I never fail to learn much from these posts. You folks are beyond brilliant. Thanks so much.
My contributions:
1) ROUND BALLOONS - A buck a bag. Cut off the top and fit them over my finger tip(s) to help pull the needle through ... lasts forever. Do up a few, save in an old Rx bottle with a little powder to keep from getting sticky.
2) TOILET BRUSH (a new one, of course) - Threads on a carpet will eventually kill the spinning brush on your vacuum. Run the brush over any carpet area before vacuuming.
3) PIPE CLEANERS - I keep a supply near my machine (prefer the larger, craft type). Every time I change my bobbin, I poke around and find bits of lint and dust lurking in the dark. My machines love me.
4) PAPER PLATES (the cheaper, the better)- Great for sorting those many pieces. Label the plate edge with letter or number reference as used in the pattern. Easy to pull out only the ones on which you're currently piecing. Especially helpful when dealing with pieces that are less than an inch different. They store beautifully stacked up and slipped into a large, clean, plastic produce bag.
Thanks again ... lotsa great tips, these!