Just thought I'd like to share some of the little ideas and things I have in my sewing room that make it easier for me when I am sewing or that make me happy to be in my sewing room.
Earlier I posted the neat ruler holder I made today for the side of my sewing desk. That got me thinking to share some of my other ideas.
My pincushion is large and needles tend to get lost in it, so I use a little strawberry for them. So it won't get lost, I dropped it over the thread wire on my homemade cone thread holder. I also slipped the ribbon on my stork scissors over the wire as I kept misplacing them or dropping them to the floor. Those are my thread snipping scissors. I also attached a round magnet to hold the working end of a broken seam ripper. This I use when I have just a short area to take out. Due to it's small size, I was always losing it. Now it's always there on the magnet.
I have a small rolling cart of drawers that my portable ironing board fits on top of. When I'm sewing I roll it beside me so I can press seams, etc. When I don't need it, I can roll it away for easy access to my scrap boxes and other storage drawers.
One of the best tips, I don't have a pic of, but it's just half of a wooden clip clothespin. It works great as a mini iron. Use the rounded inside of the clip end as the pressing foot. Rub over the seam you want to press and it will lay flat. I use this a lot when I am piecing and not wanting to deal with the iron. It really works!

Great tips, because I love to be organized, so I can find what I need, when I need it. Thanks for sharing

great ideas, everything looks so neat. I especially like the thrift store caddy. Thanks for sharing.

Nice set up.

These are some things that make me happy in my room.

My old singer had a ruler that ran the length of the machine. Why O why did they stop making machines with this on it!! I use my kitchen table and can not tape a ruler to it. When I get a desk for it, I will definitly be copying your idea.

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing.

Loved the scrap holder...what a great ideal, thanks for sharing

Great ideas! Something I saw in someone else's sewing room was, well remember the old round pipe stands that had the canister of tobacco in the center...I saw a gal that used one of these for her scissors it was awesome, so if I ever see one, Im snagging it for sure!

------------------------------------
Me too, but when everything IS organized, can't find a blasted thing except for whatever I was hunting for last time. If it was small, it's usually under the book case where that darn cat batted it.

great tips! It all helps when you need to find things..

Great tips thank you for sharing.

Thanks for sharing your space and ideas...hmmm got me thinking...Suebee that is a great idea using a smokers stand...will be on the lookout for one. I really need a spot for my scissors - I keep dropping them and I worry about my "Inspectors" being impaled.

Thank you so much for all the helpful tips. I have learned so much from all of you.

Nice ideas.

thanks for all of the cool tips and enjoyed the photos

My dad smoked a pipe...and had one of those...sure would love to have one too...he quit smoking his pipe years ago...but I still love that smell...that is how he would relax at the end of a work day.

thanks for the tips!!!
I HAVE to be organized if I am to do anything whether it is in my sewing room, playing in my kitchen, here at work. If' I'm not organized I'm useless!!

What a great idea about the pipe stand!! My MIL has one that is quite large but I have a desktop one that will hold 6 pair of scissors. I am going to get it out!!

My machine isnt computerized so I can use magnets. I have one that sits on my reverse bar where I keep the feet that I switch daily,,,and I have 4 button magnets where I put the bobbins I wind for a project...

Clever ideas. Thanks for sharing.

:thumbup: :)

double post

Great ideas, thanks. Love the inventiveness! Great idea for a dry presser (clothspin 1/2). I'd forgotton about that one.

Here are some more ideas....

I use cheap freebee chinese chopsticks for holding down points of fabric as I sew. The point is thick enough it won't go under the needle, but it's small enough that I can hold down seams/pieces that want to flip wrong as I'm sewing. Saves my fingers from getting stitched. I tried bamboo cooking skewers too, but unless I break them in half, I keep poking myself with them. lol

Also use an upright cardboard desk stationary organizer (the pretty kind for stationary - covered in cloth or pretty papers) to hold my small square, triangle, etc. rulers and my mylar press sheet. The rulers then stand up straight on edge, I can see them and pick through them to get just the right one I want to cut with. TJ Max clearance sale... $5.

Scissors? I use a clearance sale/TJ Max leatherette 3 section pen/pencil holder for my scissors and rotary cutters. (Shaped like a 10" long by 4" rectangle, with 3 equal sections. The height of the side walls increases. First compartment, the walls are only 3" high, then it curves up to 4" high, then 5"). The small scissors/rotaries go in the small section, the large 10" sheers, etc. go into the tall section. GREAT find/idea. $4.

How about using a clear lucite 8x10 leaning table picture frame... for putting my patterns/instruction sheets on if I'm using one. That way, I don't have to take my hands off my work while double checking cutting sizes, sewing instructions, etc. I lean the pages up against the lucite... perfect angle to read! If it's a short pattern, I just flip the holder sideways and use it like that. Thrift Store find.... 44 cents. If the paper doesn't stay upright, a wood clothspin easily works.

For a hanging rack, to hang freshly ironed yardage, etc. ... my husband found an old funky shoe rack at a good will store. Not the plastic baggie kind, but the old fashioned kind with rails and wire ovals (the shoe slips onto the wires). We took it apart, slid the shoe wire thingies off the rails. Put it back together... then I hung it over the closet door that I don't use much - on the outside. The four corner 'feet' hold it out about 3" from the closet door surface. It's currently holding about 20 or so pieces of pressed cottons, on 9 rails... Best thing is, after I get this project done, I can take it down and fold it up. Only use it when I need it! Cost? Something like $1.99. Half off day at Goodwill and a DH on the look out for me.

What's everyone else doing?

Great ideas. Wow. We have the same sewing machine. I just got mine last month.

I think being organized in your sewing studio is extremely important, so you can find and use all your treasures....After I finish a project, I always try to clean up the room. put everything away, all fabric in their place. so I can start fresh and new again. Have little organizer baskets and bowls everywhere. Really like to reuse odd things from the kitchen. Frozen food bowls, containers from takeout...etc they are the best ones because they are free and you are not adding to the landfill.

That reminds me of what I do with my spare bobbins when I am using the cone threads, which is most of the time.

what brand of cone thread do you use ???

Great ideas.....thanks for sharing..you guys are the best.

Neat ideas! Thanks for sharing your pics!

What a smarty you are! Thanks for all those great tips! I'll be puting them to good use! I sharpen the chop stick in my pencil sharpener. The point is great for tearing PP and as a stilleto for pushing fabric through the machine. I love them. Cheap as chop sticks!

Great ideas. I going to have to take some photos so I can post the thread holder DH made for me out of a piece of burl wood. :-D

I have no idea, sorry. My sis-in-law, Patty, de-stashed a lot on me, for which I am ever so greatful. I also got some from Real Deals Dollar Store for $1 for the large cones and 2/$1 for the smaller cones. They were well wound and in plastic wrappers but not identified by brand. I tried one and it was great so went back and stocked up on the colors they had that I would likely use. :D
I am on SSD so have to milk the budget where and when I can. If it works, I use it.
Hugs and smiles

A suggestion for keeping your scissors handy, at your machine..I have mine with a ribbon tied to the scissor handle and the other end tied to a drawer pull.........I am always dropping them, but this way - I just pull them back up on the machine....keeps me from loosing them all the time.

I did try that with my little ones with the ribbon on them. But now that I have the ribbon on the cone thread holder, they can't drop off the desk, so I don't have to haul them up from the floor anymore. The ribbon is long enough to reach for thread snipping which is their use for me. For some reason, I almost never drop my full size scissors, but am always dropping those little ones. LOL

Oh, that's a good one! For some reason, it never occured to me to sharpen the points further... sure that would make it an even better stilleto for pushing things carefully thru the machine.

<sigh> It will be one more thing I need to keep out of my quilt 'inspectors' little paws. <giggle>

GREAT tips! I love this site, like others have said I learn so much. I hope others with ideas and suggestions and tips will post them too. Thanks for taking the time to share!

Really great tips - thanks for posting these. I have a bunch of ideas already - need to hit the Dollar Tree tonight(grin).

I save all the glass cups from the scented candels...have used them all over the house for storage of little things to crayons to a pencil cups....to the hair clips for bindings...very sturdy and heavy so they hold things with out tipping over....