Sewing Tools

Affiliate link for the day: Scissors

Affiliate link for the day: Scissors

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Introduction (for those new to this website): Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)…

Is your grandmother’s sewing machine dangerous? 1948 Singer Sewing Machine in Table: 6,238 ppm Lead (in the gold paint).

Is your grandmother’s sewing machine dangerous? 1948 Singer Sewing Machine in Table: 6,238 ppm Lead (in the gold paint).

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Here’s a photo of my son wearing the first sewing project he made on his “new-to-him” vintage sewing machine this past week! It’s a hat (for clowning and unicycling while busking in Boston)! Introduction (for those new to this website): Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also…

Antique child’s thimble “For A Good Girl”: 839,800 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe for kids) + 139,600 ppm Antimony.

Antique child’s thimble “For A Good Girl”: 839,800 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe for kids) + 139,600 ppm Antimony.

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When tested with an XRF instrument this antique (likely c. 1920-1940) child’s thimble (given as a reward to children who have done a good job with a sewing project!) that has the words “For A Good Girl” on the side…. had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 839,800 +/- 6,000 ppm Antimony (Sb): 139,600 +/- 2,500…

Not So Old…German Dritz Blue and White Vinyl Measuring Tape for Sewing: 1,372 ppm Lead. [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]

Not So Old…German Dritz Blue and White Vinyl Measuring Tape for Sewing: 1,372 ppm Lead. [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]

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When tested with a Niton XL3T XRF instrument in consumer goods mode this blue and white vinyl Dritz brand measuring tape (pictured here, marked “Germany” and “Dritz”, purchased by my friend 15 or 20 years ago, c. 2000) had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 1,372 +/- 59 ppm Barium (Ba): 2,234 +/- 82 ppm Antimony…

Vintage Red Vinyl Measuring Tape for Sewing: 4,054 ppm Lead. [90 ppm Lead is unsafe in kids items.]

Vintage Red Vinyl Measuring Tape for Sewing: 4,054 ppm Lead. [90 ppm Lead is unsafe in kids items.]

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When tested with a Niton XL3T XRF instrument in consumer goods mode this red vinyl “Made in China” vintage measuring tape (pictured here) had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 4,054 +/- 121 ppm Barium (Ba): 823 +/- 82 ppm Bromine (Br): 31 +/- 9 ppm Copper (Cu): 74 +/- 41 ppm Metals not listed were…