right beside your machine? I read the post about tools you consider essential and it went along with what I was thinking last night as I sewed. When I sit down to sew I have to have a few things right there with me. My seam ripper, small scissors, my small pliers (to pull threads) and a small flashlight to help me thread the needle. Once I have those things I'm good to go! Oh and coffee off to the side doesn't hurt if its not night time when i'm sewing!

i have a tub with ripper, scissors, rotary cutter, extra bobbins, thread, needles a pen and tablet. Oh no coffee allowed in my sewing room, that way i have to get up once in a while.

I'm pretty anti clutter when sewing as I hate retrieving things that fall behind the sewing cabinet. Also, my sewing machine cabinet has a reachable drawer with just about anything I need. Seam ripper & small scissors end up sitting on right side of machine. My ironing board with Big Board sits to the right side of my sewing cabinet where I have a cutting mat iron & magnetic pin tray when quilting. You can't have magnets too close to computerized machines.

I keep a cup near the machine with scissors, seam ripper, small ruler, sewing machine screw driver to change feet, and a pencil. Extra bobbins for the project are close by.

I keep a small tray beside the machine. In it, it has, nippers or small scissors, tweezers, a couple of filled bobbins. And of course the seam ripper!!

I always have thread, bobbins, scissors, snips, seam ripper handy on machine table. Everything else is in drawer right next to me. I have to get up to iron or cut. I set it up that way, since I need to stretch every so often anyway.

I have a wicker basket with all my tools in it so I can move it around were ever I deside to do my quilting. I lined the basket by sewing the small scraps together.

My sewing machine table has a drawer in it and I keep all my feet, bobbins, seam ripper, machine oil, cleaning brush, etc in there. I have a little shelf next to me that holds my pin cushion and a mug with scissors, marking tools and seam guage. If I am doing a lot of PP I have a small cutting mat, rotary cutter and 6" square ruler on the extra table space along with all my precut pieces for sewing. I also have a ziploc baggy of leaders and enders which are HST units on the floor right next to me.

I keep a round rubbery bottle/jar opener pad to the right of my machine with my seam ripper, awl, little scissors sitting on it, pin cushion beside it. Behind me, in turning distance is the cutting board, rulers, and rotary stuff.

I also have a telescoping magnet that sticks to the metal table leg right at my knee, for grabbing all those metal things that drop to the floor.

Jan in VA