My Tools

My Tools

I thought I’d introduce you to the tools I use.  Most of them are nothing special, and very afford able.  This goes to show that you don’t need expensive tools to get the job done.  (Even though I have my eye on an expensive machine and I’d looooove to have a serger sometime in the future). 

This Is my Workspace:

It is just a plastic/metal folding table positioned in the corner of my living room.  One of these’s days I’d like to have a special craft/sewing room, but I doubt that will ever happen.  I also kind of enjoy being out there in the living room.  That is where my family spends our time.  That way I don’t feel like I’m squirreled away from everyone. 

My machine is nothing special, just a Singer Simple model 3116.

18 stitch patterns, very basic.  I bought this almost 10 years ago, when money was tight, I was young, and I wasn’t sewing as much.  Since then, I’ve wanted to upgrade… but I just can’t bring myself to get a new machine.  I’d like a Janome 7330 Magnolia.  It’s a nice machine that is computerized, a lot quieter than mine and has 30 stitch options.  But it is also a 350 dollar machine on Amazon.

My other tools I have are my self healing cutting board, for a while I was cutting straight on my table, which I didn’t really care about.  It was a cheap table we had in our basement for a long time, but I find everything cuts better on that mat.  I’m glad I spent that money... especially since I got it on sale 50% off with a coupon, I love coupons.

I also recently got a thread set on sale (again, yay sales!), 26 spools of Gutermann’s thread in a nifty plastic case. They all have rods through them to keep them in place and once I run out of a thread, I can just replace it with another spool.  It makes it a lot easier to match thread, that way I don’t have to buy a special spool each time I get a different color fabric (which happens quite often). 

I also made myself a ribbon holder, so that when I need some, I just pull out as much as I want and cut.  Right now it’s just my ribbon threaded onto a ribbon hung from 3m hooks.  I would like to get a dowel rod and make something more permanent, but most of the time; I am just too lazy to head out to the hardware store to get something started.  

I have my snaps organized by style and size in the little white circular tuber-ware.  Those were the best dollar store finds I’ve had in a while. 

I have a nifty chest style basket that I keep all my fabric stored in.  It keeps it organized and looking nice, instead of all over the floor like it used to be. (Another sale find from Michael’s) 

This is where I keep all my works in process, things that need bias tape, snaps, or reworked.  Mostly these are things that I’ve gotten frustrated with and put of to the side to finish at a later date when I’m not as irritated (or in the case for the snaps, when the baby is a wake so I don’t scare the living crap out of her when I use my hammer… one of these days I’ll actually buy snap pliers haha) This is also (conveniently) my ironing board.