Patti was talking about her disposable trash containers--great idea, BTW, if you use that kind of tissue receptacles. Because I was sewing a bit,I was musing about what sorts of things I use--both home and away. The Belles meet tomorrow and I was debating about bringing what I am working on and how much stuff would I need to pack up if I did.This is what my normal at home set up includes. The cup holds pins as I pull them from a quilt. The double sided bobbin box definitely has to go with me as it hold extra sewing machine needles, a small folding seam ripper and some of the machine feet. The tray stays at home and contains wound bobbins for both of my machines, marking tools, mechanical pencil sharpener, seam ripper, stilleto, bodkin, some needles etc right at arms length. The tray itself was a throwback to the hand quilting in the frame days but works perfectly in the space with some non-skid stuff under it. I wouldn't mind if it were about 4 inches longer but then where would the other stuff live? The collapsible garden basket stays and is suspended from the table by a binder clip. When it gets full, replace the grocery bag.
I am doing a little foundation piecing right now so yes, I emptied the garbage BEFORE I took the picture. I had started sewing some of the small HSTs together for my ostrich round robin border last evening (after I got up from about a 5 hour lay down). ACK!! My sewing looked horrid and I think it was just the small pieces I was dealing with. EQ to the rescue. I just finished sewing the first band this morning and knew that it was the right choice. The other HST's--in the garbage except for what I saved out for color sequencing.
Okay, that was off the track but this is normally what I drag along with me. The basket is stuffed with about anything I need for sewing---it definitely has to go with me!! Scissors, marking tools, stiletto, blades, spray adhesive, pin cushions, measuring tape on a string, door peep hole on a string, extra rotary cutter in case I don't pack my fav 60 mm one, hand sewing needles, small cone thread, bandaids, you name it!! Is it any wonder that people come and ask if I have "fill in the blank?"The cloth trash bag with the red cushion was one that Betsy and Pat made for all of use for Christmas one year--that goes with me for sure. The other one on the end of the table was one Mom made years ago and it stays there for dog ears, removing pins when pressing. The folding mat goes along with the mini iron though I don't always use either one but it depends on what I am sewing on. The blue cloth object is another of Betsy and Pat's presents--zipup and foldable bag with space for your rotary cutter and little pin and needle holder thing--it definitely goes with me. The other plastic object is one I sometimes use with a grocery bag--came with some Hefty Kitchen bags for kitchen scraps---normally it resides in another quilt bag but I should consider the kitchen use for it, instead of using a bag in the sink.
Other stuff on the table since you are looking at part of my sewing room---tin with scissors, iron cleaner, lint/thread roller and another with Berol pencils for marking, spray bottle for ironing, a pour container full of quilting pins, a humongous spool of .004 monofilament thread and the flip lamp. I was horrible about leaving the iron on and would discover to my horror that I had occasionally left it on all night---there is no light on the iron to let you know if it is off or on. Finally I came to the conclusion that I would leave the flip lamp UP and plug both it and the iron into the strip plug. SOOO if the lamp is on, so is the iron. DJ knows the same signal so he can back me up.
Well, errands to run, was supposed to walk as well so best get on out of here. Thankfully, a cool front came in, the sun is shining, so far my head is neither hurting or draining so here is hoping for a better day all around. What I end up packing for the meeting tomorrow will depend entirely on what I get done today. I can always make it easy and work on the block of the month I am suggesting.
Thanks for the "tour" - you are certainly a "gadget-o-holic", but then I think most of us quilters are! :-)
ReplyDeleteI tried several different types of "hang from the machine" trash receptacles - paper bag, etc. The dog thinks it's great fun to come into the room and chew holes in the bottom. He also goes through every wastebasket that's on the floor. I think he must have found something he thought of as food in them a few times. My husband has the bad habit of throwing apple cores into waste baskets and the kids used to throw candy wrappers in.) I finally had to give up and go with something that fit on the top of the machine. That's why the tissue box works so well.
I had to laugh reading Patti's comment! My cats eat the corner of my hangin bag too and Pixel sits on the table and pulls out fabric with his paws and leaves trails all over of what he's dragged out!
ReplyDeleteI love to see all your stuff you use and take along. It's so fun to see how others minds work and what we "need " to quilt!
I want to buy a small machine to take to Minneapolis. Keith will be moving before me and when I go to visit him I'll want to sew. I guess I need to think about what other supplies I need at a minimum. I'm just thinking that I'll cut some *kits* or maybe I'll take my string bin and a pile of muslin squares and just work on string quilt. Anyway, I don't want to recreate my entire sewing area!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the organization tips - something I really need! I have a plastic small wastecan, rectangular, and I'm always slamming my shin into the corner of it - maybe I ought to look into a rounded or collapsible one like yours. :)
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