I appreciate the view from my sewing space and the small nook where I organize my notions. The power pole is where my feathered friends constantly visit. They often distract me from getting work done. We live near a migratory bird refugee and the field there is teeming with delicious bugs and mice, so it makes sense. Throughout the year, I will see kestrels, a whole variety of hawks, red-winged blackbirds, doves, finches, and once a golden eagle. I love watching the birds!
Further off in the distance, I can watch F-35A jets taking off and landing at Hill AF Base. This is monumental, given that Capt. Kristin ‘BEO’ Wolfe is the first female commander of the F-35A Lightning II demonstration team! And way off in the distance, you can see Ben Lomond mountain towering at 9,712 feet. On the other side of Ben Lomond is Brigham City, UT. Ryan’s hometown. I spend a lot of time staring outside, just enjoying the views.
Carts
I’m pretty sure everyone has at least one RÅSKOG utility cart from IKEA. We had two and they have been repurposed multiple times. Now they carry my sewing tools and notions.
Essentials
Not sure how much I want to bore you with all the details in my carts, so I’ll try and point out just the super useful items. First of all, I live and die by my SewKeysE tapes. I do NOT like the Heat ‘n Bond soft stretch. I use my SewKeysE single-sided tapes to interface shoulder seams on knit shirts, so they don’t stretch out. I used the double-sided tape for hems, cuffs, encased waistbands, etc. The tape is so helpful!
When I buy needles for my sewing machines and sergers, I buy them in packs of 100. Every new project gets a new needle. For my needles, I have the two small 5-compartment boxes. One box is for knit and stretchy fabrics and the second box is for woven fabrics. They are just the right size to hold the needles. I use the 1-compartment boxes to hold stuff for my sewing machines like presser feet, spool caps, and so forth.
Thread
When I had my Etsy shop, I would also offer free matching pocket squares to go with the bow ties. Using wooly thread on my serger gave me a really lovely narrow rolled-edge. I’m no longer selling bow ties, so I need to find better ways to use this stuff up. I don’t want it to go to waste.
I care less and less whether my serger thread matches my fabric. In fact, I prefer it if they contrast a bit! Hopefully, I’ll be able to use it all.
Elastic
Given the pandemic, I may never wear non-elastic waistbands ever again. I might have gone overboard (probably not) with all the knit waistband elastic that I just purchased. The pandemic also forced me to buy this mega roll of ¼” twill tape. Luckily I can probably use it to stabilizing seams. The twill tape is lightweight and thin.
Buttons, Grommets, Rivets, and Snaps
On the left side are my snaps and press attachments. On the right side are buttons. I use “real-fancy” methods for organizing, huh? Ziploc bags keep dust and dirt off of everything.
I’ve enjoyed these 7mm grommets from KAMsnaps. I use these when I want to add a drawstring to a waistband. They’re a little finicky to install, but I found that my sewing machine will stitch a grommet, and that helps stabilize the fabric before installing the metal grommet on top. These are installed using my press.
My buttons/rivets are organized into three Ziploc bags: jeans, shirts, and random.
Zippers
My last shelf contains zippers and “power” tools. My zippers also get the royal treatment and are organized using Ziploc bags. I separate them into categories as well: basic nylon, invisible, coat, and jeans.
Power Tools
Items you wouldn’t expect to have in a sewing room, but are probably the most help are my anvil and hammer. These tools are 100% necessary for installing rivets and buttons on jeans. Using any other surface will not work. But, I also use these items to lightly tap on bulky seams like belt loops, hems along the seam line, areas where the two seams come together, etc. WARNING! You can destroy and tear your fabric if you whack it too hard, which is why I said lightly tap.
Conclusion
I am more than halfway through my sewing room tour. By the end, you will literally know everything about my sewing room and a lot about me. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy!
HandmadePhD 