Tips and Tools Tuesday – What Color Are Your Pins?

What color, you say?

What difference does it make?

Let me tell you a story and you can decide.

I bought the pins on the right several years ago because I thought they were pretty. I still do. And, they work just great at holding fabrics together to be sewn. They have a nice size head so they are easily grasped and maneuvered into the fabric.

Then I bought the pins on the left because they were longer and thinner for quilting. They work great, too. Easy to use just like the others.

Now, you may be thinking, "Ok, big deal. So you have two different sets of pins. So what."

Well, I noticed that there is a BIG difference when I drop one. Or two. Or more.

How many pins do you see on the floor of my sewing room?

If you counted ten, you found them all.

Were they easy to spot? Which ones were easier. Which ones were harder?

Did COLOR play a roll in which ones were easier to find?

I noticed that when I was using my pretty pins and dropped one, I was thinking, "Ok, which color was I using at the time? So I know what to look for."

Sometimes, in that split second between picking a pin out of the pincushion and dropping it on the floor, I didn't notice what color it was. And, depending on where the little bugger bounced, I'd waste precious sewing time hunting for it. I'm usually barefoot around the house and don't particularly like to find them with my foot!

Ok, now see how many pins you can find in the photo below.

If you found twenty-three, you have good eyes!

When I switched to using pins that are all the same color, I found it much easier to find them.

The three yellow headed pins on the far left have smaller heads than the others and may be a little harder for you to see in the photo. But, when I know that I'm only looking for one certain color that is not the same as my carpet, the pins are much easier to find.

Now take a look at these three different pins.

The one on the right is one of my "pretty" pins.

In the middle, is one of the yellow quilting pins.

On the left, is an even longer pin with a tiny glass head. Because it's on a piece of green fabric, it appears to have a bit of green color. But, Noooo. It's head is actually clear, blending in with the fabric. It accidently came home with me still stuck in a group project. It was so tiny and clear that I didn't see it at first.

Having only one pin color can also be helpful when removing pins from your project. Your eye is not as likely to overlook a pin when your mind is searching for the same color all of the time.

I know that talking about pin color may not be the most exciting post you've ever seen, but I hope that maybe something as simple as having one pin color will help to save you some time.

So, now I'll ask the question again, "What difference does it make?" It may only be a few minutes saved, but, if you're like me, every minute more that I have for sewing is precious!

And, as always, I hope this makes your sewing and quilting easier.

Diane