From the moment I saw the Clover Wonder Clips in action at CHA, I’ve been dying to get my hands on a set and try them out. And, as luck would have it, they arrived just in time for me to get started on a very large project with slippery fabric, and I’ve been using them for all of my sewing projects since! As my Twitter pals can attest, I have some pretty deep love for these little plastic tools. In my opinion, Clover wasn’t at all off the mark when they called them Wonder Clips!
According to the package:
Great holding capacity for many crafts. No pins required!
• Great alternative to pins, especially when working with vinyls, piles, and heavy weight fabrics.
• Holds layered sections of sewing projects such as handle connectors to handbags, piping, etc. without distortion.
• Holds quilt binding while sewing.
• Easy to see on your work and easy to find when dropped to the floor.
• Works well with sergers.
• Clip opens wide to hold layers of fabrics.
• Clip base is flat for easy feeding to the presser foot.
What I loved:
1. You can use wonder clips in place of pins to avoid leaving holes in fabrics. This is especially nice when working with more delicate and expensive fabrics.
2. Unlike pins, which can break sewing machine needles or cause snags as the fabric feeds, the clips are simply pushed out of the way by your presser foot if you accidentally leave on in place.
3. There are seam allowance markings of ¼†and ½†on the base of each clip (visible from the bottoms and the sides), which makes it easy to maintain straight lines and even spacing in projects.
4. The bottoms of the clips are clear, so you can see that the fabric is lined up properly.
5. Even with slippery fabrics, the clips never lost their grip, and they didn’t leave any marks behind when removed.
6. They are perfect for holding patterns in place for tracing and transferring.
7. They hold patterns tightly in place around fabric edges for easy cutting, even with multiple fabric layers. There is also no shape distortion on smaller pieces, which can happen when pinning patterns to fabric.
8. Can be used in appliqué to hold pieces in place for stitching, and can be moved as you sew. This is especially great for felt appliqué, where every pin punch creates a new hole.
9. They hold fabric layers or embellishments flat, without changing their shape.
10. The backs of the clips are flat, so they sit securely on a work surface and feed smoothly towards the presser foot when sewing.
11. They are designed to open wide, so they can accommodate many layers. They hold just under ½†of uncompressed materials in height and can clip in from the edge up to ½â€.
What I didn’t love:
1. They’re plastic, so you can’t iron around them without the danger of melting.
Observations that weren’t key to me, but might be helpful to others:
1. The clips are large enough to be seen and grasped easily when dropped
2. The hinge is tight—it needs to be for holding slippery fabrics—but I had no problem opening them with a finger and thumb. Those with weaker hands might find this to be a little more difficult.
3. The clips do compress, so the will leave marks on felt when left overnight.
Like I said in my introduction, I’m a big fan of the Clover Wonder Clips. And, while using clips in place of pins for sewing projects isn’t exactly a revolutionary idea—I’ve been using mini binder clips for years—it’s the design and execution that really sets these clips apart. It feels like each detail was well thought through with the needs of sewers in mind, and that nothing extraneous was added that didn’t need to be there. I think the Clover Wonder Clips delivered exactly what was promised: a quality, versatile tool that makes sewing projects easier.
Disclosure: Sample provided for review.
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Jenny says
I am going to buy these right now for my friend who loves sewing! Brilliant product!
zakka life says
sew clever!