August 2018 Favorites

As a part of a new series, I'm sharing my favorite things (both sewing & non-sewing items) each month. I get tons of questions on social media about the fabrics, tools, and supplies I use in my shop, so I thought it would be fun to do a monthly round-up of everything I currently love! My life isn't 100% sewing, so I'll be throwing in some extras too, like a new book I can't put down, what I'm sipping on while I work, or a new YouTube channel I can't get enough of. And of course, my favorite sewing supplies, tools, fabrics, shops, tutorials, patterns, and more. Fun, right?! 

Let's jump right in! Here are my favorites from last month (in no particular order!).

1. Olfa frosted non-slip acrylic ruler: This thing is AMAZING. I've been using the same cutting ruler for 13 years. Yes, that's right 13 years. The markings were rubbing off, it was constantly slipping out of place, and eventually one day my daughter snapped it in half. And it's a good thing she did, because it forced me to order a new one. I hated, loathed, despised cutting fabric for years. And now I know why. I just needed a new ruler!! This Olfa frosted, non-slip ruler certainly does the trick. It is just the right size (6x24), it stays in place, and the numbers are super easy to read. Dare I even say that I like to cut fabric now?!

Photo credit: Olfa.com

2. Fabric Bubb: Fabric Bubb is one of my go-to online fabric retailers. Not only do I love supporting a small business, but Kristina's customer service, bundle selections, and quick shipping makes her shop on the top of my list. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for one of her sales when she generally offers 20% off.

Photo credit: Fabric Bubb (http://www.fabricbubb.com)

3. High quality thread: Confession time. I've only ever used Coats & Clark thread for sewing. It honestly never even crossed my mind to use a higher quality product. My mom always used Coats & Clark, so I always used Coats & Clark. It's funny how that goes! This past month several people on social media were talking about using Gutermann or Aurifil thread. So I went ahead and picked up a spool of Gutermann at my local Joann Fabrics to see what all the hype was about! I wasn't overly wooed, but I could definitely feel the difference in quality. It seemed to be a bit thicker and stronger which will lead to better quality products. I typically only sew with natural colored thread, so I'm excited to stock up on some spools for my fall & winter sewing.

 Photo credit: Fabric.com 

4. New needles & rotary blades: This summer I got in the habit of keeping extra needles and rotary blades on hand, because yes, your needle will snap when you're sewing under a deadline. Right, isn't that how it always goes? I love being able to just grab a new needle or blade and carry on working. Because lugging two kids with me to the nearest Joann is not ideal. You won't regret having a stash!

Photo credit: Joann.com

5. New sewing labels: I used to order my sewing labels through Etsy, but after a decline in quality and a very slow turnaround time, I decided to make my own. It is SO easy to do. There is definitely a learning curve, but once I figured out the heat, pressure, and time settings, it has become second nature. All of this to say that I just ordered a wider twill to create new fold-over labels. I'm planning on posting a tutorial in the near future to show my process. 

Photo credit: www.etsy.com

6. Ikea rolling cart: I think every sewing studio under the sun has this cart. I've had it for several years now, but I just recently started using the top shelf on a daily basis as a staging area for projects I'm actively sewing. I love having my stack of cut fabrics right at table level to grab and sew. 

Photo credit: Ikea.com

7. New house plants: Lately I've been adding a few new house plant friends to my studio space. Adding some green to my work space makes me feel calm and happy. Plus they look pretty too! And I didn't even spend a dime on the plants. One was inherited from a coworker and one was a clipping propagated from another plant in our kitchen.  

8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: I know this book is a couple of years old, but I cannot put it down. If you love a good thriller, this one is for you! I also should say that this is my second attempt at reading this book. Not because it is hard to get into, but because I've had a serious case of mom brain for the past four years. 

9. Erin Condren planner: On the advice of one of my favorite YouTubers, Blair Lamb, I decided to go ahead and order an Erin Condren notebook to use as a planner. I'm a huge fan of lists and I find that a traditional planner doesn't have enough space for me. So the notebook allows me to write out my weekly and daily tasks with an infinite amount of space. I've struggled a lot with anxiety this year, and writing things down on paper makes me feel so much better. Even when I'm feeling stressed with a million tasks to do, my planner helps me keep my thoughts straight and establish a plan of attack.

Well there you go! My August 2018 sewing & and non-sewing favorites. And just so you know, none of this is sponsored. I'm just sharing my honest opinion of products that I genuinely love and want to share. Let me know in the comments something you were loving in August!

Alyssa