My last post was about my knitting goodie-bag and all the things I keep together with my projects. This time we’re taking a peek into my SEWING Goodie-Bag.
There is only one sewing goodie bag. My sewing station in my sewing room has everything I need at hand’s reach, No bag required. Though I do have a bowl with small tools next to my machine. Everything in the bag is what I keep by my machine, so if you’ve ever wanted a ‘sewing basket’ list, this one is a keeper.
So Let’s get to it! What’s in the sack, Jack?
Needle case. This is a quilted fabric circle that can fold up. In it are an assortment of hand needles in different sizes.
Asian fortune cookie box for thimbles. You can use any small easy to open box for multiple thimbles, but if you have one you use all the time, you can simply toss it in the bag without the box.
Larger Asian fortune cookie box for presser feet. I have a few different feet I like to keep on hand. Zipper, Open toe, Zig-Zag, Free-motion and Quilting. On my machine, I usually have my 1/4″ foot attached, so if I’m out and I need a different foot, I know I’ve got it on hand.
Magnetic Pin Plate with pins. I love the magnetic pin plates like the “Grab-it” (not meant to be a plug). It holds the pins and you can even put it in the bag and the pins stay on. (Though, you can put it in a plastic resealable sandwich bag just in case.)
Thread. White, Black, and Grey are standard colors, but one color is probably fine for storing the bag and then add the colors you need before you go out.
Scissor. Again I used a make up bag I was able to find pretty inexpensively. This one is large enough for a full size 8″ scissor that I use for fabric. A second child’s art scissor can be added for paper cutting.
Manicure kit in a case. Yes, sometimes you want a small scissor. This set is great for many reasons. The nail file is great for filing out burrs on needles, the tweezer is great for picking out and holding the ends of threads, the scissor.. well, its a scissor, and the nail clipper, is also good for snipping threads.
Wooden Point turner/press. This is a really useful tool. You can use it to make a light mark in fabric (though, do not mark too hard or you will affect the fabric. It is great for pressing seams when there’s no iron around. And you can use it to make sure any corners are crisp and pointy.
Peep-hole (or reducing glass, but the peep-hole is cheaper and easier to find.) You can pick one up at just about any hardware store. It is an 1 1/2″ x 1/2″ in diameter. For our purposes, it allows us the ability to visually distance ourselves from our work. If you are standing next to a table that has your quilt blocks laid out, simply look through the peep-hole and you’ll see the whole quilt from far away. An amazing little tool!
Hard 6″ ruler. Used for measuring as well as a marking straight edge.
Retractable fabric tape measure. Mostly, measureing.
Fabric Chalk marking pencil.
Pen and small post-it type pad.
Calculator.
Pack of machine needles.
Needle threader.
Seam ripper
Extra rotary cutter blades