Best of Madam Sew: Bags, Press & Light Edition

The Bags, Press & Light Edition lights up your machine, presses your work crisp, and keeps every project sorted. You get three red project bags, a sewing machine light strip, the 17 by 24 inch wool pressing mat, white heat erasable pens, clips, long flower pins, an XL bias tape maker, non-slip ruler rings, a needle sorting pincushion, and a magnetic seam guide. Beginners get a well rounded kit, and seasoned sewists get the upgrades they reach for.

Stick on the light strip, mark dark fabric with the white pens, and guide straight seams with the magnetic guide. Make your own binding with the bias tape maker, keep your machine needles sorted, and give each project its own bag.

Light it. Press it. Keep it sorted.

Why You'll Love It

• Light Where You Need It: The light strip's 24 dimmable LEDs shine straight onto your machine bed with no shadows, so every stitch is easy to see. It sticks onto any machine.
• Three Projects, Three Bags: Three see-through red project bags, each with a 16 by 16 inch back pocket, a 10 by 16 inch front pocket, and a card slot, keep every project sorted and ready to grab.
• Make Your Own Binding: The XL bias tape maker folds both edges of a fabric strip to the centre as you press, so you can make 1 inch binding that matches your quilt exactly.
• Marks That Show on Dark Fabric: The four white pens stand out on navy, black, and burgundy, then vanish with a press of the iron, with no washing.
• Know Which Needle Is Which: The needle sorting pincushion is printed with needle sizes and types, so half used needles stay sorted and you always know what is on your machine.

1. Extra Large Wool Pressing Mat, 17 by 24 inches

• Size: 17 by 24 inches and half an inch thick, about 10.5 inches longer than the original mat
• Material: 100% felted New Zealand wool, naturally fire resistant
• How it helps: The dense wool absorbs your iron's heat and gives it back through the fabric, so seams and hems come out crisp and flat, with no puckering or stretching
• Weight: 34.5 oz (980 g), light enough to take to class
• Includes: A clear vinyl storage bag that closes with 2 snaps
• Good to know: Steam and moisture can seep through the mat, so protect wood or other sensitive surfaces underneath

2. Project Bags, Madam Sew Red, 3 pieces

• Count: 3 project bags, all in Madam Sew Red
• Size: Two pockets, a large back pocket of 16 by 16 inches and a small front pocket of 10 by 16 inches
• Material: Durable, tear resistant, waterproof mesh PVC, with nylon handles and binding and a nylon and metal zipper
• Features: See-through mesh so you can spot your project at a glance, and a front slot with a two sided project card for labelling
• How you use it: Holds cut pieces, quilt blocks, patterns, threads, and notions. Carry it by the handles or hang it from a hook, hanger, or door knob
• Care: Dust out the inside, wipe the plastic with a damp or soapy cloth, and dry it fully before using it again

3. Sewing Machine Light Strip

• Size: 12 inches long and 5/16 inch wide, with 24 dimmable LED lights
• Light: Clean white light with a subtle hint of blue or purple, shining straight onto your machine bed so there are no shadows
• Fits: Any sewing machine. Trim it with scissors to fit long and short arm machines and quilting machines
• Installs in seconds: An adhesive backing, so you just peel and stick, with no tools needed
• In the set: The light strip with a 98 inch power cord and dimmer switch, a USB adapter with a US plug, 4 white hook and loop cord organizers, 5 adhesive cord clips, and user instructions
• Good to know: Outside the US, any USB charger, like the one for your phone, works with it

4. White Heat Erasable Fabric Marking Pens, 4 pack

• Contents: 4 white gel pens
• Best for: Dark fabrics like navy, black, and burgundy, where white shows up clearly
• Tip: A fine 0.7mm point that draws a thin 0.35mm line
• How they erase: The marks stay as long as you need, then vanish with a press of the iron, with no washing
• Good to know: White ink takes a few seconds to appear, and a quick scribble gets a new pen flowing. Test on a scrap of each fabric, store capped and tip down, and use within 4 months

5. Sewing Clips, 50 pieces

• Count: 50 clips per box, in bright mixed colours
• Size: 1 inch long by three-eighths inch wide, opens to half an inch
• Made of: Plastic with a thick steel spring (contains nickel)
• Features: Raised teeth for a firm grip, flat backs that keep edges flat, and seam markings at 3/16, one-quarter, and three-eighths inch
• Good for: Holding layers, binding, and hems without pins, and fabrics where you do not want pin holes, like vinyl, leather, or silk

6. Long Flower Pins, 200 pieces

• Count: 200 pins in 7 bright colours (white, yellow, blue, green, red, orange, and purple), in a clear plastic box
• Size: A 1 3/4 inch stainless steel shaft that will not rust, with a flat flower head 3/8 inch across
• Flat heads: They lie flat, so your ruler or tape measure sits right over them, and the big head will not slip through loose weaves or lace
• Good for: Several layers of fabric and batting, medium to heavy fabrics, and loosely woven fabric, lace, and eyelet
• Good to know: You can iron and sew over the steel shaft, but keep the iron off the plastic flower

7. XL Bias Tape Maker, 1 inch

• What it makes: 1 inch double fold bias tape, or 2 inch single fold, ideal for quilt binding (the strip that wraps around the edge of a quilt) and bedding
• How it works: Feed a fabric strip through and it folds both edges to the centre, so you just press as you pull
• Strips: Cut your fabric into 3.5 to 4 inch wide strips on the bias (diagonally across the fabric)
• Size and material: 4.5 by 2 inches, in stainless steel and plastic
• Good to know: Have your iron, a few pins, and an awl handy to get the strip started

8. Non-Slip Adhesive Rings for Rulers and Templates, 40 pieces

• Contents: 40 clear rings, 20 large (25mm) and 20 small (17mm)
• What they do: Stick them on the back of any ruler or template. The ruler still slides while you line it up, then stays put with a little pressure while you cut
• Good to know: Clear, so they do not hide your ruler markings. Add more rings for more grip

9. Needle Sorting Pincushion

• What it does: Holds sewing machine needles you have used but not worn out, sorted by size and type, so you always know which is which
• Chart: Printed with 6 needle sizes (60 to 100) and 7 types (Universal, Microtex, Ballpoint, Stretch, Denim, Serger, and Embroidery)
• Size and weight: 4 by 4 by 2 inches, 0.61 oz
• Material: A canvas sleeve with polyester filling
• Includes: The Madam Sew guide to sewing machine needles
• How to use it: Put a pin in the square for the needle on your machine. When you change needles, park the old one in its square

10. Magnetic Seam Guide

• Size: 1 3/4 by 3/4 by 1/4 inch, 0.41 oz
• Material: Stainless steel
• How it works: Place it on your machine's metal needle plate at the seam width you want, and let the fabric glide along it for straight, even seams
• Fits: Most sewing machines with a metal needle plate, and safe for computerized machines
• Quarter inch seams: Place the guide in front of the presser foot, or move your needle to the right

• Stick the light strip onto your machine, trimming it to fit if needed, then plug it in and dim it to suit.
• Mark your lines on dark fabric with the white pens, testing on a scrap first.
• Place the magnetic seam guide on your needle plate at your seam width, and pin or clip your layers.
• Stick a few non-slip rings on the back of your rulers so they grip the fabric.
• Cut 3.5 to 4 inch strips on the bias, feed them through the bias tape maker, and press as you pull on the wool mat.
• Park half used machine needles in their squares on the needle pincushion, with a pin marking the one on your machine.
• Give each project its own bag and write its name on the project card.