.

Nellie's Needles said...

PS: That latex finger cot on my thumb picks up the dog hair and linty stuff where I'm doing hand-sewing or quilting so it doesn't get sewn into the piece.

Clare said...

I use steel wool on all my furniture. The 0000 grade. It pickes up everything. I would liken it to an exfoliater (sp?) for the face LOL. I rub over my kitchen table/work surface about once every 6 months. Do it too often and you'll lift the polish off.