What is a Sewing Bodkin? Types & How to Use It

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Have you ever wondered what is a sewing bodkin? According to ancient Gaelic, the word bodkin described a dagger. This useful little sewing implement sometimes looks like a dagger because of its shape, but it has multiple uses and is not a weapon of destruction.

PinWhat is a Sewing Bodkin

Contents

What is a Sewing Bodkin?Types of Sewing BodkinThe Flexible Sewing BodkinPinch BodkinsA Ball-point BodkinThe Plastic BodkinThe DIY Version of a Sewing BodkinThe Multiple Threader BodkinOther Fabric and Sewing Uses of a BodkinWhat is a Sewing Bodkin - In Conclusion

What is a Sewing Bodkin?

There are different styles of sewing bodkin and they have different uses. If you have not heard of a bodkin, it is a gadget that will replace the safety pin you have been using to thread elastic or ribbon through a casing. The purpose of this activity is to pull the ribbon or elastic and gather a neckline or waistline and other areas needing to be drawn up in a decorative as well as purposeful manner. 

There are a variety of bodkins and all are useful for threading elastic in a casing as well as a threading tool for ribbons, cord, yarn, and making fabric tubes. The shape and design of a sewing bodkin mean it can slide through narrow spaces and pull whatever is being used as a drawstring to pass through the casing smoothly.

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Types of Sewing Bodkin

The following bodkins are the most well-known and useful.

The Flexible Sewing Bodkin

This little bodkin can bend and is flexible as its name suggests.   It is useful for threading a casing or drawstring and makes threading through a waistband casing easier.  The flexible nature of this bodkin enables it to pull through small curves and more difficult areas like the end of a sleeve.

Pin What is a Sewing Bodkin - Flexible

Pinch Bodkins

These bodkins have teeth and can grip a piece of elastic or a trim you are trying to thread through. They act rather like a pair of tweezers. The ring that slides up and down the bodkin helps to tighten and grip any elastic or ribbon you are threading through.

Firstly grip the piece of elastic with the teeth and then slide the ring down the bodkin to tighten the grip of the teeth, Then thread the bodkin through the casing. The ring prevents the tweezer action from coming undone halfway around the casing.

Pin What is a Sewing Bodkin - Pinch

A Ball-point Bodkin

This style of bodkin is especially useful for threading a thicker thread or ribbon through a straight casing. The beauty of the ballpoint end is it will not pierce the fabric and it goes around and through the casing smoothly. 

Pin What is a Sewing Bodkin - Ball Point

The Plastic Bodkin

This is a long and flexible bodkin. It has a variety of slots to use for threading different elastics or cords to pull through a casing. It is also flexible because it is made of plastic and can turn corners easily.

Pin What is a Sewing Bodkin - Plastic

The DIY Version of a Sewing Bodkin

A sewing bodkin is a nice to have accessory to your sewing kit, but if you do not have one, you can use a safety pin to do the same job. Use the largest size safety pin that will fit through the casing and ensure that it is securely fastened. The biggest danger that I find when using a safety pin is that sometimes the end comes undone halfway through pushing it through the casing. If that happens, your only option is to pull it back and start again.

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