Cookie Sheets, Spatula, Oven Mitt - For the Sewing Room?

Some of my favorite sewing supplies are actually kitchen items, and I use them all the time. There are other odd things I've found around the house that I find helpful as well. Right now I'll discuss my three favorites.

Baking sheets: I bought the set that comes with three different sizes. These things are the most helpful for everything. I use them to separate fabric pieces for projects, to set on my lap while I'm watching a movie and doing some hand stitching or clipping jump threads from my embroidery projects. They are also great for organizing the various steps in smaller items like the gift card holders above. If you want to make those, there is a free tutorial right HERE on the blog. It's a great kids project. I made some that I hand stitched instead of gluing and painting.

Rubber spatula: I think of this one as my hand and finger saver. When I'm at the embroidery machine and I'm needing to hold something in place or move something out of the way, I use this instead of my fingers. As of this writing, I've never had a needle go through my fingers!

Super thick oven mitt: This item is invaluable for ironing in areas that can't be laid flat when pressing. I don't use this as much as the other items, but when I do need it, I'm happy to have it. 

And no, I don't use any of these items in the kitchen also. They are now my sewing supplies.

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Favorites - Sewing Machine Feet

Time for some more favorites! I probably have every sewing machine foot they make. I want to share with you my favorites and the ones I use regularly. I actually have more favorite feet to share later. Many years ago when I first started sewing (I was a teenager) it wasn't so easy to get the feet. You had to go to your dealer and order them from there. Then the wait for them to come in was forever! Now it's so easy. Who has the biggest selection? You guessed it, Amazon!

The walking foot: Great for using on your layered projects such as quilts and even mini quilts. It actually "walks" over the project so your layers don't shift. I like to do a lot of the strip quilting and quilt as you go projects and this is so helpful!

The narrow zipper foot: All zipper feet are not created equal! My last machine came with a zipper foot but it wasn't a narrow version. Of course I hopped on Amazon and ordered me the narrow zipper foot. The foot that came with my machine was a wider version. I remember trying one years ago and I could never get close to my zipper or piping while using it. If you're going to make a lot of zipper projects or use piping, you need to get the narrow version.

Open toe foot: This is my number one favorite sewing machine foot and I use it all the time. If you look at it, you'll see that there is a really wide cutout where the needle is. I do a lot of applique with my sewing machine and I can get a good look at the edge of my appliques during stitching so my stitching goes exactly where I want it.

So there you have it. My favorite and most used sewing machine feet.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Favorites - I Love These Machine Embroidery Supplies

Time for some more favorites! These are the four items that I use in my studio on a regular basis. 

Pre-wound bobbins are a massive time saver. I order a large box of white, and I also have them in several colors. The last thing I want to do when I need a bobbin is to stop and create some more. This way they are always on hand, and I don't have to stop what I'm doing.

Basting adhesive really makes stabilizing easy. I much prefer it over pins and tape. Sometimes, depending on what I'm stabilizing, I'll use it with pins. It makes such a difference when making things that require a layer of batting such as coasters, zipper bags, etc. I used to worry about it gumming up my needle, but after several years of use, it hasn't happened yet.

These snips make clipping threads neater. I don't use these for cutting away fabrics, but they are great when you need to clip that thread close to the stitching. They are so thin and lightweight. As for clipping away excess fabric for applique, I like to use my curved embroidery scissors.

Snag Nab-It Tool is probably the best thing ever invented for embroidery, sewing, and basic snag repair. It has a sharp point on one end, and a rough section on the other end. It's made to pull snags through to the back which turns a damaged sweater into like new. Have you ever finished a project, and everything looks beautiful except those one or two stiches in your silky satin stitches that the needle obviously missed? Of course you have! And it's not your fault. This tool is designed to make it look like it never happened. You just find the stitch that didn't stitch (or just sticking out in a weird way) and insert the pointed end right at that stitch on the top of the project. Then you gently push it completely through. The rough edges on the opposite end of the tool will catch that annoying thread and bring it right through to the backside. If you want you can put a tiny drop of Fray Check on the back where the stitch is but honestly, I've never worried about that. And you know these thread mishaps always happen at the end of your project after you've done all that work! TIP: Store it in the little plastic sleeve it came in and maybe put a dot of paint or nail polish on the plastic sleeve. This little thing is so easy to lose.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Buc-ee's! Don't Miss this Little Gem While Traveling

Have you ever been on a road trip and passed a sign with the cute beaver that says Buc-ee's? Well, my advice is to stop in for a quick (or not so quick) visit. Buc-ee's is not just a fancy rest stop off the highway, it's an entire experience!

We travel a lot! Two of the places we regularly travel to are Texas and Florida, and there are a lot of Buc-ee's between here and there. My first time there, I was in constant aww! They have so many things that will make your road trip extra fun. They have a lot of choices for lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Everything is super fresh and worth every penny. On our last visit we picked up some cobb salads for lunch and they were fresh as can be. We sat in the car and enjoyed them. No wilted lettuce in our salads!

They are really known for their smoked beef brisket. And the smell when you are in there is amazing! Not a fan of brisket or beef in general, don't worry, they have a lot more. Everything from sandwiches, salads, yogart parfaits, fruits, nuts of every kind, fudge, candies, cookies, chips, and so much more! My personal favorite is chocolate covered cashews. Yep, it's the only place I've seen them, and they are sooooooo good!

They also have some cute stuff too. They have holiday items, souvenirs, pets’ stuff, kitchenware, games, coolers, gifts, kids' stuff, and every kind of soft drink you could imagine. They are also known for their 100 plus gas pumps at each location. If your car is a little dirty, they have the longest car wash you've ever seen.

This may sound funny, but they are also known for their restrooms. Yep, I said it, "RESTROOMS." They are super clean and quite pretty. It seems like every time we travel, we see where another one has popped up. 

If you are on a road trip and see a Buc-ee's you should stop on by. I'm sharing the link to their website so you can take a sneak peek. Did I mention how much I love the place?

Oh, and my son would never forgive me if I didn't mention their beef jerky. They also have a little thing called "beaver nuggets." Yep, they have things you've never seen elsewhere. Be sure the check it out for yourself.

https://buc-ees.com/about/

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Some of My Favorite Sewing Supplies

This week I'm sharing some of my absolute favorite sewing supplies. I have been sewing for over 50 years. That's right, I started as a young child. When we were younger my sister and I made all our Barbie clothes and Barbie furniture. That was also the time when I made my first purse. I wish everyday photography were a thing then because I could share the pictures. I was quite proud of that one. I'm not sure which of my addictions began, the sewing or the purses. A girl cannot have too many purses! But that's a whole other blog post.

Let's get started on my favorite supplies. From left to right...

1. Anything from the Sewline brand. Their marking pencils are the best! I have the pencil with the three different colors (white, pink, dark gray). It's a mechanical type of pencil that works beautifully. You turn the bottom half of the pencil to the desired marking color. You can also adjust to let out more lead when you need it. I use it so much and I'm waiting on my refills to arrive any day now. I also love their eraser that is made to go with these pencils. Just like the marking pencil, you can extend it for more eraser. Since it's designed like a pencil, it's so easy to use. And there are also refills available for these too. Probably my favorite of all my tools.

2. Next is HeatnBond Lite. All the products with this name are the best in my opinion. The strong or ultra hold sticks very well and is easy to use. Most of the time I use the Lite. It's designed to hold things down so you can stitch on it. It never gums up your needle and holds very well. This is the only one I will use when making my fabric appliques for machine embroidery and hand embroidery.

3. Jean-a-ma-jig. There are other brands and styles of this that do the job, but this is the one that I have had for many, many years and it has served me well. Since I love to make tote bags, small wallets, and purses there are times when I'm trying to stitch over a bulky seam, and this is a huge help. It prevents my sewing machine foot from getting stuck at the beginning of that area, so the seam is nice and even. I just used it yesterday when making up a bunch of credit card wallets for a donation for the local women's shelter. I zipped right on through with ease!

4. These little fabric clips. I have the Clover brand. I got them when they first came out and I believe that Clover was the only brand at that time. Now you can easily find them, and you can find them at a better price. Sometimes I feel a pin is needed but for the most part, I use these.

So, there you have it. These are my top four sewing tools. I have many tools and I'll be sharing more of them with you at another time. All the tools listed above are very easy to find.

 

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

How Do You Organize Your Time?

After trying so many different ways and things to organize my time and my life, I've finally figured out what works for me. If you search for tools or information for time organization, you'll find hundreds of apps, spreadsheets, digital planners, paper planners, list makers and more. It can be overwhelming! And I think I've probably tried them all at one point or another in the past several years.

When looking for a time management or notes tool, at least for me, it had to fit the following criteria:

Must be fast

Must be easy

Must sync seamlessly between my tablet, computer, and phone

Must be capable of handling a lot of information but yet be simple

I'm going to share with you what I have finally found that works for me. Believe me when I say that I have tried almost everything out there. My system may not work for you, but if you are still on the lookout for a great way to organize your time, give these a try. And the best part.....they are FREE!

First, Google Calendar with Keep Notes. If you have an Android device, you probably already have the Google calendar and Keep Notes. If not, you can download it from your apps store. These work well together in fact, you can open your Google Keep Notes right there in your calendar app while on the computer. There are so many ways to keep your calendar organized with events and tasks. You can also share your calendar with your work group or family, or you can just share a part of it. Seriously, it does so much! I like to keep my Keep Notes up with my calendar because that is where I keep my weekly checklist, grocery list, and a couple other items that I use on a daily basis. It's all right there and ready for me when I need them. And of course, I can access them from all my devices. I also have my Google Assistant (awesome app) set up so that when I ask it to take a note, it stores it in my Google Keep so I will see it right away when I get back to my tablet or computer. I also like that I can view my calendar in different modes such as monthly, weekly, daily, and agenda. On my phone and tablet, I like to use agenda (or schedule), and on my computer I like to look at the whole month.

For other notes such as long lists, project planning, recipes, etc, I use Samsung Notes. It's only available for Samsung tablets, computers, and phones but it's a powerful little app. I love that I can import PDF documents and annotate. This is especially handy when I'm proofreading my patterns. It allows you to organize in folders and even folders in folders. I call it my second brain. You can't use it in your computer, but if you download the "Link Phone to Windows" app, you can use it by connecting through your phone with Windows 10 or 11.

Now you see how I organize my life; how do you organize yours?

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Some of My Favorite Apps

Since I've been blogging (lots of years), every now and then I make a post about my favorite apps. Of course these tend to change as more apps become available and more apps are updated. As of this writing, the following are my favorite apps:

1. Google Calendar - I suppose this will always remain on my list of favorites because it keeps my time so organized. I love the fact that along with the "events," it allows you to create tasks. I use the task feature as my daily to do list. The way I like to look at it is to go into the schedule and you have a nice list. I love that you can even add details to your tasks. You can even make recurring appointments for your events such as birthdays, bill payments, etc...

2. Readly - For around $12 a month, I can read unlimited magazines and even back issues. Every magazine I like, they have it. Each family member can have their own sign-in as well. I sure do get my moneys worth out of that one. And they have all the popular magazines and more!

3. Samsung Notes - This is my second brain! I used to pay for another note-taking app but since I discovered Samsung Notes, I like it even better. This app can only be used on Samsung devices and computers with Windows operating system. It syncs seamlessly among my devices. I love that I can annotate and create PDF documents on it. Between this and my calendar app, my life is so orgainzed! I might be obsessed over this one. And it's free!

4. Canva - I just discovered this one. I love it for creating ads. It's so quick to make them and I can do them from my computer or my tablet. I still use my drawing program but this is so handy.

5. Sketchbook - This is a nice drawing app. I no longer sell my artwork or clipart but I love to relax by doing some drawings.

That's my list for today. If you'd like to check any of these out, you can get them from the place where you get your apps.

Photo above: A picture of my sweet cat, Punkie. She lived to be almost nineteen and I still miss her every day.

Favorite - Italian Cheeses, The REAL Stuff!

I thought it would be fun for a new "favorites" post. I share with you my thoughts on Italian cheeses. I'm not talking about the powdery stuff in the tall, green cans either. I'm talking about the fresh stuff you find in the refrigerated area. I like to buy it in the plastic tub but you can also buy it in the zipper bags. I love each one of these (Parmesan, Asiago, Romano) but I love them even more mixed together. I have been putting this stuff on everything! It's especially good on a salad. I even use it on other things that are more simple in taste such as plain veggies, or chicken, and even baked potatoes.

The thing about this deliciously fresh cheese is that you don't need to add a lot for such a huge punch of flavor. A little bit, even a teaspoon, goes a long way. If you are watching calories, this is the best cheese to use because don't use a whole lot of it, a light sprinkling will do you. For the past several months, it has become a staple in my home!

Another Favorite: Rosin Paper

It's time for another favorite! This time I'm introducing you to rosin paper. This is the handiest of stuff to have around and it's soooo cheap! We buy a 36" x 140' roll for around $12 at the home stores. The first time I ever used it was when Brian and I were building a desk and we wanted the top to be curved instead of your typical rectangle. We used this for the pattern. We used it after that to cover a floor when we were remodeling and painting. 

Since then, I've discovered how nice it is to have in the craft and sewing studio. I keep a roll of it behind my door so it's always handy. It's good for the obvious such as covering my craft table while painting. It's also great for designing patterns. Right now I'm making some Christmas stockings and aprons, and it's great for making the paper patterns.

If you've never seen what I'm talking about, you can find lots of images HERE.