A few years ago my friend was planning a naming day for her daughter Jessica and I offered to make a special dress for the day. As I was gathering everything I needed together I was chatting with Deborah about how I was a little anxious about putting in the zip as they always seem to shift no matter how carefully I tack them in. That’s when she recommended Prym Wonder Tape to me. It’s a transparent double sided tape that you can use instead of pins to hold your sewing in place, then when you wash your finished garment it simply washes away without a trace. Magic!
Zips are one of those tasks that I always spend far longer than I should on, pinning and re-pinning, then tacking, then still somehow it doesn’t sit quite right. You can see in the video above how easy Wonder Tape makes it – just place your tape on the zip, position and stick one side at a time, then you’re ready to go. And it isn’t just useful for holding zips in place – why spend ages pinning a hem before you stitch it when you can just stick and sew? I also used it to hold the bodice facing in place for Jessica’s dress, saving me from pinning through all the gathers and potentially disturbing them.
Image 2: Jessica in the finished dress
Since that first time four years ago, I’ve used Wonder Tape in almost everything that I have sewn and that first roll is still going strong. It’s so simple and really does take the stress out of pinning awkward or thick pieces. Wonder Tape is one those products that it’s always worth having to hand, so grab yourself a roll next time you’re in the shop or buy it online here.
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