dlstewart's Full Review: Jo Ann Fons & Porter 2'' Directional Arrow Pin - M...
I love to sew and quilt ... so having the right gadgets is important. Who would think that pins would make so much difference, but they do! That is one reason why I indulged myself with these Fons Porter Directional Arrow Pins.
Description
These pins come in a decorative metal tin. The exterior has a lovely quilt design printed on it and there are four clear windows that allow viewing into the interior compartments. In these four compartments reside four different styles of Fons Porter Directional Arrow Pins (a total count of 180 pins - 45 of each style). When first buying this set, each style of pin comes wrapped in a clear bag. Open the bag to empty the pins into their individual compartments.
The 2"-long nickel-plated steel pins have flat heads. Actual pin length is about 1 3/4" with the flag comprising the remaining length of the pin. These are the four styles:
Blue Arrow Pointing Down ... Marked with a white letter D Red Arrow Pointing Upward ... Marked with a white letter U White Arrow Pointing Right ... Marked with a black letter R Yellow Arrow Point Left ... Marked with a black letter L
My Experiences
This is one of those items that I have been wanting for what seems like forever! It was an extravagant purchase. After all, 180 of these pins retails for $19.99! When my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I didn't hesitate. I had waited long enough.
These Fons Porter Arrow Pins are not intended for use as a regular pin, though they can be used that way if desired. Since the pins have directional arrows, they are meant to indicate direction while sewing. Before these pins, I used bits of paper to keep my fabric pieces organized. It's great that these pins eliminate using scraps of paper; plus, the pins are reusable.
For example, I do a lot of quilting. Some quilt blocks are directional, meaning that you had better attach the left piece on the left, and the right piece on the right ... or else you have the privilege of practicing with the seam ripper. I use the appropriate Left and Right arrow pins to keep track of where each fabric piece goes. The same applies for the Up and Down arrows. When sewing long rows together to form the quilt top, I need to make sure that I am sewing the rows right-side up, top to bottom. These pins help keep me on track so that I correctly assemble the pieces.
Another nice way to use these pins is to mark which direction to iron seam allowances. For garment sewing (using a regular sewing machine), often seams are pressed open. In quilting, the 1/4-inch seam allowance is pressed to the side. To make matters a bit more challenging, it is best to mate two quilting seams by having one seam flip to the left, and the other seam flip to the right (it helps create perfect seam alignment and also reduces seam bulk). This becomes critical when sewing a quilt bock such as the LeMoyne Star, or a Lone Star quilt, where a lot of seams meet in the center of the block. If the seams are not correctly flipped and sewn, then the result is a lifted bunch of fabric in the center of the quilt block.
These are excellent pins that suit a specific purpose. The metal in these pins is thinner than in some other quilt pins I've owned, but that makes them easier to slide into fabric. The pin material is sturdy. However, the Fons Porter Arrow Pins are not meant to slide through heavy layers of fabric. If used this way, the pins could bend. I mostly use these pins on 100-percent cotton material. Also, as with all pins, don't sew over them with a sewing machine needle since the sewing machine needle could hit the pins.
Purchasing
These pins retail for $19.99. With a coupon, they cost about $15.00 from JoAnn Fabric.
Summary
I am very pleased with these Fons Porter Directional Arrow Pins. They are definitely a step above the scraps of paper I was using! These pins are a great addition to my sewing room.
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