Teri Anderson
Hi friends!
In honor of Cool Tools for Paper Crafters, let’s talk about tools.
Tooling Around with Teri is back for the next two days, and today I am talking about the Sew Easy tool from We R Memory Keepers.
If you are one who loves the look of stitching on your paper crafting projects, this tool is for you.
The tool allows paper crafters to create the look of even stitches without having to fire up their sewing machine.
The tool is quite simple in design. It consists of a plastic barrel and a removable head. The head has teeth that you run across a piece of paper to make holes to stitch floss through.
It also has a small door at the bottom of the barrel that opens up, allowing you to store sewing needles inside the barrel.
Because the head of the tool is removable, you can buy heads to use with the tool. The heads allows you to make stitched designs that range from hearts to zig zags. The one that comes with the tool is a straight stitch.
To remove the head from the tool, you rotate it and then pull it out of the tool.
As the name implies, this tool really is easy to use.
Let me show it in action:
1. Set a piece of cardstock on a Sew Easy mat. I’ve found you want to use their mat rather than regular old craft foam or a self-healing mat because it simply works best with this tool. It’s cushy and it is about 1 inch thick.
2. Roll the Sew Easy tool slowly across the paper to piece holes in the paper. Grip the handle with one finger extended down the barrel. Be sure to apply even pressure on the tool and not bobble the tool sideways as you move it. This can result in uneven pierce marks.
If the holes haven’t gone through all the way through your paper, just use a push pin or piercing tool to finish them off.
3. Sew floss through the pierced holes.
And there you have it! And if floss isn’t your thing, consider using a pen to draw stitch marks instead.
Here are some projects I made with the Sew Easy tool:
I created the stitch lines with it here.
And I made three stitch lines with here. I stitched floss through one of the lines and then used pens to draw stitch lines on the other two. Can you tell which two?
Here I did something a little different with the tool: I distressed with it. I ran it repeatedly over the wood cut stem and then I sponged on a little ink onto it. You can achieve a similar look by using running the Sew Easy over chipboard.
Want to “tool around” with a Sew Easy of your own? The folks at We R Memory Keepers have generously offered up a Sew Easy tool for one of you lucky readers! Tell me three paper crafting tools you’d like to learn more about by Wednesday at 5 PM MST and I’ll pick one of you to win the prize!
And for even more project inspiration using the Sew Easy, turn to page 93!
I’ll be back tomorrow to talk about paper crimpers, so make sure to tune in!
Teri Anderson
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
PS. Hit my blog today to see three bonus ideas for using the Sew Easy tool.
The sew stamper, American Crafts new paper trimmer, and the i-rock.
I would love to learn more about the Sew Stamper, mists and alcohol inks. I went to a workshop last weekend and had no idea how to use these tools! I love your tutorials! Its nice to have someone take the time to teach me.
Thank you Teri for this wonderful post! I was thinking of adding this tool to my craftroom …..but I was not sure how use it…now I know it!
Beautiful cards!
I would like to know more about I-rock, Silhouette Cameo Machine .
I would love to learn more on: silhoute cameo, sizzix and new things to make wifh the irock…
i would like to learn more about the sew easy (uding different heads), color as a tool (as mentioned in an earlier post) and spritzing to make different looks.
I am a terrible seamtress so I would love to learn more about the Sew Easy, how to better utilize my new Big Shot, and I am dying to learn more about American Crafts Knocks Outs!
i would love to know more about the sew easy the fiskars trimmer and the silhoutte cameo.
I’d like to learn more about the Silhouette, and I’m not really sure about the I-Rock. Thanks for showing us the Sew Easy, I haven’t paid much attention to it…until now.
Isn’t there a center shape punch? I would like to learn more about that, as well as scorers (both for folding and for texture) and the texture plates designed to add background embossing to a piece of paper.
I would love to learn more about the sew easy, Silhouette, and irock. Thanks for the chance to win
Cool tool … I didn’t know I needed one till now!
I’d like to know how to use how to use round the page punches, mists and a scoreboard.
I have been wanting to try the Sew Easy since it came out! Your cards look amazing, but I always love your style. Well, the paper crimper is another tool that I don’t own but would love to learn how to use…I have always wanted to buy and try out the metal punch letters that you hammer into metal. And I have always wanted to try out the Ten Seconds Studio hand tooling plates. There you have it…just a few things on my list. Thanks for sharing your wonderful work!
Katie B.
Gorgeous cards!!!!
I would love to see any new tool. nothing comes to mind, but I always want to learn more about the cricut machine and it’s uses.
I would like to learn more about the Sew easy, paper crimper, and the circuit. Great prize!
The sew easy looks great. So much easier than using a sewing machine. I would love to learn about the irock, mists and more about the Silhouette.
Beautiful cards!
I LOVE THIS!! I love to sew on my cards. I usually use my sewing machine but i dont really like doing that. this is awesome
Fun, I’d love to give it a try, thanks for a chance to win.
I want to use mists and my crimper more and I’ve also been looking for a small, inexpensive but durable sewing machine just for paper crafting.
i would like more info on using the i-rock, silhouette cameo, and misting. thanks.
I was just talking to my sister about this tool! I have a head, that I purchased brand new at a garage sale, and I am interested in purchasing a kit soon.
I am interested in hearing about Quick Kutz Epic Six, Metal Embossing Ball & Sizzix products.
I would love to learn more about paper crimpers, uses for brayers, and which adhesives work best for which projects. Thanks for all your teaching!
Great samples! I’d love to know more about the Bind-it-All, the Sew Easy and the differences (pros/cons) between the Scor-Pal and the Martha Stewart score boards. Great offer. Thanks for the chance!
Nothing really comes to mind right now on what I would like to learn more about. But then again, it’s a rainy dreary day here in North Alabama and I can’t get motivated so maybe my brain is not quite working at the moment…lol I love your cards. This tool seems perfect when you have just a little bit of stitching to do.
I’d like to learn more about the Bind It All, the Teresa Collins stampmaker, and the I rock tools.
I’d like to learn more about corner chompers. This piercing tool looks like fun!
I have lots of decorative edged scissors and I would like to get more use out of them than just edges.
I would like to know more about the TC Stampmaker, the new AC trimmer and all the different Tim Holtz destressing tools and products!
I can’t sew a lick so his would be a dream! I would also like to know more about the Big Shot, Silhouette Cameo and the new Cricut Mini!
I adore this! What a neat idea! I would also like more information on the I-rock, Teresa Collins Stampmaker and the Bind it all.
I would like to learn more about the Sew Easy, more tricks with the Big shot and Klic n Kut (or any) die cutting machine. Thanks for another chance to win, your cards are gorgeous!
I would love to know more about the Scorepal, TC Stampmaker and the new AC trimmer! Thanks for the cool post!
TY for the tips on how to use this product! Gorgeous cards! ;o)
Thanks for sharing your sew easy tool. I would like to learn more about this tool, the paper crimper and the Silhouette.
Thx for the tutorial Teri. You make the Sew Easy look so easy!!! I would love to learn about the AC trimmer, I-rock, glimmer mists please.
Thanks for sharing the Sew Easy with us! It looks like a fun product! There are a few I would like to learn more about, but for now, how about the MS score board, MS circle cutter, and the differences in the exacto knifes (regular ones vs fingertip ones vs ergo ones). Thanks and I can’t wait to see what you show us next.
What a beautiful set of creations shared today, Teri!! LOVE! I would love to learn more about the Cinch, KNK Zing, and AC Trimmer. Thanks for the chance to win:) sbmmhoover at yahoo dot com
This looks like fun!
I’d love to learn more about the Bind It All, ScorIt, and the Silhouette Cameo.
DeniseB
Love this little tutorial! I had used mine all wrong and chalked it up to a bad purchase! Thanks for showing me the right way to use it!
Didn’t think I would like a Sew Easy, as I use my sewing machine, but you gave me other ideas to use it for. thanks! I would love one now.
Thanks so much for the ideas Teri…I have had this tool for awhile now, and not used it yet…you’ve inspired me!!!
I would like to know more about the Silhouette Cameo, i rock and the letterpress machine