Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the things I own. I've mentioned before that I'm having a low-buy year, which means taking stock of everything I use and how it's serving me. This includes embroidery and crafting supplies. Some things, while great, aren't must-haves for me. But others are; they make my embroidery a little easier.
Without further ado, here's my list of five supplies that I use regularly. What's on your list? I'd love to know—just reply to this email and let me know!
1️⃣ A needle minder. I stepped on a needle last summer and it’s not something I'll soon forget. I now use a needle minder when I'm stitching to hold my needle in place when I'm taking a break. It stays put thanks to a strong magnet. This way, it doesn't fall out of my hoop and I won't step on it again! (I sell a few needle minders in my shop, Bear&Bean.)
2️⃣ A sharp pair of scissors. This might seem obvious, but until I invested in a sharp pair of scissors, I didn't know what I was missing. My favorites are Fiskars brand. They're great for thread and for cutting around fabric. I also use them to rip out stitches.
3️⃣ Thread gloss. I like to use thread gloss to tame unruly pieces of thread. It’s a wax that coats the floss to make it straighter and smoother to stitch with. It also smells really good. I have a couple by Ponderosa Creative, and they smell great!
4️⃣ Plastic bobbins. Another obvious pick, but when they work, they work! Plastic bobbins are great for organization and efficiency when stitching. I make embroidery kits and stitch a lot of custom pet portraits, so having everything neat and labeled with a thread number is key. They also store nicely in plastic bins or cute vessels. (See my personal ranking of thread storage!)
5️⃣ Wash-away stabilizer. If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you know that I'm a fan of wash-away stabilizer. I print all of my patterns on Sulky brand Stick N Stitch stabilizer. It’s a really easy way to transfer patterns. I print the design on my laser printer and stick it on my fabric. It washes away when I'm done stitching.
If you're on Instagram, I made a video detailing these supplies. Follow me there and save the video for later when you're ready to up your craft stash!
Try all the crafts this summer!
Tickets are now on sale for Camp Craftaway, the three-day adult craft camp I co-host with Melissa of MCreativeJ! We'll have 30 different workshops throughout the weekend. Join us August 1 - 3 in Des Moines, WA.
Talk to you next week,
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Sara Barnes
Embroidery illustrator and writer
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