Hi Becky,
I keep a small open tray near by. That has my chalk markers, spare needles, thimbles and little bits in. Then I have 2 open ceramic containers. One sets right on my sewing table, it has pencils, screwdrivers, stilettos, etc in it. The 2nd one has all of my fabric markers, so if I want to do a quick label, they are handy. I also keep my scissors, rulers and rotary cutters on a small strip of pegboard that is mounted just above my ironing board. My ironing board is to the right of my sewing table, setting at the same height so I dont have to get up to iron, just swivel in my chair. I made a big board for it, so I have plenty of room to spread out! This arrangement has worked very well for me for years. I listen to books on tape/cd, so that makes me get up occasionally to swap them out, which is a good thing
