Retreat packing list -- update and tips from Jenny in Wisconsin

I'm adding to the list with a little help from friends! I appreciate all your input and got permission from Jenny in Wisconsin to post her great ideas! Here we go:

Hi please send me a copy of your retreat supply list.........only thing I can add is aspirin,. cough drop's or lozenge's........breath mints and I see that you have a mug for coffee, but do you need a bottle of water or soda for more hydration....and what about water for your iron...........as facility were you sew might have terrible water to drink or for your iron........bag for scraps,.threads to hang next to your machine,. I use the brown lunch bag's.....suppose I need to make one so I can keep a permanent one next to my machine,. I need to find a pattern,. next sewing project ????

I also would like to add I loved the way you designed your sewing room......

and gave your insight into design,. I too have a variety of mismatch items.........

I'm in the process of cleaning and reorganizing my sewing/quilt room,. I also plan to paint the room green, and have red and black as accent colors,. and I found fabric which has sewing notions on them, (a Alexander Henry...sewing notions & sewing machines)....to make curtains,. not sure if it will be a valance and have mini blinds or roller shades covered with the fabric,.

I also would like to recommend a few cleaning products:

Pledge: dust & allergen unscented dry cloth's.....16 dry electrostatic disposable cloths (which are great for keeping threads and dust at bay).....wiping general sewing area and machine...........I also keep one by my cutting table for threads....

And Pledge multi surface everyday wipes which are 25 pre-moistened wipes..........safe to use on electronics........found in local big box store ...........brand...S.C. Johnson Co....I was told not to use anything with lemon as lemon discolors your sewing machine,.

I too wondered about magnetized items next to sewing machines, so I keep my pin magnetized pin cushion

in a drawer next to my machine and only use it, when I have to adjust my bobbin for bobbin work,. so if the screw fall out,. the pin cushion will catch the screw,. and when I change feet for my walking foot,. which I need to adjust the screw,.

I have a bernina and in the instruction book,. it mentions that the machine which is computerized is not effected by magnetic,. esp the new one's have a deviances inside to protect them,.. my machine is seven years old, but I still wonder about them.....Thanks Jenny in northern Wisc

Thanks Jenny! I love hearing from others. We are truly a unique group of people, quilters that is. I am looking forward to seeing how Jenny's sewing room turns out. No pressure Jenny -- it took me a long time before I shared mine with the world.

Funny how you read something an go, "oh yeah, I forgot about that!" Jenny reminded me about lemon scented products and how it can discolour plastic (i.e. sewing machine). I also heard that using the product "Endust" will make your extension table into an automatic slider when you are free motion quilting! Now I have to try and find Endust -- wonder if they still make it?

I cannot recall how many websites I scoured for ideas and still come into ideas that I adopt from others! New products, new uses for different things. I Googled "sewing rooms" and then looked at all the images they had. I drool over those rooms where all the furniture matches, and maybe one day all mine will. I keep looking at dressers and tables to see if I can re-purpose them in some way for my sewing room.

One of the re-purposed items was a cupboard. I think they call it a jelly cupboard?

This little cupboard was $10. I figured since it was narrow enough to hold my spool racks. The room is small. My wall space is limited as I have a bookcase beside it. I have another cupboard with even more thread. I still have not found a "great" way to store thread. I've tried to keep all my cotton thread together, polyester in another area, etc. Then I have my cones of thread that I use all the time in another area. I still feel that having it covered keeps it away from the dust and away from fading.

Spring is coming and it's time to do a Spring clean again. Maybe I'll get rid of stuff that I don't use or really need. I keep bringing in more to my room rather than out of my room! The closet serves as an office -- so most of the office supplies are in there along with yardages of fabric.

Can you tell the snow is melting here in Alberta? (well only until this weekend when they have predicted snowfall AGAIN!)

Happy quilting all!