I’m a big fan of pressing all my seams while sewing. Huge fan! Pressing every step of the way is one of the keys to sewing crisp, high-quality items, but those steam burns are hell on your fingers. Especially when you work with small pieces like bow ties. And I’ve been known to let out a few expletives of 4 letters or more when my iron decides to shoot out a blast of steam just as I place my index finger on the seam. That means my swear jar filled up quickly. (Wait! Why do I even need a swear jar when I work alone and the money is going right back into my purse anyway?)

Then one day, BAM! I was watching a Craftsy class and the instructor demonstrated a tool for protecting your fingers. I paused the class and went to look it up online because I just. HAD. to. have. one. Turns out that whatever she called it wasn’t the correct name and I had to go digging through Google searches for “thingies to protect fingers from steaming iron”. (Try it.) I found a few cool gadgets and Clover makes some fantastic products like the Iron Finger. That name is just too much for my overactive imagination so I simply could not have it in my sewing room.

And then, there they were — the Dritz Thermal Thimbles. These were the ones the instructor used, and I ran (not literally, because I don’t run) down to my local fabric store to ask for them. I had to educate the staff because they’d never heard of them. I almost had tears of joy running down my face when I spotted them hidden amongst the pin cushions.

Now whenever the kitten hasn’t absconded with them for his teething, these little babies let me get my pokers right up close to the steam and control my itty bitty seams with cool confidence. They work wonders with protecting my fingerprints from a hot glue gun as well. I’ve cut my sewing and crafting profanities to about half since I got them. That is, when I don’t stick the wrong finger under the iron. Oh, &$^#!! (Another quarter in the jar.)

See you next time I have something important to tell you.

Tags: Ironing, steam burn, Thermal Thimble