In keeping with the minimalist theme, I am sharing products that help me stay organized in my new tiny space.
Happy July 1st! I hope you had a wonderful June. I am starting this series which I am calling "A Few of My Favorite Things" where I will be sharing ... a few of my favorite things ... that I used the month before. None of the items I share are paid sponsorships and all my thoughts and opinions are my own.
I finally finished my office/sewing space. I also did a lot of sewing and planning to get this blog and YT channel off the ground. As a result, this month's list is very sewing and organization heavy.
Click on each link to learn more about each product
Hand-carved Sewing Set by Thread Theory
Accordion Sewing Box
This beautifully hand-crafted, solid wood, accordion sewing box made its way to my home all the way from Polland. It was a birthday gift from my mother. She wanted to get me something sewing-related, something that could become an heirloom. At first, she thought of getting me an antique sewing table (which I would have loved!) but she was aware of my downsizing situation so she asked what I would prefer. I had heard of Romanian sewing boxes, a few clicks on Google, and found that Romania isn't the only country that made these. A few clicks on Etsy later and I found a collection of lovely accordion sewing boxes made by MyCraftsTJS . When I opened the package I could smell the freshly stained wood and the handle was the only part that needed assembly. This might be an unpopular opinion, but accordion sewing boxes are the best sewing boxes. The ones you see at craft stores in the US are cute, but small, and lack compartments. This fits all my basic sewing tools, thread, and scissors comfortably. The price point is higher, but like my mom said "this can be a family heirloom. It is built to last". If you would like to see the inside of the box, you can check out this video about downsizing my sewing space. In it, you get a glimpse of how I organized it and what I was able to fit inside.
Hand-carved Sewing Set by Thread Theory
This sewing set was also a birthday gift. I had shared a list of sewing gift ideas for the holidays on IG and my brother choose this set for my birthday. It is a beautifully hand-carved set by Thread Theory and it goes perfectly with my sewing box. Little did he know that I had planned to get this set for myself. The set includes a needle case (which I didn't have one) a walnut tape measure, which is short, but very cute, and a sharp set of small scissors. 10/10 recommend.
TWG Living Life Digital Planner
If you follow me on IG, you might notice that I share a lot of TWG Design products. Laura may be a friend, but I am obsessed with all her digital products. I myself have digital sewing planning sheets that I use all the time, but when she launched the digital planner, it was a no-brainer. I've been using that planner DAILY. I use it more often than paper planners and I'll tell you why.
1- I can add any photos on it which means I can take screenshots of notes, add them to the planner, take pictures of something I want to remember and add it on there, and best of all I can use my sewing planners on Procreate, save it as an image, and add it to my planner.
2- I can erase or move around notes.
3- I can add as many pages as I want.
4- Once I figured out how to use the photo and sticker tool I started to customize it even further.
Honestly, the possibilities are endless and if you follow Laura on IG she uploads quick tutorials like how to create stickers for your planner and gifs for your stories.
Textilepedia by Fashionary
Where has this been my whole life?! This is a must-have for anyone working with textiles. I have a background in costume design and even I can't keep all the fibers and weaves memorized let alone information on the fabric such as treatment, care, dyeability, how environmentally sustainable it is, etc. In an age when most apparel fabric is sold online, it can be difficult to determine if the fabric you bought is right for the project in mind and most often than not you can't return it. This book has a section about how fibers are cultivated and processed, a section about how the fiber is woven, and an encyclopedia of fibers, weaves, and patterns. The only downside is that the fabrics illustrated are photos and not the actual fabrics, but I'm ok with that. You can find this book over at Fashionary where they have all kinds of fashion textbooks.
Favorite Pattern of the month: Vogue V8766
I haven't sewn much this month but I really enjoyed sewing this one. It's been on my list of patterns to try for years! Quick recap: It's easy, quick, and easy to hack. I sewed this in about four hours. Granted, I consider myself an intermediate to advanced sewist, but it's safe to say that beginners looking for an intermediate project could do this. The only thing I changed was the design of the straps. Unless the pattern calls for an adjustable strap, I can never get the length right. Instead, I sewed two straps on each side and tied them together so I can adjust the length if needed. It works for me and the bow looks cute!
That's all I have for now! I hope you found this useful.
Stay Safe | Ruthmarie
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