A Haberdashery product that has been around for many years and is particularly useful for the sewing enthusiast and crafters is Velcro. Invented in 1948 by Swiss engineer George De Mestral, it is a fastener that consists of two strips, one covered in 'hooks' and one in tiny 'loops' which when pressed together stick to each other and create a temporary bond. Velcro is the branded version of a hook and loop fastening and is often used for people who has trouble with traditional fastenings such as zips, buttons or laces. It can be used for clothing however it is also particularly useful around the home with people using it to hang items, put up pelmets and even stick the remote control to the side of the TV so that it doesn't get lost. Velcro is a versatile Haberdashery item and is available in a number of varieties for different uses. The two most popular types of hook and loop fastening are sew on and stick on. The sew on Velcro is ideal for dressmaking and can be sewn by hand or on the machine. This, unlike the stick on version, is machine washable and will be more secure on craft and dressmaking projects than it's self adhesive counterpart. It is available in sizes 16mm, 20mm, 25mm and 50mm, in black and white. Sew on Velcro is a great haberdashery product for children's items as they can often find it difficult to use other fastenings while they are young. The narrow Velcro can be used on children's shoes and some of the wider widths can be used for fastening coats, trousers and school bags. The stick on hook and loop fastening is useful for items within the home if it does not need to be washed; as the glue will not withstand washing in the machine. It can be used for sticking pictures up, attaching items to the wall in the kitchen and even hanging Christmas cards up in the festive season. As well as the stick on version, there is also a sew and stick version available. This is ideal if you have items such as pelmets to be hung as the sew on side can be sewn onto the fabric pelmet and the stick on side can be pressed onto a wooden baton or the wall. The stick on Velcro is also available in a heavy duty version for more industrial strength uses.