Today we are back with another fun, little tool from The Cottage Mama’s Sewing Basket. These tube turners may look like a simple tool, but they will change your life. And if you don’t have them in your sewing basket, I’m going to recommend you pick up a set.
What does this tool do? Tube turners are kind of like they sound. They make it easy to turn tubes of fabric right side out. Have you ever been working on a long sash for a dress or straps for a tote bag and found it took forever to turn the fabric right side out? Well, these little tools make such fast work of this. Here’s how…..
Simply place the blue plastic tube down inside your tube of fabric (or sash) that is currently turned wrong side out. Take the wooden dowel and push it up through the finished end of the fabric and up through the blue plastic tube.
Continue pushing the wooden dowel up through the plastic tube until the fabric appears at the top of the plastic tube and is right side out. At that point you can remove the wooden dowel and just continue to pull the fabric out through the top of the plastic tube.
And there you have it…….a quick turn tube turner! Yes, you can most certainly turn tubes and sashes with something like a chopstick, but let me tell you……these are even easier and worth the small investment. You can find Quick Turn Tube Turners in the notions section of your local fabric and sewing store. They generally come in a pack of three with different sizes. I have the Dritz brand, but there may be other brands on the market as well.
There is also another handy-dandy tool used for turning completely open tubes (with no finished end), but we’ll save that one for another installment of The Cottage Mama’s Sewing Basket.
*I was not compensated in any way promoting the products and tools found in The Cottage Mama’s Sewing Basket. These are all tools, notions and things that I love and use.
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
I need these : )
AGREE – I saw these on a blog a bit back and immediately got some and they are awesome! They will definitely be helpful and you will wonder why you didn’t buy these before!!!
Of all the sewing notions I’ve ever used, these tube turners have revolutionized my sewing! I used to spend so much time trying to turn straps and sashes along with lots of frustration. But with these tubes I can have them turned so quickly. I also love the really small one to turn button loops. I tell all my sewing friends that this is not an option but a necessity!!
YES, YES, YES!! It is an amazing sewing tool/gadget…..we had to see it to believe it, and it definitely lives up to its hype!!
I’ve ben a big doubter when it comes to these…maybe I’ll have to give it a try!
I don’t think I could give these babies up. They are awesome!! I love mine!
I have these. I love them and use them all the time. Awesome tool.
Wonder if they would work on heavy grain sack fabric? I would love to have something like this to turn my camera straps but they can be really heavy fabric or have padding in them.
Ans here I have been using a safety pin for the last 20 years! I must try this!
I too resisted buying these for about 20 years, or however long they’ve been on the market. They’re not expensive, but I was always more willing to buy another couple packs of buttons, or more thread or something because I’ve turned tubes with safety pins or a knitting needle or something without too much grief. Finally bought them, and was tickled pink at how much I liked them! I think if the camera straps are wide enough to fit the big one (3/4 inch or so?) they’d work great. I hope whoever designed and marketed them originally made a nice profit from them.