Clover Finger Presser

I've been watching Quilt in a Day on Sky channel 279 for several weeks now and noticed Eleanor Burns using a wooden finger presser which is a really convenient alternative to having a hot iron stood around, and particularly good for pressing seams sewn on the bias. I treated myself to one today as the new foot for my Janome 4900QC which I ordered a couple of weeks ago, has not arrived yet. Despite being advertised by Janome in their Summer 2009 newsletter, they aren't in stock yet. On a slow boat from Japan apparently............
Plenty of piecing to do on the Christmas quilt so the finger presser will get a good test drive.

New Gadget - Dual Rotary Blade Sharpener

I bought a new blade for my 45mm Olfa cutter a few weeks ago and paid just over £3.50. In the local sewing shop they are now £5.99 or thereabouts. So I bought one of these in Hobbycraft and I only need to sharpen three blades and the sharpener will have paid for itself. It's been tried out and the old blade it sharpened was like new. Definitely a good buy!