When we really get into any hobby, art, or craft – when it becomes a significant part of our lives – the tendency to accessorize becomes part of the the whole experience.
That’s not to say that we can’t dabble in our hobbies or delve into our arts and crafts without tools and accessories, but if it’s true that the right tool makes a job easier, then isn’t it also true that the right tool that happens to be beautiful can add another degree of pleasure to the pursuit?
Last year I ran a series here on Needle ‘n Thread called The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was a series of twelve days of give-aways during the real “twelve days of Christmas,” which fall after Christmas. It was a remarkably fun series, and many fine needlework-related businesses contributed to it.
One of the contributors was JR Crafter, a father and son team that makes beautiful tools for hand embroidery. They made my favorite laying tool, which you can see above. It’s a BLT (Shay Pendray’s Best Laying Tool), situated in a perfectly weighted, perfectly smooth, perfectly crafted acrylic casing. It’s a wonderful tool! And so I was really happy to have JR Crafter as part of my blog series last year.
I use this tool practically every day, and I love it. It encompasses everything I look for in a tool, in this order: it is perfectly functional – it does the job it’s supposed to do; it is of excellent quality – it will last; and finally (the icing on the cake), it’s beautiful!
This year, my laying tool was joined by two more pieces to complete the set – a matching pen, which is perfectly weighted and writes really well, and a needle tube on a ring. The top of the needle case twists off, and there’s plenty of space within to store spare needles.
Lovely, aren’t they? But not only lovely – they’re useful! There’s nothing better than the combination of beauty, quality, and serviceability in a needlework tool!
I wanted to point out these tools to you particularly because I really admire the quality of Jack and John’s work at JR Crafter. I’m not affiliated with the company at all. But I love to see a family team come together and pool their talents to create beautiful, well-made things.
If you’re looking for a needlework gift for someone this year, or if you’re in the market for a new laying tool, or if you just need a little something special to add to your basket, keep JR Crafter in mind! You’ll love their tools!
So, what about you? Do you have a favorite tool? What do you look for first in a tool? I’d love to hear your views on tools and accessories for needlework! Have your say below…
