Category Archives: Industrial Design

Marvels of the Humble Seam Ripper

Ranting about the evils of irresponsible industrial design in the form of vile itchy clothing labels is not new to us.

What is new is Rick’s discovery of a humble little tool that’s changed his life.

Ten minutes before we headed to the airport last week to drop me off for a business trip, Rick came into the kitchen muttering dark words and yanking at the back of his shirt collar.

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“It doesn’t matter how much you pay for a [insert muttered dark words here] shirt, they sew itchy useless labels into them all. And why do I care if it’s ‘Modern Fit’ or ‘Island Crafted’ anyway?! I’ve already bought it, now I just want to wear it. And you can’t ever cut the damn things out without making a hole! Why do they DO that?!”

As the grinding of molars and huffing and puffing continued while he changed into an ancient t-shirt, I slipped into the garage to my sewing stuff tote and emerged with the inexpensive yet indispensable gadget that was to become Rick’s new best friend.

clothing labels_rickandkathy.com-3Ladies and gentlemen of the non-sewing persuasion, may I introduce to  you… the seam ripper.

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Pop quiz: Which is more pokey, the label or the seam ripper?

Answer: Yes.

After ensuring that the label wasn’t sewn into a seam that was holding the shirt together, I showed him how to remove the clothing label by carefully placing the pointy end under a loop of thread, slicing it with the small but extremely sharp blade that sits in the curve of the ripper.

Then we headed to the airport and I forgot all about shirt labels and seam rippers for a week.

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Rick, however, did not.

clothing labels_rickandkathy.com-2Not only did he successfully (AKA didn’t make a hole) remove the prickly bits from the offending shirt but apparently whiled away the lonesome hours while I was gone by attacking the rest of his closet as well.

clothing labels_rickandkathy.com-10In fact, in his typical Rick-like “focus like hell and master whatever he puts his hand to” approach to life, he even tackled this beast: a beautiful, butter-soft European fine linen work of craftsmanship with a triple-layered label demon topped with a fourth offender sewn right into the collar seam.

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Look, Ma! No labels, and no holes. (He needed the teeny scissors to carefully cut out the label that was sewn right into the collar seam.)

Rick has been so enthusiastic about his new little blue buddy that out of curiosity, I went to Amazon to see what other options there are in the seam-ripping department.

It turns out that for years, I’ve owned the #1 best selling seam ripper Amazon has to offer:


Dritz Deluxe seam ripper

The amazing thing is that this puppy has over 250 reviews and a 4.6 star rating. For a $5 tool whose primary purpose is to cut thread, that’s a LOT of enthusiasm, and not just from seamstresses. The key word that shows up time and again in the reviews is “multi-tasking.”

The curved blade design lends itself to all sorts of tasks that scissors and knives just don’t work as well for: removing nasty clothing labels (see above), slicing into plastic packaging, opening envelopes and cardboard boxes that are taped shut, opening Ramen seasoning packages, cutting hair out of vacuum brush rollers, unclogging soap dispensers… apparently the list goes on and on.

According to one reviewer, “The seam ripper may be one of the most underrated tools, ever.” Another states, somewhat ominously, “Just one of those everyday item you can never seem to have enough of, I like to keep them next to where ever I might be sitting, You never know.”

Anyway, it’s been a good week. I feel like I’ve discovered a precious gem that’s been hiding in plain sight all these years, Rick is no longer held hostage to malevolent clothing manufacturers, and we’ve been able to make the world a better place by sharing our newfound knowledge with you.

Meanwhile, I’m going to buy a handful more of these: one for my briefcase, one for the kitchen, one for the laundry-room and one for the coffee table, because, well… you never know.

 

BookBook Review

This is not a review of books about book reviews. (Ouch.)

This is a review of BookBooks, a line of iPhone, iPad, iMac, and MacBook covers manufactured by TwelveSouth, a fanatically Apple-devoted accessory company.

TwelveSouth makes all kinds of elegant Apple accessories, but what we’re concerned with here are their leather BookBook cases, of which we are, apparently, dedicated fans.

bookbook-1It’s a classic case of BookBook addiction.

Between the two of us, Rick and i currently own six BookBook cases: two iPhone 4S’, an iPhone 5S, an iPad mini, an iPad 4, and a MacBook Air. I don’t own one for my MacBook Pro, mostly because I don’t move it from my desk much, and when I do, it’s in a padded briefcase. (Rick’s iPhone 4 case didn’t make it to the photo shoot on time to be included, but it’s just like mine on the top of the stack except it’s black.)

So, what’s the appeal?

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First, there’s something richly tactile, nostalgic, and enjoyably aromatic about leather-bound books, unless you’re a cow, in which case you’re probably not such a big fan.

And BookBooks actually look, smell, and feel like our library of leather-bound books, which is not only cool when you’re actually reading something on your Kindle app, but it’s also a theft deterrent. How many opportunistic petty thieves do you know who want to pull a snatch-and-run for a copy of Crime and Punishment when you can get the Kindle edition for 99¢?

But the thing that sold me originally on the BookBook for my iPhone 4S is that it’s not just a case: it’s a wallet.

bookbook-4This is my new iPhone 5s BookBook. I love how it’s not just a great protective case for my phone. It’s also a beautifully crafted leather wallet with room for my driver’s license, a couple of credit cards, my health insurance card, and space behind it all for some folding money. Heading out the door for a quick errand? Just grab your KeyKeys, your BookBook, and GoGo!

It’s a great convenience to find in something so functional that simultaneously doesn’t look like an iPhone OR a wallet! It really does look like a little well-worn leather pocket book, which, since I have my Kindle library on my phone as well, it technically is.

bookbook-5It has broken in beautifully, just like a favorite pair of gloves.

bookbook-7It’s well designed so the phone fits snugly in the holder while still giving you easy access to all the fiddly bits and buttons.

bookbook-8The iPhone 5 BookBook even has a camera lens hole ready for the stealth photographers among us.

There you stand in the Louvre, “book” open, looking for all the world like a European philosophy major reading deep and important things about the Mona Lisa, when in fact you have the sound turned off and are unobtrusively snapping photos of the dear lady with no nasty guard scurrying over to tut-tut you away.

Not me, of course. But other people might do that kind of thing.

bookbook-9The other BookBook cases are equally as well made and thoughtfully engineered. Rick loves his MacBook Air BookBook. It’s like a sturdy yet lightweight zippered leather binder for all his creative brilliance, plus it looks better lying around on a coffee table than the computer itself. (Don’t tell Apple I said that.)

bookbook-11The BookBooks for iPad cases are equally functional, beautiful, and deceptive.

Last week, I was reading in a restaurant and had a friend come up to say “hi.” When I put my iPad Mini BookBook down on the table with the case open, face up, she exclaimed, “Oh! That is so cool! From across the room, I thought you were reading a hand-written journal. Even the zipper tabs look like those old-fashioned ribbon book marks.”

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Going forward, all new books that come into our house via our Kindle app will be leather bound. And who wouldn’t enjoy a leather-bound copy of “Green Eggs and Ham?”

How To Prime A Cornhole Board

1. Begin with the end in mind.

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Cornhole (and this link is worth reading for the glossary alone!) is a really fun game that is equally well suited to a wild and wooly family reunion by the lake as it is to a friendly four-person round at cocktail hour. ([easyazon-link asin=”B007B8ED3Y” locale=”us”]In case you don’t want to build your own, this one has great reviews on Amazon.[/easyazon-link]) Everyone from two to ninety-two can play.

This is important to remember, because by the time you’ve primed the fourth board and then are told: “Whoopsie! We primed the wrong side of the first board and now have to do that one over again,”  you’ll need to have a firm grip on why this was a good idea in the first place.

It’s because cornhole is a lot of fun, and people will enjoy the labor of your efforts, possibly for generations, as long as no portly drunk uncle sits on the board at a family reunion or something.

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2. Do your priming at the height of a spectacular Teton Valley fall afternoon with a built-in painting expert in residence.

It also helps if he’s your best friend, an artist, an ex-house painter, and handy with a belt sander.

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3. If you’re a newbie to the painting world, prepare yourself to be tutored.

There are things you’ll need to know about covering a piece of plywood with white paint that you didn’t know you needed to know, but now do.

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These gems of wisdom don’t come in a well-formatted handout at the beginning of the afternoon.  They sort of meander forth in dribs and drabs as the project progresses. But who’s in a hurry?!

Look around you at the amazing scenery, take a deep breath, really hear the rustle of the autumn leaves in the cottonwoods and aspens by the creek, and just chill yer irritated hormonal self.

This is another reason why it helps to have a built-in painting expert who also happens to be your best friend: he knows what he’s talking about–even if he only thinks to tell you after you’ve already done it the wrong way–he means only the best, and he loves you.

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4. Only dip the paint brush an inch (give or take) into the bucket per reload. The closer the paint gets to the point where the bristles meet the frame (the ferrule), the harder it is to clean. And paint seeps north, my friend.

5. Check for drips as you go.

6. Wipe (aka, swipe vigorously with work gloves on) the surface to get rid of any dust or debris just before priming. Otherwise, you’ll seal all that schmeebage right into the primer.

Ignoring this actually works well for “artistes”: “Oh, look! There are the horse hairs from when He was a poor, undervalued plein air artist working out of his horse trailer!”

Not so good, however, for cornhole craftspeople dealing with pine needles and dead wasps mysteriously adhered to the raw plywood.

7. Put the paint bucket on a short ladder so you’re not having to stoop over every time you reload the brush: saves the back.

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8. Brush with the grain (although everybody already knows that, Walt).

9. If you happen to disappear for 11 minutes to whip together some grilled cheese sandwiches, sliced apples, and beer for lunch, DON’T LEAVE YOUR BRUSH EXPOSED TO THE SUN AND AIR!

Apparently, it will dry out and be IMPOSSIBLE to clean and will need to be THROWN OUT!! (Wrap it in plastic wrap. In fact, have a large piece of the wrap of your choice handy right from the beginning of the project. You might not end up needing it, but it calms the nervous types on the job site.)

10. Two thinner coats are better than one thick one. (This tidbit showed up a full 24 hours after I had cleaned the brush, which just goes to show that this is one robust field of expertise.)

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11. And this is my very own well-tested theory, put to use in the field with occasional wind-gusts, which only turbo-charges the proof-worthiness of it:

Wear good jeans, your favorite fleece, and current “best” trail shoes while you’re painting. It will completely change the way you look at “cleanliness on the job.”

In other words, if you can’t afford to make a mess, you just have to get through the project spot-free.

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Almost.

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