Top five non-sewing sewing accessories.

As I was cleaning up my sewing room earlier today, vacuuming scraps of fabric before the basset hound could gobble them up (she will literally eat anything) I thought of how my dustbuster is such a high-value sewing accessory. Which got me thinking on other sewing essentials not readily available at Joann’s. Here’re some clues…

       

Can I say it one more time? I am in love with my dustbuster (actually a dirt devil…) I am a clip as I go sewer (no thread tails at the end of the project for me!) and I usually keep a jar by my machine to use as a little table-top scrap catch-all, but I still end up with thread, scraps, pins, everywhere. Not to mention the dust in the kitchen when I’m done cutting. Ugh. The dustbuster makes it awesomely easy to keep the chaos a little under wraps. Ours is rechargeable, cordless, with a flip out crevice tool and lives right next to my sewing table!

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[my digital camera]

If there was one thing I learned from Self-Stitched September, it was how beneficial it is to snap a photo of an outfit or garment to help me analyze how the style and fit is working for me. Oddly, a full month of self portraits also helped to boost my self-esteem a bit – my ankles aren’t nearly  as bad as they look in the reflection of the doors at Target! I loved The Cupcake Goddess’s post on how to take great photos (aren’t hers the best?) and I have a working tripod on my wishlist, although I won’t know how to pose my extra arm once it doesn’t have to take photos!

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[my big johnson]

This is the 4 foot long aluminum ruler that I swiped from Mr. Bug’s tool chest (paying him back for all those times he swiped my rosary pliers from my jewelry making chest…) Ours really does say Big Johnson on it. Clearly this ruler was named by someone’s 12 year old son. Or one of the guys back home. I have the normal
collection of clear rulers with all the little markings and angles from my quilt making days and I use those, too, but sometimes the  4 foot long metal ruler is just perfect.

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[my computer]

And everything that goes with it. A sublist: my top five sewing-related computer activities and/or software (in roughly descending order of use and usefulness) blogs (that’s all you!), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and Illustrator especially), Google, email and patternreview.com – I just love seeing those patterns on other people! Windows Live Writer gets an honorable mention, although it’s not sewing related at all, it just makes blogging easier! I can’t wrap my head around how my grandma learned to sew and got questions answered prior to the computer age!

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[an adoring fan]

That’s right, I’m including Mr. Bug in my list of essential non-sewing, sewing accessories. I cannot obtain him at Joann’s, although he burning to put his business idea of a Joann’s-carwash partnership into action. Dan is usually interested in my projects, will gamely play “what do you think this pattern piece will make?” with me and generally responds to even my worst attempts with a “You look hot” type of comment. It’s great to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and to tell me it’s working – we get that here in blog-land too, but nothing beats in-person!

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So there’s my top five non-sewing, sewing essentials! What are yours? Anything made it out of the basement, garage or kitchen into the sewing room? Share the wealth!

[the dustbuster]