I never thought I'd be writing a blog post like this one, but as DT get more and more mobile, I think a lot about their safety. My sewing space is right next to their bedroom and GT has been known to take a detour on the way to nap. If you've got littles in your house, grandkiddies who visit, or even an overly curious fur child, some of these baby proofing tips might be useful to you!
There's no question that if you have a dedicated sewing space, as I am lucky enough to, you can close the door on all that potential danger. But one day you'll forget. Or they'll learn to turn a door knob! ☺
Before leaving my studio, I tidy my desk. Each. And. Every. Time. Even if I think I'm coming right back. Think of all the sharp edges (rotary cutters, seam rippers, pins, scissors) and wee things (safety pins, Wonder Clips). Danger! Danger! Danger! I push my machine to the middle of the desk and place my scissors back against the wall or in a drawer where BT can't grab them.
You may have noticed this handy mug in a few shots of my work space. When I leave my desk, the (closed) rotary cutter, seam ripper, and just about anything else goes in!
I try to think about all the wee things that live on my studio desk. Thankfully, bobbins and presser feet can be easily contained in my machine's handy flip top storage area.
My trusty Wonderclips are very attractive wee things. That's why they live in a container with a screw top!
Given that my ironing board is always set up, I make an effort to unplug my magic cookie making iron AND put the cord up onto the board. BT has a quite a reach and he wouldn't hesitate to grab that cord!
I read a tip some time ago about safely disposing of broken needles and bent pins. Ever since, I've saved medicine bottles to use as sharps containers. When full, you can toss the container in the trash without worry.
Related to sharps, the other item I'm planning to add to my tools is a magnetic wand to be swept across the carpet each and every time I drop a pin or break a needle. Better for me to take a couple minutes from my sewing then for GT to have it in her tiny pincer grip.
I'm linking up today with
Tips & Tutorials Tuesday @ Late Night Quilter!
Got more safety tips? Please share them in a comment!
J
P.S. Apologies for the slightly wonky formatting on this post. The html seems to have gone a little cattywampus behind the scenes and I didn't have the time/energy to re-write the post!
