Craft Tools: Sewing

I have a wonderful sewing machine, a Viking Designer SE. It is not the latest and greatest in the Viking line and I still have not used all the features, but that is ok. If you have ever had a machine that caused you more pain than joy, that caused you to use swear words that would make a merchant marine blush, and that you hated to get out of the closet or cabinet even to sew a simple seam, you would be amazed at what a good machine can do. I am not putting down any make or model of machine. If yours works well and you only use it a few times per year, you probably have the right machine for your needs. I didn't know I needed a Viking until I sat down to one at a demonstration years ok. One monogrammed initial and I was hooked. Not just by the monogramming...let's face it, you don't monogram every day you use the machine. It was how the machine ran, how it threaded, how it automatically clipped the threads and how easy it was to use with the touch screen.

Being the compulsive craft tool person that I am, the machine alone wasn't enough. I got the embroidery unit also. The first photo is my actual sewing machine. The second is a stock photo from the internet showing the embroidery unit in place.

I really, really love my sewing machine.

What should I sew? There are plenty of ideas on this shelf of books. SOme are techniques, some are gift ideas to sew, and many are quilt books. I must admit, I prefer doing baby quilts, wall quilts and table runners. Whether I am lazy or antsy to move on to the next project is open to debate, but smaller projects get done while big ones sometimes linger for a l-o-n-g time.

Didn't find anything in a book you'd like? Here are boxes of patterns and a bin with coordinating fat quarters for a quilt project. There is another covered bin of patterns inside a cabinet that I forgot to take out to photograph. My craft room is full. Very full.

Inside the closet are bins full of fabric. I am going to use it all. Honest. I just have to live long enough, stop blogging, cooking, cleaning, sleeping and doing other crafts. The large bins hold large amounts of fabric and quilt kits. The small bins on the shelf hold fat quarters, organized by color.

I have small bins in another area that hold zippers, snaps, buttons, Velcro and an assortment of tools and trims that I use, but don't need at hand all the time. My go-to sewing basket is actually a plastic tackle box.

I have containers of regular thread that I didn't photograph, along with one of embroidery floss and a Christmas tin full of Perle cotton. That and the floss would be for hand embroidery. This box is full of rayon thread that is used for machine embroidery.

The ironing board and iron weren't photographed because you all know what they look like anyway. Besides, my ironing board cover looks pathetic, but it is intact and I like the markings on it. My iron is a Rowenta. I have to say this: a good iron, just like a good machine, makes a world of difference. Good tools make the job go better and therefore, the job or hobby is more fun.
Thank goodness Bill doesn't have a blog or know how to come here and comment on mine. He just might embarrass me by telling you how long he sometimes has to wait to get a button sewn on a shirt.

Creating is ever so much more fun than mending!

*Oops! I just realized that the picture of the red Eye Spy quilt in the upper right of the mosaic is a photo of an unfinished quilt. It did get a binding and was finished. Honest. It was a gift.