This was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but thought it might be worth it! You press the top of your point with a spurt of steam (like in a pinwheel where the points all come together) and then smack it with this hammer. It flattens that point,it really works, I am pleased. Guess you can use it on any seam that gives you a bump or issue.

I don't know if it was smart, but it works and what is one more tools in my sewing room at this point? Anyone else have one?

I guess I will have to go look through the toolbox.

I have a rubber mallet that I bought for driving stakes for a tent. I suppose that would work just as well.

I thought of the rubber mallet but thought it might leave a black mark on the material. This one is smaller which I liked.

I bet there is a bit of satisfaction in getting to smack something that is bothering you....like bulky seams.

Never heard of this before. I learn something new every day!

I agree :lol:

hhhmmm....thumping the seam..as in breaking down the fibers??

Well I guess Nancy notion's is ok with it, and selling it. If I don't use it for that, I will use it for something else!

I bought a small rubber mallet at Harbor Freight and it works really well. It was cheap, too.

Darn it, I stood there and thought and thought about that!

Cool! I have been known to whack unruly seams with the handle end of a screw driver, so this might be a better solution for beating them into submission. Just one whack is all that is needed! lol

Wow something new! Never heard of smacking unruly seams but it sounds fun to me. :thumbup:

Have had one for some time Got it from my grandma Grace she also gave me a small very well sanded and used piece of soft pine to put under the seam. It has served at least 3 generations in my family. Is this where the saying -If it don't fit get a bigger hammer- came from? LOL My hammer is made of wood and the head is slightly rounded don't know if it is rounded from use or if it was made that way.

Me too!! I've never seen one but it looks cool! :D

now thats just funny! What next??!

I'm sure they wouldn't sell it for this if it was a problem!

I use a rubber mallet, it doens't make any marks on the fabric and you don't have to beat it to death, just a good whack can make a lot of difference in FMQing and getting over the seams.

I discovered the hammer trick when hemming jeans, my stitches would always skip when sewing over the side seams. Out of frustration I flattened the seam with a ballpean hammer. Keep one in my sewing room all the time now. (don't do it on the cement floor- ask me how I know***).

I used to use a hammer on seams of jeans way back when I sewed them for my girls... I have used one on quilt blocks too where two seams were pressed in the same direction and I was not able to change it. Still have my original little piece of 2x4 to put under it too.

Interesting use from the tool box.

No, but after reading your post, I will have some type of small hammer soon. Thanks for the info.

Although it seems like a good idea ..it would compact the fabrics so hard that I wouldnt want to long arm it...breaking a needle is no fun..sure can mess up a machine

ROFL.......I'm still laughing, sorry :D :D :D I needed a good laugh this morning! But I'm off to buy a hammer!

more like beating them into submission!!!

My two favorites are the Quilter's FabriCalc (love that thing) and the SideWinder (winds thread on the bobber). I think that it is feasible to assume that if you use it it's NOT a gadget - it's a necessary tool! I do not consider my ergonomically designed Fons and Porter seam ripper a gadget. Mine is dull. It is a necessary tool to my sewing. Same goes for rulers. I have a bunch - they are gadgets. My Omni Edge is a tool. That and a purple steel ruler with rubber on the backside so it won't slide all over the place. Whatever we use is different than whatever we have. I have a few rulers here I don't even know how to work them. That's a gadget. But isn't it fun to have those sitting on your work table and while you are sewing away, your eyes go to it and say "Why did I need that so bad. I don't even know what it does, how it does it or why it does it! But I had to have it."

But then in a moment of sanity, we will figure out what it does and wonder how in the world did we ever get along without it! Edie

I used that technique for years, learned it from reading about fine tailoring. My seams on hemmed jeans last longer than the jeans. It has no more effect on the fibers than pressing hard with the iron.

Me, too. Beat it into submission. :lol:

Thanks, that thing about the fibers had me worried for a moment, but then it is a soft type hammer and designed for this. They did have a firm but well padded board to use with it. I already had that.

Yes, I will admit it.
I am a Wacker.

This story reminds me of working at Christmas with my sister doing commercial decorations. We had thousands of little red birds that always moved around on garlands while moving from the shop to set up requiring us to readjust everyone of them.
Once all install was done, we'd open a pack of birds at the workshop, take a hammer and red bird to the table and then beat it's little head off!
Since your hammer works ok therapy is what I would call it. :)

You could cover the mallets head with fabric and a rubber band if you are worried about it leaving a mark.

The lady at our local quilt shop had one of these and when I was taking a class there, she talked about smacking lumpy seams with it. Then she said, they make these for quilters but they are kind of expensive. So just go to Lowe's and buy a rubber mallet but make sure that the rubber part isn't the black rubber -- get the grayish one because it doesn't leave marks.

That's what I did -- got my mallet at Lowe's for about $3.

This was one of the first tips I learned when I started quilting. It works! I used a small real iron hammer, before the fabric hammer became available. I beat bumpy seams flat as a pancake. Cotton fibers don't break like glass or all the clothes beat on rocks or crushed on washboards would fall apart. LOL

I use mine occasionally, I bought mine at Sears in the tool dept. It was under half of what Nancys charges.

I took a decorative threads class from Susan Cleveland and she was so excited about that hammer. It works so well for that purpose. Really a block of wood works too, just that a hammer with the handle is a bit easier to use.

Sounds credible, you could always put a pressing cloth over the fabric before whacking it with the rubber mallet. I wonder if a meat whacker would work if you used a bit of padding? I have this meat tenderizer thingie with 4 different sides, one of them being flat, so might give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion, sounds like fun.

cool, I have heard of others using a hammer to flatten the seams

I remember an episode of Simply Quilts (many years ago!) when Kaye England (I think thats her name) told Alex to just take a hammer and whack it when Alex mentioned several seams coming together. If it's good enough for Kaye E, it's good enough for me!

Hmm......where did you get this at?