A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Sajou Silk & Scissors

(1,170) Comments

1. My favourite needlework tool is my pair of fine point tweezers. I use them so often that I had to buy extra pairs to leave scattered around the house wherever I might sit down to stitch a bit. Why? So many uses – I use them to help me rip out sections of embroidery when I’ve made a mistake, I use them to help me pull those pesky little fuzzy thread ends that sometimes come through from the back to the front, I use them to carefully move threads aside when I need to start a new stitch next to a previous stitch, I use them to help me remove cat hair from my embroidery, and I use them to hold metal threads in place while I couch them down.

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   1. I believe my favorite tool has to be the lamp behind the couch that my husband bought for me to see my project that I’m stitching.

2. My favourite would be my currently most used: Bohin silicon finger cots. They make pulling the needle through multiple layers (hand embroidery on a quilt) so much easier.

   Thank you for the giveaway!

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   1. My favorite accessory would have to be my Puffin needleholders. They are the easiest way to keep hold of your needle. They are pretty to look at, have strong magnets and come in various shapes. There is no possible way to loose your needle if you keep the needleholder right on your embroidery.

3. My Favorite needleworking tool is a little box with a magnet in the bottom. It is just high enough to store my scissors some thread , and needles. It fits right in my bag and contains all my “sharp ” items.

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4. My favorite needle work tool is my magnifying clamp-on desk lamp. The magnification 1.75x and bright lighting is perfect for working with dark background fabrics. I got mine on sale at an office supply store so it was a great bargain compared to those sold in craft stores. It’s my favorite because it is easy to adjust and can be used on any kind of crafting or needlework project.

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5. My favorite stitching tool is my tekobari. It is a Japanese laying tool used for neatly laying multiple strands of silk or cotton thread. It is tapered to a point on one end and has a blunt squared shaft on the other.

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6. Favorite tool… oh too many! I’m fond of all of them. My extra-strenght reading glasses, for starters. It lets me see the “normal” stuff without having to find the magnifier. Second, my trolley needle. I find it easier to use than a laying tool, especially since my left hand is holding the hoop! Third, my little re-purposed centrifuge tubes I use for small quantities of seed beads.

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7. My trusty mellor is my favorite tool of all time. Regardless of the technique or thread used, I find myself reaching for it. I’ve had the same one for 18 years and it dates from my stint at RSN during the summer of 2000. Don’t know how to stitch without it!!

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8. These scissors are absolutely beautiful. My favorite needlework accessory is the Japanese needle. Yes it is very expensive, but it has a perfectly round eye which means thread, especially filament silk, threads easily and since there are no burrs on the eye, gold work threads don’t tear or rub. There are several sizes. I use them all the time for every project.

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9. This was a hard one! But I’d say my favorite accessory aside from the usual suspects are my bobbins, storage boxes, and bobbin winder. It’s the easiest way for me to keep my thread neatly organized.

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10. My magnifiers!!! can’t stitch without them!

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11. Not sure if it’s a tool but my trusty little handmade needlecase with pockets for scissors, threader, and ripper goes with me everywhere – I would be lost without it.

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12. Because I have cats (three of them!) I can’t leave my embroidery projects just sitting around when I’m not stitching. They would wind up with tiny claw holes from racing felines which is not the style I’m looking for. So I pack up all the thread and the hoop and fabric and the other doodads into dollar-store plastic kitchen containers.

    They are stacked on the table by my chair and they keep everything clean and together. They are not pretty, and I keep saying I’m going to embroider some beautiful boxes big enough to hold my projects, but that just gets added to the list of all the other things I’m going to embroider.

    So my most useful accessory is a cheap, plastic box. 🙂

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    1. Pretty tins from cookies, etc. are a nice alternative to plastic – I started with plastic boxes as you do, and then a friend showed up to sew with all of her things in tins and I was jealous! I had never thought of it! You can often find lovely ones at thrift shops for practically free. They look nice in the living room and they also have the advantage of being recyclable and often lighter weight, actually, than the plastic ones if you transport your projects in them.

13. My most used, and so I guess favourite, embroidery accessory is my standing lamp — the bright led light & built-in magnifier means I can stitch in my living room on the duller winter evenings, or even in bed if the mood strikes! I really couldn’t stitch without it.

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14. To be honest, my favorite tool is my clip on table light. I use it all the time when I working. The added light directly on the project really helps.

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15. My favorite tool is the laying tool that I bought about a year ago — it’s the BLT (Best Laying Tool). I love how easy it is to make the longer stitches smooth and multiple strands of thread lay parallel! I don’t know how I got along without it!

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16. My favorite accessory is my left hander’s guide. I use it for every project.
    Thank you.

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17. Gotta go with long tweezers – they have a multitude of needlework uses!
    – hold thread tails to tuck them under stitching
    – remove pet hair from fabric
    – use instead of a needle to remove mistakes
    – pull a stubborn needle through layers of fabric/beadwork
    – eat messy snacks without soiling your fingers (cheese puffs are a favorite among our stitching group)

    I have pairs of long tweezers in all my stitching bags and at every one of my stitching locations. So helpful in so many ways!

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18. Mary you are so kind to do this. It adds such fun at a lovely time of the year. I think I would have to go for my mellor (or tekobari when in Japanese lessons). I find it so useful in many ways getting you out of tangles for example. And when stitching with silks stops you stroking them too much with oily hands.

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19. The “tool” always in use when I am stitching is a large needle minder. It is too large to be attached to the fabric, but sits next to me to keep my needle from wandering. It has the look of an old fashioned cameo with a weather vane and whale design.

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20. My favorite tool is my needle threader because I could not stitch without it. I prefer the standard threader made in Germany.

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21. My favorite tool is my Ott light. I couldn’t do anything without it!

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22. its a toss up of either my thread organizer or the new way to put designs on fabric without tracing. Making a copy on sticky paper then placing that paper on fabric n start stitching!!

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23. A good [sharp] seam ripper is my favorite [needed] accessory.
    Have sewn and embroidered all my life, but don’t think that I have ever finished a project without at least one seam needing removal. ;-(

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24. My favourite tool is my Clover leather thimble. It is the first thimble I have ever been able to use!

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25. Other than all the tools mentioned, my favorite tool would be my floor OTT light with magnifier. While my mind says I am still 30, my eyes say I am 70.

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26. Those silk threads look like Christmas lights shining in the dark!

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27. It has to be my computer since online I can learn scads of tips and watch tutorials, plus buy stuff for projects! 🙂

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28. My favorite tool at the moment is my little clip on light I received in my welcome bag for attending the RSN workshop in Lexington, KY. It is bright and small and clips on to almost anything. It is light weight, bright, and is rather steady for a clip on. I am at work so I can’t see what the name of it is but it is such a handy little tool.

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29. I like to organize my threads when starting a project so I use (cute and fun) Thread winders from Sajou. Gets me off on the right foot.

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30. Lovely giveaway! My favorite needlework tool or accessory would be my Hug Me Company Tool Box because it keeps all my lovely and necessary tools together and protected! I never have to go off searching except within its confines! Happy Holidays!

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31. My laying tool……..satisfies my OCD tendencies….lol.
    Thanks Mary. Happy holidays!

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32. Work gloves. I have these spandexy fingerless gloves that keep my arthritic hands warm, so I can work longer without getting cramps.

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33. Hi

    My favourite is my magnifier. I like how it helps to make sure stitches are complete and accurate, making the quality of my work better. Thanks for this

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34. My favorite embroidery accessory is probably my daylight lamp. My vision is pretty rough so anything that helps me see better is a huge bonus!

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35. I love using my home-made pincushions, most of which I cross-stitched myself but several were embroidered by other needleworkers. Hand-made accessories really add to the pleasure.

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36. ¡Hola! Mi accesorio favorito es el dedal. Tengo muchos que pertenecieron a mi familia y otros que he comprado a lo largo de los años. Sin embargo, tengo uno muy viejo y un poco aplastado, que fue de mi querida tía Berta, que se adapta a mi dedo como ninguno. Puedo tener tres o cuatro a mi alcance que siempre busco el dedal de Berta.
    ¡Manías!

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37. My favourite needlework accessory is my pair of extra strong reading glasses in a beautiful floral print!

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38. My favorite stitching accessory is my head lamp with magnifier. It allows me to direct intense light just where am stitching, has 4 different magnifications for varying thread counts of ground fabrics, is light and easy to fit in my needlework bag.

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39. My favorite tool is my needle threader. A simple and inexpensive tool but a necessary one for stitching without frustration these days!
    Thank you, Mary, for this lovely give-away!

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40. Before my husband’s vision deteriorated, he did wood turning. He made me (and a couple dozen stitching friends too!) a seam ripper from beautiful pieces of wood. Granted…I hope not to use it often, but when I do I think of him crafting with wood in the garage while I stitched in the sewing room.

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41. Well that’s an easy for me – my magnifying lamp!

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42. My favorite tool is the needle minder I recently got as a free gift when I ordered a hoop frame for a Christmas piece I’m doing. I can’t begin to Express the number of time I’ve had needles disappear on me when I put a piece down! The needle minder has proven quite helpful!

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43. My favorite tool other than needle, hoop, and scissors is my marking tools. My ceramic pencils, disappearing ink pens, and gel pens.

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44. My glasses are mandatory for needlework.

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45. Favorite tool or accessory: only one??? Trying to be strict about the tool bit, I would say the Clover Fine White pen. I have been working mostly with wool of late and this pen leaves a distinct fine line which stays long enough for me to work it and is easily brushed or ironed away when I’m done.

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46. I love this magnet thing that I don’t know the proper name of. It’s two magnets and you put one on the back of your fabric (in the hoop) and then the other on the top so that you have a place to hold your needles right on the work in the hoop. Great for using multiple threads, needle painting etc.

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47. My absolute favourite stitching accessory is the lampwork bead needle threader that I got when I bought a full kit from HAED a few years ago. It’s a beautiful-looking thing in itself – a red and black oval swirled glass ‘button’ with a dip on one side to rest my thumb in while I am using it. But the best thing about it is that IT WORKS!!! Many needle threaders have wire loops that are too fragile to be useful, but this one is robust. It has the addition of what looks like a tapestry needle embedded in the glass piece, along with the wire loop that goes through the needle’s eye, so that when you are lining up the loop to push it through the eye of your needle, you can rest your needle against the tapestry one and slide it up to the loop, which makes it so much easier to use. I hope I never lose it!

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48. aside from those basics, my favorite stitching tool is tweezers! I often use the tracing paper method to transfer designs to crazy quilt patches and I pick out a lot of tiny bits of tracing paper with tweezers! karen s

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49. My favorite tool other than my scissors? My laying tool. Until I invested in one my silkwork would not smooth out properly. The silk sheen was missing because the long and short stitches were lumpy not smooth. I started using the tool and suddenly my results are beautiful and professional looking. Added joy? I found a lovely silver tool which is balanced in my hands.

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50. Lovely giveaway! My favorite needlework tool or accessory would be my Hug Me Company Tool Box that hold all my necessary items in one place, safe and confined. I never have to go searching anywhere except within this padded box.

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51. Putting aside my needle, hoop or frame, and scissors, my favorite needlework accessory or tool is something to listen to. It needs to be an old movie or music that helps me get to a relaxed and into a happy place within myself. Something that doesn’t require my attention, as I want to put that into my project.

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52. My favourite tool is a sterling silver laying tool, which I purchased at an ANG seminar years ago. It has a gorgeous little twist at the end. This is my most valuable tool, as for canvaswork stitching, laying the threads is a must. This one is a perfect size to fit in my hand, and has the perfect weight as well. Unfortunately, there’s no brand on it, so I can’t get another.

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53. any good tool!!
    needles that glide smoothly,
    scissors that feel good and cut better! (there are ones for metallic thread, floss, silk, hardanger, general fabric)
    laying tool polished to absolute non-snag perfection
    and needles, needles the perfect size/match for thread and background fabric used –

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54. My light with magnifier attached to better see with. As we age, our eyes go. Looking at petit point that I did when I was in my twenties, I can imagine doing that now.

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55. Thank you for another giveaway! My favorite tool other than the more common tools would be these scissors grip tweezers. They’re handy for grabbing little threads but more so for grasping the needle when it is tough to pull out.

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56. Good morning! My favorite needlework accessory at the chair is my magnifying light. It’s wonderful for helping me see the fine details and make a neater stitch. BUT my favorite favorite needlework accessory is my sewing machine. It helps me turn my hand-stitched pieces of fabric into something useful like a little bag or a pretty pocket, and that makes the hand-stitched piece doubly enjoyable.
    Thanks, Mary, for making the season even more fun!

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57. My favourite stitching accessory other than those that Mary has excluded, is my needle book. I took an on line class several years ago with Susan Elliott and made a needle book with a page for each sort of needle. It also has a place for scissors at the front and a page for broken needles in the back. I loved the stitching of it and originally took the class to learn her method of making the book, but gained so much more during the classes.
    This little needle book is the one I always have with me and it has travelled to many different stitching events.

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58. I have many beautiful tools. I’m kind of a tool junkie.. but if I really think about which tool I couldn’t do with out it would be my light and magnifying glass!

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59. I have a tiny collapsing thread catcher that I bought from Etsy. It is very portable and fits in my small project bag. It keeps me from having snippets of thread all over side table and sofa.

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60. I have a lightweight clip on magnifier that was crucial when I stitched on 40 count Silk gauze.

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61. Ort boxes are very important to my stitching life. These are little receptacles for odd thread ends, and I have them all over the house. My favourites are small hand-turned wooden bowls. I also have some collapsible paper ort boxes that fit in my purse and sewing kit, and pop up wherever they are needed. A hand-made ort box, made from fabric and a preserving jar ring. Tiny ceramic bowls, hand painted in Turkey in bright patterns and colours. An odd teacup (saucer missing), gifted from a good friend. Without the ort boxes, I might have thread ends everywhere. And when I get enough orts, I make a new pincushion (the second most important accessory in my stitching life.)
    Happy holidays everyone!

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62. My favourite item is a beautiful little needle keep that my husband bought for me. It is turned in rosewood with a brass bottom and top. The top has an eyelet to allow me to attach a fob and I am going to use one of your little miniatures – probably the squirrel – to make it. A special piece of stitching for a special gift.

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63. My favorite tool is a Clover needle threader. It has a wide metal piece that goes thru the eye of the needle. It is much stronger than the ones with just a thin wire, which I tend to pull apart.

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64. My favourite stitching tool is my tekobari. I took an introduction to Japanese embroidery workshop almost 20 years ago and learned how to use the tekobari there and have used one ever since, It is the best laying tool I have ever handled, it fits well in my hand is light, and smooth.

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65. These scissors are so beautiful and so me! I hope I win!

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66. I love the anitque stilettos I use as laying tools! They have a very sharp, very smooth tip and the handle is sterling silver in a delightful ornate design. I have several so I can use a different one for each project. The tips are steel and can be held by a needleminder magnet so they are always handy.

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67. I love, love, love my 35 year old Dazor magnifying lamp. It has never failed me. Of course as my eyes are aging, this love affair has intensified. I had a cataract removed yesterday and with my Dazor lamp I was able to stitch a bit today. Yes!

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68. My favorite accessory is a good, sharp, pointed-blade pair of scissors. That said, really, really good needles run a close second. But, in the end, it is the scissors that can make or break a sewing session. I particularly like the ones with thumb holes to accommodate my bumpy arthritic thumbs, which are sometimes difficult to find.

    Which is my favorite accessor or tool? It is still the scissors.

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69. Hands down my favorite tool or accessory is my magnifying light. I can’t recall the brand, but it’s a floor lamp with multiple LED lights surrounding a very large magnifying area. Very, very helpful for stitching when you are of a ‘certain age.’ Thanks for the chance to win Mary!

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70. Good question! Aside from those things, my favorite tool is a snag nab-it. It’s great for fixing a wonky stitch when cross stitching.

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71. A good light!

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72. My favorite embroidery tool — scissors! So charming. So many styles. I began my collection in 1988 at a quaint shop in Maine. I now have 4 pairs — maybe 5?? Would love to include this lovely pair!! Merry Christmas

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73. I love my metal laying tool – always have it in my hand when stitching. I started with the Japanese tekobari but they became scarce. I tried the BLT but it was too light and a bit thinner. I then had a welder friend make me some in varying lengths and styles that were crashed to my exact needs.

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74. I would say my floor stands are my favorite because I would have difficulty stitching without them! I have arthritis in my hands and not having to hold a hoop or frame helps a lot. I also like to stitch two handed as often as possible.

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75. I would have to say my favorite accessory tool is my glasses- I can’t see what I’m doing without them!

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76. The multitude of bags I carry my projects in because I am on a neverending quest for the perfect one that works in any situation and my ort jar because I love all the bright colors and what the threads remind me of.

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77. My favorite accessory is my leather thimble. I’ve never been comfortable with the metal ones.

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78. I have three:
    An old mascara brush I use to swipe off kitty hair,
    A pair of fine pointed tweezers to pull out stuck-in kitty hair,
    And my favorite, a plastic eye glass case (best idea ever) to hold all my tools while I’m working on a project.

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79. Putting aside your needle, hoop or frame, and scissors, tell us about your favorite needlework accessory or tool and why it’s your favorite!

    I love my BLT (Best Laying Tool) but it is a toss up with my frame weights (I have a collection of those). One of my favorites was made by a friend and given to me when she moved out of the area. the BLT helps me to keep my threads looking good. The frame weights help to hold either my project or my lap stand steady so I can use both hands to stitch

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80. I can’t live without a needle threader. I’m hoping Santa will bring me one of those new ones for small needles that Mary talked about in her newsletter!

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81. After laying away my needles, frame, scissors and all the usual stitching tools, what is my favorite needlework tool? I’d have to say my laying tool, which helps me achieve beautifully laid out stitches. While the actual laying tool itself is not elaborately decorated or made out of exotic wood, it is just the right size for my hand and square at the top so it doesn’t roll when set down on my work table. It came in a convenient case that protects the tip and keeps the rest of my stitching toys safe when they travel in a project bag.

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82. Mine is a beautiful needle book I received as a thank you gift for teaching an embroidery class. It’s my favorite because that was my first time teaching embroidery, and it went really well, so it’s a nice reminder.

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83. My other favorite needlework accessory is my biscornu pincushion. It is bright and colorful with a few sea creatures on it. It’s the first biscornu that I’ve ever made and I filled it with wool. Considering that I missed a stitch/row therefore making the sides not equal, it came out very well as I adjusted the stitching when putting it together.

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84. Love working in silk but having a hard time finding scissors.

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85. I really like my fun needle minders that I have attached to various projects. It safer than tucking the needle in in my shirt and they come in such cute designs.

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86. I am so pleased to find a source for the beautiful, vivid colors of silk thread! Your site has raised the bar for my finding quality needle work supplies in my community. I read your post as a beginner with hand work and dream of refining my clumsy work. Thank you.

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87. I love my travel embroidery bag. It has multiple pockets on the outside, a zippered compartment on the inside, and the inside of the bag can hold fabric, hoops and books, with a double strapped handle that fits over me shoulder. It’s always ready to pick up go for appointments or sewing circle, or travel. Dd

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88. I have a laying tool that I love to work with. I’ve “auditioned” so many over the years, and this one has a wooden handle, and by now, has developed a sheen since I’ve used it so much.

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89. One tool I like is a stand that has pegs to divide my threads by color. I got it at an antique store a few years back. It is definitely a one of a kind.

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90. My favorite accessory is my comfortable sewing chair. It rolls around, is the perfect height for my table and just cushioned enough. I also love those clips but my favorite is my chair. Thank you

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91. Oh, this question is difficult! After some thought, I am settling on beautiful boxes and baskets for transporting projects. I often stitch on the go so a practical method to carry and contain a mini, mobile workshop is essential for me. I have a basket that I can only use for especially small projects that is my favorite as it was handwoven by a friend for the flower girl to carry in my wedding.

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92. I have a little round basket made of telephone lines (in Africa). Around the seam sit all my wonderclips. It’s large enough for all my stuff for stitching and accompanies me wherever I sit down to stitch.

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93. I’d say it’s my iPad, and the armchair access it gives to answers for any needlework questions.

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94. “Putting aside your needle, hoop or frame, and scissors, tell us about your favorite needlework accessory or tool and why it’s your favorite!”

    My favourite needlework accessory has to be the thread. I do love silk thread which I use on my Hungarian runners and Heart ornaments. I love the glide through the fabric, the sheen and the lovely look of the finished product and so do my customers! The other must is my OTT lite for seeing my work and the precise colours. Thank you for this opportunity!

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95. My favorite tool ..easy ….my large, super funny , vintage looking needle minder I got from ETSY . It’s a “picture” of a bust of a screaming 50’s housewife . (The way I often feel when I’m experimenting with new threads!).

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96. My pin cushion. I like loading up several needles before starting a project, so a pin cushion is essential for me.

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97. I have a scissor case of leather andbeautifully beaded made by a talented artist friend.

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98. Merry Christmas Mary!
    The needlework tool that I can’t live without is the world’s tiniest crochet hook gadget from Clover. It is invaluable in gently pulling errant threads down to the back of my needlework. The hook is small enough to poke up through the tightest of fabrics and still grab a thread. I always keep this tool in my thread box!!

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99. The handsome vintage cantilevered seeing box once owned by my mother-in-law is always nearby.

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100. I own a few embroidery plain scissors. I would love to own one decorative scissor which is now beyond my budget.

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101. My OttLite, hands down. Without it, nothing would get done…old eyes are a challenge for sure.
     Oh, and my second favourite would be recycled cookie and chocolate boxes, the ones with magnetic closures you get at Christmas. They make fab storage containers and look great when recovered in pretty paper.

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102. What lovely scissors! My favorite and most important tool is my lamp soi can see what I’m working on without eye strain and fatigue. Thanks for the chance Mary!

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103. This is going to sound hokey but my favorite embroidery tool (aside from aside needle, hoop or frame, and scissors) is my ort container. It keeps small bits of clutter under control and short strings away from my cats. My container folds up and is portable. It’s useful and decorative. What’s not to like?

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104. My favorite accessories are my project bags! I altered a pattern for a fabric portfolio and I just can’t have enough of them!! They are the perfect size to hold instructions, threads, fabric, needlebook, scissors, hoops, etc. AND, I get to use fun fabrics from my quilting stash! They make great gifts for my embroidery buddies too. It is super handy to kit up projects and be ready to go. I don’t know how i managed before!
     Thanks for the giveaways Mary!!

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105. My favorite needlework accessory is the tote bag I use for small projects. It’s a handmade tapestry bag that I got in Canada years ago in a shop that sold all sorts of things made by local artisans. It is so well made and has held up so well, even though I’ve dragged it all over the place. Plus it has lots of nice pockets on the inside.

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106. My favorite accessory is my beautiful hand made cherry laying tool. I couldn’t stitch without it!

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107. My favorite “tool” is the wooden tray from Notforgotten Farm that clamps over the arm of my couch. It holds my ort tin, pincushion, scissors, lip balm(!), and pencils, among other little things. It’s so close that I don’t have to reach at all to access my essentials. It’s so convenient; and it’s red, too!

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108. My self-made hoop clamp. It’s really just a glue clamp that fits into a hole i sawed in my table with a little shim for fixing it in place, but it is miles better at firmly holding my hoop than any store-bought clamp I’ve ever used. The next step is to make it so i can rotate the hoop and reach the back without taking it out of the clamp.

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109. My favorite tool is probably my light. Without it, the time I’d be able to stitch would be greatly diminished. Good lighting is a big deal!

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110. My favourite embroidery tool has to be my Japanese tekobari I started to use it when learning Japanese embroidery and now I’m lost without it, it has a very sharp point, but is also strong, so brilliant for teasing out wrongly placed stitched and it is the best laying tool ever invented, so that your satin stitched always lie nice and straight and smooth. Just the thing for working with lovely Sajou silks!

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111. My favorite can’t do without accessory/tool is my sister, Alice. As a fabulous textile artist in love with stitching she got me hooked. When I need inspiration, help, or encouragement she is my go to resources. I wouldn’t be stitching without her!

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112. I love my needle threaders and magnetic holder for my scissors!

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113. Is it possible to have 2 favorite stitching tools? If so, mine are an laying tool & my indispensable needle threader.

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114. I must admit I do not particularly like stitching on linen … it is the slubs that I do not like. Having said that, my favorite tool is my Burling Iron. No it is not for ironing, it is a fancy tweezers, very pointy and very sharp. It makes removing the slubs very easy. Mine came from Germany. Don’t do linen without it.

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115. My favorite stitching accessory is my light. I have an old Dazor light alongside my stitching chair. I always use the light and when needed the magnification comes in handy. It’s a very bulky but I always find myself going back to that one.

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116. My favorites needlework accessory is my grandmother’s thimble. She taught me to sew.

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117. Not sure if this counts but…I LOVE my Book of Embroidery (RSN). I got it earlier this year and it has made me leave my comfort zone when it comes to embroidery. I had never done any type of counted embroidery but now I’m hooked!

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118. My favorite accessory is my needle minder! It keeps everyone in the family from having to look for lost needles or take a chance on getting stabbed!

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119. I have two favorite needlework tools (other than the usual scissors, hoops, etc.), one of which might seem a bit “untraditional”. The first is my BrightTech Lightview XL magnifying lamp. It’s such a nice bright light and helps me see my needlework so much clearer. The second is a little laptop stand that I use so that I can put my laptop at a good height while sitting on the couch to watch videos while stitching. It’s lightweight, and the legs are very adjustable so that I can have it at any angle.

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120. My lamp with magnifying glass built in!!! I have 3!

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121. Not sure if it’s an accessory but one of my favorite tools is my needlework library. It provides inspiration. The other is the needle & thread blog, sharing valuable instruction and friendship. And of course my companion cat keeping everything well organized and in its place. …

     121

122. My favorite tool is my needle threader. It’s the flat kind a hook at either end. It’s perfect for inserting those pesky slippery thread ends into a needle, especially when there’s not much thread left.

     I have a few of the flat threaders for tiny eyed needles, they work fine for size 10 beading needles. Smaller than that, you need great light and perseverance.

     That’s why flat threaders are always in my sewing and stitching kits.

     122

123. My favorite needlework accessory or tool – Wow – that’s a hard one. This will sound funny – but it has to be my Otto light with the flexible lap. As I am starting to get cataracts I find that the extra light helps so much more. It is portable so that I can take it anywhere. And I can plug it into my battery pack it there is no electricity close by.
     Thanks for the chance to win.
     Ronda

     123

124. Wow! amazing give away! My favorite tool other than the usual suspects is the Mighty Bright Hammerhead Light. it is really too bright for a reading lamp in the bed (keeps my husband awake) but perfect for embroidery. It has eliminated the need for magnification in most situations. Priced under $20 on Amazon Prime, a bargain.

     124

125. My favorite tool after frames, scissors, and needles is my laying tool. I have several, I keep one in each of my active projects. Even if I am doing cross-stitch with just two threads, I use the tool to comb the threads and set to lay flat. Besides that, laying tools can be a beautiful as scissors.

     125

126. I love my needle threaders! They save me endless frustration, and make my stitching simpler and more fun.

     126

127. My favorite tool is a larger emery strawberry pincushion made by Fons & Porter years ago. It was never intended to be a primary pincushion, and I can’t really put long quilting needles into it. I’m readonably sure there are short needles lost inside it. But it pops so easily into a project bag or pocket, pins and needles don’t fall out and cause hazards, and it’s just a cute little tool I rely on every day.

     127

128. Trying to pick a favorite embroidery tool is like picking your favorite color. I love having my magnets that hold needles and patterns right where I need them. They don’t put holes in the fabric but hold securely. I make them from rare earth magnets and fun or foreign coins so they remind me of my travels or places on my wish list.
     I was lucky enough to visit Sajou in Paris. It was like being in a candy store, too many goodies to choose from.

     128

129. My favourite accessory is a light that I bought last year. It stands high enough to work for me doing handwork while seated and also swivels to light my sewing machine. It has an adjustable arm and a lovely bright light. I love it!

     129

130. My favourite tool is my needle minder. I was always looking for my needle after dropping it and this was an absolute great tool
     Marion

     130

131. My favorite needlework accessory is all the lovely friends I have made while enjoying my hobby. I love when we all get together and spend the day stitching and chatting

     131

132. I think it would have to be my thimble, a friend gave me one made of silicone & a metal tip. They come in various colours from a manufacturer in Spain. I can’t get along with metal ones due to a deformity on one of my fingers, but this one fits & has a metal cap so that I can use it without problems.

     132

133. I am not sure it would count as a needlework tools but my favourites are squared paper, good mechanical pencils and coloured pencils. I like to draw out new designs or modify patterns. the rest of my tools are pretty basic as I generally stick to counted work (cross stitch, blackwork and whitework) and I don’t really use any embellishments.

     133

134. My favourite needlework tool is a little heart shaped needle case that my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day. He doesn’t know anything about embroidery but understands I’m obsessed with stitching and it was such a thoughtful gift, I treasure it.

     134

135. Like most stitchers, I have my “go to” tools for each type of needlework I am doing, so can’t decide which of those would be a favorite. Upon reflection my favorite “tool” is my recliner! For most types of needlework I do, this signifies the joy and relaxation I get from my favorite pastime.

     135

136. What a beautiful pair of scissors! and the threads! I have never used silk threads so I would love to give it a go. Thanks for the opportunity.

     136

137. My boo-boo stick. Helps me get rid of the frogged threads neatly..and there at times is much frogging
     Thanks

     137

138. My favorite tool is my needle threader. I don’t have inocular vision and I use Millners needles which have a small eye. Without my needle threaders, I wouldn’t be able to stitch.

     138

139. My very favorite sewing tool is my thimble! A very special thimble that belonged to my grandmother! Such an incredibly, warm feeling, knowing she sewed with it as well!

     139

140. I use the Sublime Stitching .5mm fine tip iron-on transfer pens (mainly blue but they’re all good) and love them for tracing designs either right onto fabric or onto transfer paper. They don’t bleed and stitching covers the markings well.

     140

141. Favorite tool besides needles, hoops and scissors: tweezers. Tweezers help pullout tiny thread bits, scraps of tear away interfacing or tissue paper that were used as patterns, Also, when my fingers are tired tweezers can help me pick up the pins or the needle on the table or on the floor. I have several pairs of tweezers: pointy tips and blunt tips for different jobs.

     141

142. My favourite tool is currently a pair of stainless steel tweezers. They have fine points so its easy to pick off bits of fluff without pulling at threads and they are invaluable when there’s unpicking to be done. This week there’s been a lot of unpicking on a canvas stitches project – those tweezers make it almost bearable…

     142

143. The “Star De-Tailor” by CompuStitch is my all-time favorite stitching accessory. Most of the time it helps me weave in thread tails at the end of a line of stitching. But now and then it saves my sanity. When I am almost running out of thread, only need one (maybe two) more stitches to finish, but don’t have enough thread left to wrestle with a needle, the De-Tailor comes to the rescue. Its thin wire loop will carry the thread through the fabric holes as I make that last stitch. I have one in every sewing box, tote, or organizer!

     143

144. I love working with silk, and those colors look especially yummy.

     144

145. I absolutely love my Needleworks floor stand. It makes stitching Soucy more comfortable!

     145

146. My favorite needlework tool are the seven friends I stitch together with every week. We all share and encourage and help each other.

     146

147. Hi Mary,
     Beyond a doubt, my favorite tool would be the lowly toothpick. When doing needleturn applique on a very small scale, turning under 1/16″, nothing grabs that tiny hem and flips it under as well as a wet toothpick.
     June

     147

     1. Wow! Love that idea, will definitely add a few toothpicks to my applique work bag;)

148. Thank you again for the opportunity, I have to say (after my scissors) my favourite tool/gadget is my adjustable lamp that has magnification and 6 light settings. It makes seeing my work so much easier. But I’m also a scissor junkie!

     148

149. My favorite accessory has to be my pin cushion. It is a handcrafted wool pincushion shaped like a pear in a lovely soft green. It has a covered curling wire stem which is perfect for carrying it around. It must be stuffed with walnut shells as it is heavy and stays put! I use the segments to separate my needles and pins. It is a pleasure to use and I would be lost without it.

     149

150. I would have to say my favorite tool would be my fabulous Ott light that is clamped to the bookcase next to my stitching chair. It hangs right above me for fabulous light and I can stitch to my hearts content without my eyes getting tired.

     150

151. My favorite are the silly little clear plastic boxes I use to organize my threads on bobbins! They are good for beads, too. I also use smaller versions to organize each project. Don’t know how I’d stay so organized without them.

     151

152. I made a little fat quarter stuffed pillow that sits on my lap as I do my needle work, it not only is an aid to my hands but also brings the work closer to my slowly fading eyes and holds my needle while I move the work.

     152

153. OK, they are no longer my best embroidery scissors. In all these years there’s no telling how many times they have been dropped. They have gotten a little dull, the points somewhat blunted, the gold sort of worn off. I have newer stork scissors that are brighter and sharper. But there is something about that first pair. . . .picking them up I feel again the pleasure of those early embroidery days–was it fifty or sixty or even seventy years ago?–with the joy of their newness against the bright threads that continue to give me happiness even after all these years. Yes, my favorite is those old stork scissors. I keep pulling them out with all their attached memories.

     153

154. Recently I started using a large clear vinyl envelope pouch for my sashiko projects. It came from a sewing machine store to use for quilting projects. I like it because it is flat and does not take up much room but it keeps everything in one place. Thank you Mary for offering this giveaway!

     154

155. Those threads are wonderful. I can already see them being used for thread painting of birds or butterflies. My favorite stitching tool is my stitching frame. It becomes my third hand and I find that when I am stitching away from home and don’t have it I feel frustrated because I don’t have that third hand to hold my stitching.

     155

156. My favorite is magnifying glasses! Without them I couldn’t see to do needlepoint.

     156

157. I love my clip on light/magnifier. I can take it with me and work on small projects even when the light isn’t very good. I also like the thread catcher(I’m not sure what they call it) You use it to run threads behind your stitches when you tried to finish off one more stitch and your thread isn’t long enough.

     157

158. My favorite tool of all is my needle threader.

     I just use the cheap ones but have put crazy glue on the back so the filaments don’t pull out. I have a hard time seeing the eye of the needle never mind thread it.

     158

159. When I work on smaller projects, one of my favorite accessories is my pin cushion ruler box, about 4×7 inches. It has 2 sections. The smaller one is the pin cushion, the larger one holds the scissors, threads, beads or such and sits on the arm of my sofa while I sew and watch TV in the evenings. It keeps everything together and close at hand and prevents items from slipping away.

     159

160. My favorite accessory is a needle minder. I joined a wonderful needlework group a few years ago where I was introduced them. No more lost needles and they are so pretty and easy to make. A great idea is to embroider a favorite design and put it over a metal covered button form. Needle minders are very useful and make great collectibles and gifts.

     160

161. My favorite tool is my magnetic needle minder. I hate to tell you how many times I lost, and then found (ouch!) my embroidery needles. The needle minder has saved me much frustration and many painful jabs.

     161

162. My favorite non-hoop/needle/scissors accessory is a little LED task light I picked up in the hardware store when I was there buying garden stakes. It was only $5 (which appeals to my frugal self), small enough to sit on any surface, and it works beautifully!

     162

163. Light. It’s all about the light. I prefer natural light when we have bright days, but have Ott lights for darker days. I have three, but my favorite is the floor lamp that isn’t very pretty. I’ve used it for so long, the covering on the goose neck is cracked. I have a prettier floor lamp in the living room, but it isn’t as good. Then I have the travel lamp that rarely gets used. I also have to note that where you place the lamp is important. For me, over my right shoulder works best. At our senior center we have Ott overhead bulbs. Sitting directly under one makes a huge difference to being just off from them.

     And I am a confessed scissor junkie! Love, love, love nice scissors.

     163

164. Oh I would sure love those wonderful scissors! The thread looks marvellous. My favourite tool is my new Loran needle threader. I learned about this through your newsletter Mary and didn’t know before that about any threader other than the little wire ones. Thank you for teaching me about these better ones. I’m getting old enough that threading my needles is getting to be a chore but now is so much easier with my threader.

     164

165. It is definitely my pink rolling cart…Where I keep all my embroidery tools and accessories! He follow me everywhere in the house and outside…
     Have a nice day!
     France P.

     165

166. Without a doubt, my jeweler’s headpiece magnifiers. Indispensable for stitching and jewelry making.

     166

167. My favourite tool is my stiletto, which I made myself from a dowel.

     167

168. I could do none of my needlework to my satisfaction without my Dazor magnifying lamp. I learned long ago, when I could still see well without glasses, that the quality of my work was far better using my Dazor. I have been hooked ever since, even when I really don’t seem to need the magnification.

     168

169. My favourite stitching tool is the Puffin Company micro needle threader. I use tiny needles and one strand of floss to cross stitch over one thread. This threader slides through the tiny eye of the needle.

     169

170. I cannot function in my sewing room without a thimble on my right middle finger. Forty years ago, I had a silver thimble that fit perfectly. Unfortunately I had to retire it as I had punctured it so many times it was not providing any protection for my poor finger. After collecting many types of thimbles in an attempt to find one that stayed on, I settled for a white metal piece that I packed with sticky tape to fit.
     And then I purchased an antique Charles Horner Dorcas silver plated thimble in a size eight. It felt good but a little too big so I continued buying them until I got a seven. It is wonderful and I can’t puncture it as it has been made from a sheet of steel plated with silver on both surfaces.
     I have become a collector of these lovely little things and have found quite a few of the different patterns and sizes, some of which I have given as gifts after making little thimble cases, but only the ones too big for MY finger!

     170

171. I couldn’t do needlework without my chair and light.

     171

172. Of course, it would be my laying tools. I have many laying tools but my two favorites are my tekobaris and my Aficots.
     My tekobaris have been permanently been secured in their wooden cases so I have a larger handle to grip. And my very favorite one, the lid of the case attaches to the handle to give me an extra long handle to grip (and I don’t lose the top either.)
     I use my Aficots to one lay and burnish silk or any multi plied thread. When you burninsh the threads they smooth out together and truly look like a piece of fabric.

     You can look up Aficits here on Mary’s blog; one is located here:
     https://needlenthread.wpengine.com/2015/03/whats-an-aficot-embroidery-tool.html

     And you can read about my laying tools here:
     https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/i-lay-i-layed-i-will-laythreads/
     https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/02/04/1st-valentines-day-present/

     Mary, Thank you for all you do for out stitching community. You are an inspiration to us all; an especially me, I wish I knew how you find time to do all you do and keep your blog current too.

     Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year

     172

173. My favorite tool? hmmm. It would be my Tailors chatelaine, I made it to hold my needful things. It holds my scissors, glasses, 6 inch ruler, pencil, eyelet awl, has a built in pin cushion and needle book and a pocket for my measuring tapes. I am a member of an embroidery guild, so it is also my name tag without needing to tie it around my neck.

     173

174. My favorite accessory is my “Pin Pot”. It’s made out of wool, embroidered on the outside and is stuffed. Looks like one of those red pincushions but bigger and with a large hole in the middle. Holds needles, pins, scissors, wax, thimbles, and other small things that one uses for embroidery.

     174

175. My favorite (and, at this point, necessary) needlework accessory has to be my Dublin magnifying lamp. I wouldn’t be able to work without it!

     175

176. My favorite “tool” are the 13 x 13 x 2 scrapbook boxes. They are the perfect size to keep individual projects in. There is room for the fabric, threads, hoop and most of my roller bars and instructions. I put labels on the outside as I usually have multiple projects going at once. They stack neatly and also fit inside the tote bags I have received going to EGA seminars. The joy is in the stitching.

     176

177. My favorite tool for needlework is my “Lap App”. It sits on my lap or table and allows me to keep my head and arms at a comfortable position.

     177

178. Other than my needles, frames or scissors, my favorite needlework tool is My Favorite Dololly made by Mardina Enterprises. It’s a 2 part tool that has a long wire loop to slide under stitches and a hook to pull short or errant threads underneath to anchor them down. Other manufacturers have something similar but the Dololly is my favorite. I find it useful for every project I do.

     178

179. I’m using my computer tablet a lot lately to work from pdf patterns. I like being able to expand the size to focus on a small section.

     179

180. Thanks again for the contest! My favorite stitching accessory is my current audiobook. This allows me to combine 2 of my favorite things and the time just flies!

     180

181. My favorite tool is my needle threader, my eyes are not what they used to be, so threading the needle would really slow me down, until I found a good threader and I use it all the time.

     181

182. My favorite accessory would have to be my magnifying headband. Being “of a certain age”, my eyes, never that great to begin with (I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 7) need additional help to stitch on the smaller-count fabrics. My headband is great because it moves with my head, I can flip it to any angle to see what I am holding, and I can flip it up out of the way when not needed.

     182

183. My favourite tool is my clover needle threader. It’s great for my tapistry needles. Which is all I use. It’s perfect and I have purchased many for my friends and family.

     183

184. I guess I would have to say my reader glasses. Unfortunately, they are a necessary anymore to see the threads on the linen. Old age creeping in

     184

185. What gorgeous threads those are & I am definitely a “scissors junkie”!

     185

186. Love the idea of silk threads and beautiful clippers

     186

187. My favorite needlework helpers are the small decorative magnets that can go on your fabric or needlepoint canvas to hold your needle.

     187

188. Not counting my stitching glasses and lamp (which must be the “de facto” favourites because I couldn’t stitch with out them), my favourite item has to be my most recent addition. A hand turned wooden stiletto that I bought during a recent trip to Quebec City. Made locally by a wood turner, and so pretty!

     188

189. Why, my seam ripper, of course! It is a simple and functional tool that has gotten me out of more than just a few little messes.

     189

190. My favorite needlework accessory is probably my task light – one which Mary reviewed in the last year or so. It’s a BlueMax floorlight and greatly reduces my need for magnification – and also helps reduce the effects of the gloomy days we have been having this year. It does get hot to sit by, but at this time of year that is fine by me!

     190

191. Hi Mary! Thanks again for all you do:)

     Assuming my currently good eyesight or currently dextrous fingers don’t count (as I am well aware of many people who’ve unfortunately had to set needlework aside), my favorite item is my little 6″ clear ruler. It helps mark seams and spacing and fits in my little travel bag!

     191

192. What gorgeous threads those are & I am definitely a “scissors junkie”! My favorite stitching tool is my laying tool; especially handy when working with multiple strands of thread or bulky threads such as chenille.

     192

193. I love the cigar boxes that I use to store projects. Sadly, I always have more projects than boxes.

     193

194. What a lovely give-away! My favourite needlework tool is the kind of hair clips that ladies use to put their hair up in a chignon or bun. I bought them at the Dollar Store, so they are inexpensive but they are very useful for clipping any excess fabric around/onto the edges of my embroidery frame/hoop to get it out of my way while stitching, without damaging the linen at all.

     194

195. My antique thimble which fits perfectly. Saves my fingertip from needle marks and my fabric from blood stains.

     195

196. My favorite “needlework accessory,” although not strictly speaking an accessory, would have to be my magnifiers, without which I would not be able to stitch the kind of detailed work that I love to do. I use the kind that flip up when not needed and are always at hand when I do.

     196

197. My favorite item besides all the regular stuff is a definite accessory! It is my hand-painted name tag from Rachael Kinnison that those of us in her Bath Arbor class were gifted! I accessorize with it at Guild meetings and in classes!!! 😉

     197

198. My favorite has to be my Daylight. It sits next to my favorite chair – my recliner. It has a wonderful stand crafted by my husband out of pipe and two 25 pound weights. It gives me beautiful light and the magnifier is superb.

     198

199. My favorite needlework tool is my rubber thimble.

     199

200. My favorite, or at least most used and the one which would make me groan and grit my teeth if I couldn’t find it, is the little, thin, round of rubber which allows one to pull a needle through almost anything.

     200

201. Good morning Mary
     My favourite stitching tool is a magnet wand. I drop needles (and pins) all over the place, often!
     I will not leave home without it!
     Sharon

     201

202. My favorite stitching tool next to hoop, scissors and needles would have to be my tweezers. They are not typical tweezers, but work the opposite of tweezers. When you squeeze them they open, otherwise they remain closed. They came in a collection of beading tweezers, and I use them often in my cross stitch.

     202

203. My favortet accessory is thread, threads of colors, textures, densities, which all go to creating a unique end project.

     203

204. Favorite tool has to be my magnifying light, because I wouldn’t be able to do my needlework w/o it! Maybe someday I will splurge for some of those expensive glasses you reviewed once:-) I would love to be able to work w/o having to look through the glass on the light. 🙂

     204

205. My next favourite embroidery tool (after my obsession with scissors) would be my laying tools. I have several and they are all different: an ornate one that fits on my thumb or finger; a beautiful wood-turned one; a small wooden one; and metal one with a gorgeous wooden handle that was gifted to me.

     205

206. My Kreinik cord maker is indispensable. I like doing smalls and ornaments and this makes is so easy. I have a lovely cord in no time.

     Linda

     206

207. What a lovely lovely giveaway, that silk is just so vibrant! My favorite accessory is my blue marking pen! Without it I’d never get anywhere!

     207

208. I keep my portable projects organized in beautiful handmade zip-up pouches that my sister makes. I feel close to her when I use them, and it means I can just pick one up and sew anywhere — frequently on my train commute!

     208

209. My favorite accessory is my needle threader. I have several so I don\t worry about losing one. I recently had eye surgery, so threading a needle is very difficult. I would be lost without my threaders!

     209

210. Now that I am older, 62 years of age as of yesterday, it has become more and more difficult to stitch with the precise intricate detail that I could with younger eyes . While having a small skin cancer removed from my hand, I noticed the surgeon wearing a HEADBAND MAGNIFYING VISOR that fit over his glasses. He could flip the magnifier up or down as needed while still wearing it. I took a picture with my phone and ordered one for myself. It has become my most favorite needlework tool!

     210

211. My favorite stitching accessory is my needle threader. I often work without one but love to have it handy when I use floche. Thank you, Mary, for the fun in the give aways and comments. It has been a gift to find your blog and video tutorials.

     211

212. My old-banded thimble…I cannot do any stitching by hand without it. My ex-husband gave it to me nearly fifty years ago, and it represents one of the few fond memories of that period in my life. It is the exact fit. As I recall, it cost $35 which is more than $200 in today’s money. What a great investment!

     212

213. Had to think about this a bit and decided on: needlebooks. And yes, I mean plural. I find I need more than one, and have a needlebook in each of the several stitching project bags I have. They are also great for corralling specialty needles (like Japanese goldwork needles) and my growing collection of handmade needles and pins (for historic demos). I also like the needlebooks that are usually a part of a big project from a designer and I get these finished! They are good for practicing new techniques, etc. .

     213

214. my thimble is my favourite. it is an antique silver and fits like it was made for me. thx.

     214

215. My favorite needlework accessory would have to be my magnifiers, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to stitch a thing!

     215

216. I have a wonderful magnetic butterfly needle minder (from Stitching Buddy)! This way I never loose my needle when working on a project! Win, win!

     216

217. Oh, my goodness, my heart is a tailspin! I love, love, love scissors, especially fancy ones and adding these beauties would be an answer to a dream. I do lots of Hardanger and cutwork embroidery and wouldn’t these scissors be wonderful to use

     217

218. Hi, Mary. My favorite needlework accessory is my frame holder stand. I love that it allows me to embroider using both hands, I can turn my frame in any direction needed. I used it recently to embroider designs onto a baby quilt.

     218

219. I would have to say a strong light or big window would be the best ‘tool’ for embroidery. A good light makes all the difference.

     219

220. I love my aficot. I use a great deal of stranded silk threads and lay them when I stitch. They always looked good but after getting my aficot they are simply the smoothest! It is such an easy tool to use, just stroke the stitched threads. Besides it is a beautiful tool to the hand and eye.

     220

221. It turns out my favorite tool is a vintage silver plate laying tool I got off Ebay. It was advertised as a very short knitting needle and I feel so lucky because no one else bid on it. It has been well loved over the years and is just slightly bent from use.

     Although I got it with the idea of putting in the Carolyn Pearce Work Box that I am working on now, I think I may have to find something else because I have been using it on every project I’ve done over the last year.

     221

222. My favorite is a hand-made shaker-style box where I keep my extra special sewing/embroidery tools.

     222

223. I think my favorite tool is my Stella light. I read your review of the product and as I had no light for my stitching chair, I tried it. I love it. I lost all of my stash in a wildfire in California last year so would love to win the threads and scissors.

     223

224. Surprisingly, I really like my magnetic needle minders! Such a small thing but helps prevent lost needles or extra holes in my fabric. I made mine from an adorable kit from September House. They feature mini sample of individual stitches and all the supplies to make three.

     224

225. Aside from my laying tool (when I remember where I put it) my favorite accessory is music, a cup of tea, and a warm cat on my lap.

     225

226. It would have to be my magnifiers! Both the ones I wear on my face and the huge one that I put over my work. I do a lot of tiny couching stitches in Or Nue and Italian Shading designs so I need to see very well!

     226

227. It’s not really a traditional tool, but I carry my embroidery projects in a canvas purse. It fits my thread box and has a small pocket for things like my glasses. It’s simple and perfect and makes me happy.

     227

228. One of my favorite tools is my pair of Gingher knife edge thread snips. I am both left handed and double jointed and these just seem to slip right into my palm and finger perfectly. I’ve used them for over 45 years in all my hand and general sewing. On my second pair only because in moving years ago I lost the first pair. I do use a generic pair of smaller scissors for machine embroidery so would be excited to win this combo. I also do art quilts, bags, and pillows for which I often use silk fabrics so the threads would also be perfect. Have enjoyed and learned from your words of embroidery wisdom.

     228

229. My favorite needlework tool is my mellor (which spellcheck desperately wants to change to “melon”). It really helps my threads to lie smoothly. I also use them to move threads aside when I need to see for exact needle placement.

     229

230. My favorite needlework accessories are the many different scissor fobs I use on my embroidery scissors! They are gifts from friends over the years and every time I use a scissor and see the fob, I think about the person who gave it to me. Some are beaded, some are tassels, some celebrate my victory over breast cancer. Such a little thing but it makes me feel good.

     230

231. My DMC thread color card. It’s old but it has the real thread in it.

     231

232. My favorite needlework tool is actually a place. There is a corner of my great room set up just for my needleworking times. I have a magnifying floor lamp, a floor frame for larger works, an antique sewing stand to hold tools and threads on one side of my special chair (made to measure for me by my upholsterer father) and a small vintage bookcase on the other to hold books and hoops (and a snack, if necessary).

     232

233. My favourite stitching tool(s) are my Bohin embroidery needles. They make stitching so much easier than the cheaper needles I used to have.

     233

234. My very favourite item has to be my Great grandmother’s brass thimble . When I’m using it I seem to take extra care and not rush to finish, just like she was sitting beside me reminding me that “haste makes waste”.

     234

235. My favorite accessory is my iPad. I can play music, watch (or listen) to movies, books, podcasts, or any other of the many audio options on the internet. I can take pictures to check color value or get feedback on works in progress.

     235

236. I’m a novice embroidery stitcher and don’t have a lot of tools or accessories. I do know that my favorite tool and one I will never be able to do without is a good lamp to light my stitching. The one I use is an adjustable office lamp that I can position it so it doesn’t shine in my eyes, but it does brighten up my work area perfectly. I cant imagine ever working without it.

     236

237. My favourite accessory is the sewing roll which my sister-in-law made for me. It holds all my sewing accoutrements so that when a workshop requirements list says “usual sewing kit” I know that if I have it with me I will have everything I need.

     237

238. My favorite needlework accessory/tool is a wooden piece that my husband made for me a few years ago. It is about six inches long and about two or three inches high and sits right next to my stitching chair. It is slightly angled and has strong magnets on the top lined up on one side and holes to fit various needlework tools on the other side. He glued felt on the bottom. It is made out of a beautiful piece of black walnut. This piece, I call it my tool and needle holder, is always full of needles and pens and my favorite scissors.

     238

239. I am not sure if this qualifies as a tool or accessory, but I love having a piece of beeswax in my sewing kit. While I cannot use it with most of my fine embroidery, I use it with everything else- quilting, mending, “plain” sewing, etc. Besides scissors, needles and thread, it is the one thing that I must have!

     239

240. My favorite tool is a carved bone stilleto I got from lacis a few years ago. It fits really well in my hand and has a nice sharp point for opening temporary holes in fabrics or making eyelets. I ended up getting an extra one to use as a pick-up stick for my weaving, I liked it so much!

     240

241. My very favorite tool is the oval wooden hoop of my grandmother who taught me how to stitch. She always used it when she embroidered table clothes for wedding gifts. I only use it when I make something important such as a family tree to be given as a gift. Since I am in my 70’s, we can see it has some history.

     241

242. I would say I can’t get along without my magnifier stand and glasses these days!

     242

243. I’m in love with my needle minders now. Much less searching for missing needles in my chair!

     243

244. I love threads, colors can bring a piece to life!

     244

245. When I sit on the loveseat in my family room, sometimes with the tv on, there’s no handy place/ surface to hold my counted cross stitch pattern, so I use a music stand.

     245

246. My favorite “tool” besides my scissors is my BlueMax 42 watt standing lamp from Full Spectrum. It gives off so much light that it makes my stitching easier. I never realized how little I was seeing until I bought this lamp. (Thanks to Mary for reviewing this lamp and letting her readers know about it!)

     246

247. I have so many things that make my heart happy while I stitch but right now I’m loving the Puffin micro threader. Finally! A tool that makes it easy for me to thread a beading needle. Thanks for reviewing it a while ago!

     247

248. My absolute favorite embroidery tool is actually more than one. They are by wonderful wooden embroidery hoops with a great tightening screw. I have several sizes but they are all my favorite. I love the feel of the wood and how great they hold my fabric tight. Without these hoops all the other wonderful tools would not be as useful.

     248

249. My favorite tool is the Star DeTailer. Possibly because it’s still relatively new to me.
     Most likely because I didn’t know about it for so long. I am sure there are other things that do the same job, but I didn’t know about them either. It has saved me countless hours of unpicking, just to get a long enough tail to fasten off after one of my many and varied mistakes. I love it!

     249

250. I do have a scissor obsession and I had not seen those scissors before. Quite lovely and would be a wonderful addition to the family. I have scissors for every job nd every room but I loved little scissors to take for on-the go projects.

     250

251. This may sound crazy, but my favorite tool is my seam ripper! My husband is a wood turner and made me a beautiful wood handled seam ripper. At least when I’m frogging, I have a nice tool to use!

     251

252. I love my Roxanne thimble and as I age I’m loving my magnifying eyewear. You have a wonderful newsletter and I learn something from every issue.

     252

253. Hi Mary! My favorite needlework tool is my little magnetic needle box which keeps me from throwing needles on the floor for friends and family to find. My husband likes it too!

     Love your blog!

     Debbie Caruso

     253

254. My favorite needlework accessory is my Ott lite (floor lamp). It provides adequate light, day and night, for any stitching project I am working on. I would be lost without it. Even on the darkest days of winter, it makes me feel like I’m stitching under the sunshine.

     254

255. A needed tool is my needle threader .

     255

256. Thank you for your lovely giveaways and for your beautiful site which is read every time you post. I think I have learned more from you than most classes! So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
     I don’t know if I can pick just one tool I love. I have a lovely brass awl and tweezer set that are very delicate and used all the time, both in needlework items and sewing machine items. But probably my most favorite item that I also could not do without are my pincushions which are all hand made by others and myself. I like pins almost as much as scissors! The pin cushions allow me to separate various pins that I love to their own cushion since there are so many styles and sizes now and it makes it easier to find them for various projects.

     256

257. Beautiful!!!

     257

258. My needle holder is my favorite tool. Mainly because I kept losing my needle before I bought one with my daughter in Placerville, CA in a small shop on Main Street. It’s amazing how one little thing can make a difference.

     258

259. Pliers when doing goldwork. -especially when working with rococo!

     259

260. My favorite tools are my hands, of course. Well, I guess my eyes and my lite magnifying lamp are favorites as well. Thank you for your stitch tutorials. I refer to them time and again. Mainly because I can never remember where to start the more complicated stitches. Thanks for being there for us.

     260

261. My favorite sewing accessory is listening to a good book downloaded to my ipad from the Topeka Shawnee County Library.

     261

262. My favorite and most helpful needlework accessory is the Project Directions. I know some would parse the term and call it more of a tool than an accessory, but I disagree. So many projects come with lovely components but leave me wondering how exactly to handle the actual stitching. A great set of directions includes clear, complete instructions with really good pictures showing each step. There’s nothing like seeing how it’s supposed to be done to make a needlework session feel really good. It gives me the confidence to stretch myself, try something new, and say, “ Hey, look what I just did!”

     262

263. It’s a no brainer. My most valuable tool is my stitch ripper. Nobody’s perfect!!!

     263

264. I couldn’t do without my excellent lamp. Dim lighting is a true embroidery spirit killer!

     264

265. Most of my needlework is from kits so I love my folding music stand that allows me to always have the instructions at the perfect height and distance for my eyes.

     265

266. Scissors are my favourite stitching tool. I’m always looking for scissors that cut to the tip of its blades. This results from learning more about techniques and wanting the finished piece to look its best.

     266

267. My current favorite tool is the Cohana ceramic button magnet I got at the Houston Quilt Festival! It is THE perfect size for my needlework.

     267

268. My needle threader, especially now that I work with threads other than cotton embroidery floss. Some of them have very fuzzy ends!

     268

269. I do have a love of pretty scissors, but I probably have a couple of other favorites. One is a pretty fabric thread catcher one of my friends made, the other is my chicken pincushion made by another friend. These 2 items follow me around the house, or to a friends house on our weekly sewing dates.

     269

270. My favourite needlework accessory would have to be my mother’s “Tailor’s Thimble.” This thimble is open at both ends, so if my nails are a bit long it still fits properly. I also have a tendency to push with the side of my finger and find this thimble more comfortable.

     270

271. I think my favorite other accessory is a Hedgehog Handworks tote that came with the collection of floche. I bought it before they went out of business and now use the tote as a project bag. It is the perfect size for ziploc bags of threads, instructions and notebook, a light and all my other tools to fit in with the hoop. It moves around the house or goes nicely in my suitcase when I need to travel.

     271

272. the best tool for embroidery is the Sun. You can use it to trace your pattern, work in its light, and use it to admire the finished project

     272

273. My favorite tool is the bright sun and warm weather that enable me to stitch outdoors amidst the birds and the trees. And of course my little portable table and chair that keep me comfortable anywhere I take them.

     273

274. Oh, without a doubt, it is my needle threader. It saves me so much time and I can get on with my work.

     274

275. My favorite accessory is an old-school, second-hand lamp that clips to my work table. It has an incandescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb in it. I can turn on one or the other or both. It has several places on it that allow it to be adjusted to exactly where I need the light. The shade has a handle on it so I can make more adjustments for really close work. The entire arm swivels where it attaches to the table so I can swing it over to my ironing board which is set up next to my work table. It’s perfect!

     275

276. Oh, gosh How I would love to win this!!! Those colors and SILKS to use in my artwork stitching!!! I love all my accessories but the one I could not do without would have to be my floor stands. I have arthritis in my hands (a rare form that is in the area below the thumb is the worst) and to hold/grasp the hoops is painful and I can not do it for long. I am xing my fingers on this one, I want, I want, I want. LOL. (Greedy little bugger I am!)
     Thanks Mary and Tres Chic Stitchery for such a lovely gift. xxxxx (my crossed extras!)

     276

277. I’m not sure this counts as a tool exactly, but I love my little storage boxes. I have the floss bobbins and flat plastic boxes and have put all the floss on bobbins in the boxes. I have them all by color for the cotton, and the specialty threads/ribbons are all together and organized by color. It was a lot of work, as I had made a big purchase at a place going out of business that had Madeira floss for 10 cents a skein and I got two of almost every color. Then my mom found a whole bag of floss at a yard sale for $1, and I found another for $5. So I have a ton, and it’s all organized. I’m not a particularly organized person, but this makes me really happy every time I look at it or need a color. It’s right there.

     277

278. Hi Mary, I do not use lots of tools. But 2 years ago, Barbara Kershaw who taught me a nice Punto Antico piece at EAC Seminar in Toronto, showed us the use of a very simple and unexpensive tool that anyone can buy in any drugstore, which is a floss threader. We can use it when we do drawn thread and we want to weave the cut threads back into the linen next to the other fibers. I always keep a little container of those close at hand.

     278

279. Bright natural light, either outdoors on a clear day, or near a sunny window with the light flowing in if it’s chilly out, is my favorite tool. It gives me cheer, motivation, clear visibility for the chart or pattern I may be following, as well as illuminating the material (fabric and thread) I am using, providing ideal conditions for stitching away a morning or afternoon!

     279

280. My favorite “extra” is a rolling cart that hold all of my working projects. My threads, needles, pens, scissors and fabrics are organized and contained on the shelves of the cart. I dont have a studio or space dedicated to stitch so this cart becomes my mobile stitching center.
     Thank you

     280

281. My favorite tool is a ruler that measures what count my aida cloth is.

     281

282. My favorite tool excluding needle, thread, hoop, and scissors is my bottle-cap pincushions. It’s so handy, particularly when changing colors frequently, to have one of those tiny pincushions, that I made, to hold 3 or 4 pre-threaded needles. I still have a goodish stash of wool felt. Maybe I should get it out for quick stitching during the holidays! Though I would like to finish those handkerchiefs…

     282

283. Other than the obvious needlework tools I would not be able to stitch without my lighted magnifying devices. Without good lighting and magnification I would not be able to stitch or at least stitch comfortably.

     283

284. My favorite tool is a pair of Gingher Stork scissors that my mom gave me years ago. I love birds and stitching. I get to have two of my favorite things with me at the same time.

     284

285. My favorite needlework tool is the tekobari. It is so versatile. Makes flat silk shine and lay flat. Great tool for when you have to do “frogging”. It holds thread in place while making sure theads aligns perfectly. It is great for making eyelet holes just perfect. All in all a terrific tool.

     285

286. My favorite tool has to be my magnifier light. It allows me to stitch for long periods without a lot of eye strain.

     286

287. Hello & Merry Christmas to all! In response to Mary’s question about my favorite stitching accessory, I would have to say that my magnifying light is an absolute necessity. My vision has gotten worse throughout the years and I would not be able to do my hobby without it. Enjoy the holidays and happy stitching!

     287

288. The right needle for the current task. I love the Tulip needles for most hand work.

     288

289. My favorite sewing assessary is probably not chosen by many. I LOVE my ORT !!! Not being the neatest, whether with needle and hoop, or at the sewing machine..” Don’t worry about throwing threads on the floor, they’ll sweep or vacuum when I’m finished.” These were my past thoughts on this. As I grew older, the bending down to get these critters seemed to be harder and harder, and hating to do it each day, they accumulated. At an EGA Seminar a few years ago, I purchased an ORT made by a fellow stitcher. Such a difference in my head. This simple little thing changed my demeaner when stitching at home, or anywhere else I took it with me.

     289

290. My favorite needlework accessory, excluding hoops and scissors, is a bright light. Living in the north, an auxiliary bright light better illuminates the work.

     290

291. This looks like a wonderful addition to anyone’s embroidery stash. Love your column. You have been educating me about many aspects of hand work.

     291

292. My favorite needlework tool is a good water-soluble marker. Since I do a lot of crewel work, I plan to rinse the final piece anyway, so I’m less worried about using a washable marker. I like that the ink lines don’t fade for months, since I don’t get to my embroidery table as frequently as I’d like!

     292

293. There are a few things in life that I have a true soft spot for: One is handbags, one is organizational tools for the studio ( containers, notebooks, shelving), but the one that always brings out my “wanna have “em” ” is scissors! The sharper and prettier, the better….
     I have many tools that help make my fiber art enjoyable, but without a pair of really good scissors everything devolves into frustration. The only other things that drive me up the wall besides dull poorly made scissors are shoddy needles or low quality threads. If stitchin aint fun…why bother?
     When I am engaged in the arts, is NOT the time to be frustrated 🙂

     293

294. While I love my Ottlite with it’s attached magnifier, I’ll have to say, first place goes to my IKEA 3 tiered cart (not sure what the actual name is, but I’m pretty sure you have several…I do) that sits next to my chair. It holds all kinds of necessary items like TV remotes, magazines, pens, pencils, paper, back scratcher (must have) etc, and of course my current embroidery project. Right now, it’s holding a few too many things, so I’m thinking a good sorting is in order. Off to sort!!!

     294

295. My favorite accessory is my trusty pin cushion. It is a plaid needlepoint pillow I made in the late 1970’s when I was just beginning to stitch. It has held up through thick and thin and is quite portable. Just as handy as can be.

     295

296. My favorite needlework/accessory are needles. A high quality needle makes needlework a breeze and also makes challenging stitches easier to master.

     296

297. The ottlite is my favorite tool to embroider because I can embroider day or night which brings me delight. Thank you for sharing your needlework with us!

     297

298. I love embroidering blocks for quilts. My favorite thing to use is a good magnifying -light. The light is bright enough to show the working area and the magnifier helps me see the stitches.

     298

299. OK, let me put this down…there. My favorite tool by far is my teko-bari thread laying tool–also known as a stroking needle. This keeps satin stitches satin-y, and tames twisty threads–and significantly improves every stitching project. Thank you for your informative and entertaining blog!

     299

300. My Favorite sewing tool is the Bohin Super Needle Threader.

     300

301. My favorite tool is my magnifying LED lamp. I like to embroider miniature pieces and also micro-crochet, so the magnifier is indispensable. The newer lamps, using LED lights, are especially bright and cool. Could not do most of what I do, needle-art-wise, without it!

     301

302. Thimble pads. They are so convenient and keep my needle pushing finger comfortable.

     302

303. My favourite tool, other than hoop and scissors, is the correct light! Without it I cannot do good work! Merry Christmas!

     303

304. Has to be my Purelite 3-in-1 Magnifying Lamp. Easy to use as just a lamp or to pull closer to use the magnifier and light together. I do a lot of miniature stitching so this is just perfect for me!

     304

305. I love my clip-on light because it is so portable, light-weight and easy to clip on large or small frames. It is also small enough to put in the bag with my other supplies and the piece I am working on at the time.

     305

306. MY two favorite things are my laying tool for the threads and my lite with magnifier. Can’t leave home without them !!!!!Use them everyday, try to anyway!!!!

     306

307. I have an Ivory laying tool that was my grandmother’s that I love using.

     307

308. Besides my lap warmer (cat), it would have to be my visor magnifier.
     It keeps me in the right place and helps me see my way to the finish.

     308

309. A few years ago, I bought an embroidery hoop with a stand that looks like an “L” with the bottom of the “L” that slides under my leg when I am sitting in my comfy chair. That has become my absolutely most favorite “tool” and I really enjoy using it!

     309

310. Oh Mary, you made me drool on my keyboard: what a fabulous gift. I love my extendable magnetic pin picker upper (the EMPPU) haha. A good sweep of it over the floor and couch saves many a puppy paw or bare foot from disaster!!

     310

311. My favorite needlework accessory is a beautiful bag my sister made for me. It has several zippered pockets, with more storage space in between, and zips up for travel. It can hold everything except the hoop and fabric.

     311

312. My favourite “tool” is my hinged candy tin turned needlework tool box! All my project tools are tucked inside, and it travels everywhere with me!

     312

313. My favourite embroidery tools…Aside from my needles – my little circle of rubber glove I cut out off one day when I was having trouble pulling my needle through when making a table cloth with satin stitch roses and 5 gazillion bullion knots on it (my first project lol); My emery strawberry gets a good work-out as my needles get a bit dark when I’ve been using them a while. I guess they aren’t as exotic or fancy as some; but in all honesty, they are indispensible to me regardless of what style of stitching I’m doing.

     313

314. My reading glasses along with my Dubliner magnifying lamp you recommend. Thank you.

     314

315. My ‘not to be without’ tool is a leather thimble. My hands are large and beginning to show the stress of arthritis and I haven’t found any thimble that feels comfortable except the leather wraps. Can’t be without one and have several so I can always have one in easy reach.

     315

316. My favorite indispensable tool is my lighted magnifying floor lamp. With out it I’d wouldn’t be able to stitch anymore. It comes apart easily so I can take it with me to seminars etc. Thanks for the give away.

     316

317. My favorite is my light with a goose neck and a swing in and out magnifying glass.

     317

318. Hi there….so I’m new to embroidery did some cross stitch before and that’s all until few months ago when i discovered the art of embroidery and a love story began….:) I found myself when i’m setting down to practice I immediately grab my desk light it make so much different….And I hope that soon very soon i’ll add magnifier light as well.

     318

319. My favorite accessory is my Ott light with magnifier. It makes stitching at watching tv so much easier.

     319

320. Brighton light and magnifier (after your review). I bragged for years about not needing anything, should have done it years ago, much more enjoyable now and I am much happier with my stitching!
     PS Hopr I didn’t do this post twice, 1st disappeared on me

     320

321. My favorite tool is a Clover needle threader that presses the thread flat to pull it through the needle. I break many less needles with this.

     321

322. What wonderful colors!

     322

323. My thimble, I have a variety I use depending on what I am sewing.

     323

324. Favorite item is my handmade carry tote. There are multiple pockets with zippers and many open pockets of various sizes to keep things organized. Works well to carry all my items for a project. Now to just finish the project……

     324

325. I’m loving my floss organizer box. I wind up the floss on the ‘bobbins’ and organize them by number. When I start a new project, I can quickly check to see what I already have in stock before going out to buy more!

     325

326. I have a beautiful heavy silver thimble that I got from a vendor at the Houston quilt show a number of years ago. Unfortunately I can’t remember their name. The thimble fits my finger perfectly and the weight of it just feels good. I wouldn’t want to embroider without it.

     326

327. My favorite tool is my lamp. Without great light, I can do nothing.

     327

328. Hands down the best tool I’ve bought is my light with the flexible arm and magnifying glass. Even with my glasses I just wasn’t seeing well enough.

     328

329. My favorite needlework tool is actually two things, but related – my LED lamp that gives me great light and the magnifying thingee I wear around my neck. It really helps me see those stitches so well.

     329

330. Hi Mary
     Hi Everyone,

     Real Thread Color Card is my favorite accessory. I use it a lot! I can buy floss I will use only instead of buying several similar colors to compare with each other.
     It’s a very useful accessory. And also, I like to look at it, just for fun!

     Thank youy again for give-aways…

     330

331. Hello, my favorite tool for embroydery is my daylight lamp! my eyes are getting older and for me this lamp is a kind of magic lamp with a fairy light. It allows me to stitch very little stitches…
     I am living in France, I Don’t know if the giveaway is for me too, but I follow your blog with a great plaisir and it is an opportunity for me to say that to you!

     331

332. Oh, how I like be the Sajou stores. They are my favorite places to wander.

     My favorite tool is a needle threader. My eyes are greatful for them!

     332

333. My Favorite needle work tool is a tacky bob. Although I’ve been stitching since I was a little kid, I just learned about these clever boxes this past year while I’ve been beading my Mirabilia -Waiting For Ships.
     A friend leant me hers to try and I liked it so much that I was going to purchase one for myself. Sadly, a sweet stitching friend passed away this fall. Her family asked our group to share her tools, patterns, and threads between us. I have the gentle reminder of Kari ever time I use my tacky bob.

     333

334. My favorite embroidery tool is my thimble. It’s a very plain steel thimble. My grandma gave it to me in my teen years, because all her thimbles were too big for my little fingers. I don’t know where she bought that thimble, but I would like to know, because even today, fifty years after, I can’t find any other thimble that fits me so nicely!

     334

335. My favourite needlework accessory is my handy little carry all tote bag…similar to a small handy man’s bag. It has several little compartments/pockets surrounding the outer side and an interior space large enough to carry the essentials for my current work in progress. As I don’t have a dedicated studio room to organize supplies, this tote helps me to keep all my necessities handy and and mobile. I can easily transport it to wherever I choose to work. This little bag travels with me to guild meetings or wherever I might have a chance to stitch. I often find other guild members borrowing tools from me as my little tote always seems to have whatever is needed. Reminds me of Mary Poppins bag…seemingly magical, but on a smaller scale.

     335

336. Scissors are my favourite tool. I have a lovely collection. I cant resist a teally smart pair of scissors. Its an embroiderers dream

     336

337. This is fun, even if I haven’t won anything….yet:-)

     I think other than the things mentioned, I have two favorite things.. a fabulous basket/work center that sits by my chair and holds so much! (Amish made, and supposedly for rug hookers originally, but is SO handy for me, with a removable tray and two “drawers”) , and attached to the handle on the top of it, a sewing bird that helps hold long lengths of fabric but is also a really handy pincushion!!!

     337

338. My laying tool! I love to work with ribbon-y threads and the effect with vs. without the laying tool is night and day! I’m so glad I have one!

     338

339. My needle minders are my favorite stitching accessory and yes, I have several! I have at least one on each project and use them for parking a live thread on the needle but also for keeping the needle or needles I am using with the project so I don’t have to hunt for them when I have just a couple of minutes to stitch. I have no pets or young children at home so it is safe for me to do this and I am careful about where I leave my stitching, especially when there is a needle with it!

     339

340. Have always had to love these scissors from afar. They are lovely.

     340

341. My favourite tool is a pair of artery forceps called mosquitoes, or mossies. They’re great for picking up tiny beads, pushing out corners, even pulling a stubborn needle through!

     341

342. I would have to say my favourite tool would be Judy’s Boo Boo stick. After cutting threads it’s so gentle on the material,, while it removes the unwanted threads.

     342

343. My favorite needlework “tool” is probably a box I made to match a set of smalls I stitched – a pincushion, ort basket, needlebook, scissors holder & fob, etc. The box holds everything I need for a class, it’s easy to transport, and it looks good too!

     343

344. My favorite embroidery tool is my Morgan 7”/9” lap hoops. My hands tend to cramp up when I hold a hoop. This frees up my hands. Just love it.

     344

345. I really enjoy sticky solvy for transferring patterns.

     345

346. My favorite needle work accessory would have to be my scissors, my Dovo’s. I am a collector of scissors and would just be over joyed to win this giveaway.

     346

347. As I look st the meager list of basic supplies I am reminded how little it takes to do something love, needlework. My next favorite tool is s thimble. I’m loving the Clover metal tip silicone one. My finger seems to either sweat or shrink or otherwise get smaller, so the all the metal ones fall off!
     Greetings of Peace fellow stitchers ❤️

     347

348. Hi Mary! This is another great give away! My favorite tool is my BLT-Best Laying Tool. When I learned how to lay my threads it really changed the quality of my stitching. Have a Merry Christmas! Diana

     348

349. Interesting question. Fabric is not a tool, but you can not put together a design without it. The weight, size, color, all affect the look of a piece of embroidery. I did a totem pole in crewel yarn to get a textured affect, but ended up with a fabric that was too light weight for the yarn (there were not a lot of options at the time). I am more aware now.

     349

350. My favorite stitching tool is my laying tool. It is about 6” long, slender, stainless steel, fits across my hand beautifully and the length of it prevents my fingers from getting tired holding it. I believe the manufacturer was “Sandra” from Tucson, if I recall correctly. It is the best laying tool out there.

     350

351. Hmm, my favorite stitchy thing aside from my regular tools. Well, I think I have to nominate my chair. It sits low to the ground so my feet are not hanging, it has low wide arms, great for resting your elbows on. A high back so you can lean back and change your field of vision for an ‘eye’ rest and on top of all that it’s a rocker with deep cushy cushions for sitting. In fact it’s an Adirondack rocker from off the porch, not your typical living room furniture but it works great and we’re not too proud in this house to forgo comfort over looks.
     Thank you Mary and Sanjou for this opportunity to win some delightful scissors and delicious threads. I haven’t worked with silk threads yet but I sure do have some projects in the pipeline where I could use them.

     351

352. Putting aside your needle, hoop or frame, and scissors, tell us about your favorite needlework accessory or tool and why it’s your favorite!

     I love my magnifying light so that I can see clearly.

     352

353. My very favorite accessory has to my thimble, without it I am naked most likely because when I first began stitching I was
     given one and told it was a must wear item to protect my finger. I use it to help pull my needle thru fabric. I use the little rubber ones to pull out mistake threads , pick up needles ect. It is truly a must have little accessory for me.
     Have a lovely day.
     Yvonne

     353

354. I had been looking for a wood, concertina sewing box for several years and regularly checked the French equivalent of garage sales (vide grenier, which means empty attic). They were always rather expensive, or damaged, or not a style I liked. Then, amazingly, I was looking on eBay one day, just in case, and I saw one photographed in a room I recognised as my brother’s bedroom!!!!! A quick email confirmed it was mine for a big sister’s special rate. It arrived safely, with a few of the previous owner’s items still inside, and is now sitting next to my chair with all my embroidery stuff happily stored inside. Serendipity.

     354

355. My laying tool with a needle pusher on the other end. It was my Grandmother’s. It is an orange Bakelite so I can always find it.

     355

356. My favorite tool is the Blue Max Light that I bought at your suggestion. I don’t know what I’d do without it! I work in my living room in my mobile home, and after the morning sun travels a little bit further, I really need it. I had an OTT floor light before that, but the Blue Max is much better at showing the little details. I’m so grateful you suggested it!

     356

357. I love my needle holder magnet that I keep on the top left hand corner of my work. Using it means that I can ‘park’ my needles when I’m stitching and not loose them.
     I’m using a pair of magnets that I’ve covered with canvas work so they are both pretty and practical.

     357

358. I think my favourite non-essential accessory is my needle minder. Usually I work in the corner of the couch with my feet up & find I tend to set my needle down either on my lap or stuck into the couch cushion….every once in awhile (more often than it should) the needle disappears. That strong magnet has always saved the day!

     358

359. My favorite accessory is my scissors case. I didn’t even think about the possibility that a basic tool of embroidery (scissors) could be beautiful until I came across your website and blog, Mary. Once I realized that I didn’t have to use plain ole scissors, I started looking into fancy scissors; and from there it was a short step to realizing that I could have a beautiful scissors case, too! I bought a yellow cedar burl scissors case turned by Wray Parsons. I’m not sure if he’s making them any more, but you can still find a few of them out there on the web if you look. Every time I use my scissors, I get a tiny bolt of joy as I pull them out of their gorgeous case or put them back. Hand-crafted beauty helping me create my own hand-crafted beauty! Since I splurged on the fancy case, maybe now I’ll win a pair of fancy scissors to go with it!

     359

360. My favorite tool, other than anything relating the normal things, is a small round piece of rubber that assist the needle to be pulled easier through heavy fabric.

     360

361. My favorite tool has to be my stand lamp! It is one that you reviewed last year, and it was a splurge to buy it(even on sale), but so worth it! It really helps me to see my work better! I’ve never used silk thread, so I would be thrilled to win some! Thanks so much for giving us this opportunity!

     361

362. My favorite tool is a magnifier with a light that hangs around my neck.

     362

363. My favourite piece of kit is my magnetic needle-keeper which sits on my work and holds the needles which are not in use, saving me from making lots of holes in my work. I also love my mellor which makes me feel very professional when I use it!

     363

364. My favorite stitching helper is my needle minder! I just got one last year and I don’t know how I got by without one. My husband is grateful for it too, as he would usually be the one to “find” my fallen needles. It’s really a safety product! But also SO very convenient.

     It’s quite cute, too. I’ve been surprised by the number of my friends and my sister who didn’t know about needle minders…they say, “What’s that??!” Then they think it’s the greatest invention since sliced bread.

     364

365. My favorite needlework tool is my Ott light because the brightness makes it so much more relaxing to stitch as I can see the fine details and stitch more accurately and quicker with less mistakes. I also love to see the transformation of the colors under the daylight lighting of the Ott light compared to how they look under other lighting.

     365

366. Unfortunately my most necessary accessory has to be magnification. I like the flip-up magnifiers that clip on to my glasses.
     Jane

     The silk threads will be wonderful for making temari.

     366

367. Well, my favourite needlework accesory is a very simple one! A very cheap needle threader! My eye sight us not brilliant and this little accessory makes all the difference to my life. It takes out all the frustration of trying to thread my needle and enables me to pursue a beautiful hobby.

     367

368. My favorite stitching accessory is my pair of forceps. They help me pull my needle through the fabric, especially when I’m doing ribbon or crewel embroidery.

     368

369. My favorite tool after the others you listed is my mini pin cushion that has a magnet on the bottom so I can put it on my frame or canvas – better than a needle minder. I am always brushing needle of of needleminders. With my pincushion my unused needles stay firmly in place. A second one may hold prethreaded needles.
     I bought my first 2 and then learned how to make the from bottle caps. They are now everywhere.

     369

370. My favourite tool would be my homemade needle minder. I glued two strong magnets onto two large, flat, wooden buttons. One on each side of the work in hand and my needle is always there and not lost in the carpet when I put the work down.

     370

371. My favorite needlework accessory? My 3″ needle book, which is actually a miniature quilt that I made myself in senior center quilting class. I was so tickled with the result that I made 3 more, and now I’m working on a Barbie-sized bed quilt!

     371

372. I’m a minimalist when it comes to needlework tools. I love to have a variety of needles on hand so I guess my favorite “tool” is the felt needle case I made to hold needles. I made it with several “pages” of felt so that it holds a variety of needle sizes.

     372

373. My favorite stitching tool is the mellor which is used in goldwork, but I use it as a laying tool for any type of stitchery when more than one thread is used and they need to lie flat. Mostly I work in needlepoint.

     373

374. My favorite needle work accessory is my Daylight clip-on lamp. During warmer weather, I like to stitch on my screened in porch and finding good lighting to stitch under is a challenge. I clip this onto my Lapapp, which I use to support my arms and stitching and can direct the light wherever I need it. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts for four hours, so I don’t need to be tied to an electric outlet and it does charge pretty quickly. It’s bright enough to see what I’m stitching, but keeps the general lighting low for a nice quiet mood.

     374

375. My magnifiers!! Without them, I could not do the counted thread work!

     375

376. My favorite needlework accessory is my magnetic board. I set it on a foldable easel and away I go. I also love my magnetic etui. It’s great for keeping needles at hand on the board and if I drop a needle the magnet on the etui picks it up. If you don’t want to spend for a magnetic board, I suggest a 9″x13″ or larger baking pan or cookie sheet. Since most have this equipment on hand the only expenditure is possibly magnets. You may already have a collection of those too. I prefer to use a magnetic strip. This product comes in a roll with adhesive on one side. It’s meant to be cut to size and applied as needed but I like to leave it in long strips without removing the paper covering the adhesive. It really anchors the top of my design sheet. In the case of counted work I use another strip to hold my place on the chart. With a long strip at the top of the chart I can attach a threaded needle of every color in use and flip the tails to the back of the chart. This makes me feel so organized which is good.

     376

377. My favourite tool has to be the Stiletto. as a laying tool, a hole enlarger, I have been known to unpick with it… and there are so many different, materials, & designs… a collection in itself!

     377

378. My favorite tool is the laying tool,it really helps when you’re trying to get threads to lay very nicely.

     378

379. I think my favourite tool is my hand turned wood handled threader. I used to ‘loose’ my threaders on my tray in my lap all the time. With the wooden handle on this threader it shows ip quickly whereever I have put it down! I try to put it in one corner when finished with it but this doesn’t always happen!

     379

380. This might seem a little silly, but my favorite tools might just have to be my thread boxes. It’s just so wonderful seeing them all arranged and rainbow-like.

     380

381. My favorite tool is my Milward tatting shuttle and hook. I don’t think they are made anymore, so I treasure this one.

     381

382. My favorite stitching accessory is my magnifying lamp.Without it I cannot stitch.

     382

383. My favorite stitching tool is a needle holder. It has space for 25 needles which push into a small sponge squares above where I mark the stitch icons on a paper strip that slides in a “window” and keep that color of threaded needle ready to use. The papers are changeable so the holder is very versatile.

     383

384. I love my bright light/magnifier. My stitching is so much better with it!

     384

385. My favorite tool would be my Ott light with magnifying glass….these are so helpful in seeing by everything, even when I am ripping something out…

     385

386. Marking pen – if I am marking the fabric then the stitching will come very soon.

     386

387. My favorite tool is a small wood laying tool. I love to work with silks and use a lot of different stitches. I love how the laying tool smooths the silk and lets the stitch lay flat and smooth. I have other laying tools but always go back to this one. It fits my hand almost like it is an extension of my fingers!

     387

388. My favorite needlework tool is Boo Boo Stick. It has come in handy quite a few times when I had to frog and needed to remove the thread fuzz from the linen.

     388

389. Thank you for the give away!

     My favorite stitching tool is my magnifying lamp.

     389

390. I bought a great needle puller from Lacis in Berkely, CA. It is an automatic spring loaded needle puller that is a wooden cylinder about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter. One end has a ring (to attach to anything) and the other end has the hole where you insert the needle. On the other side is a little button. What I love about it is that it works! And it is easy to get into tight spaces. Push the needle into the hole, pull it through, then press the tiny button and the needle is released. Like I said, it is made out of wood, so it is a pleasure to look at. I used to use those rubbery circles for quilters–but now I am happily getting out of tight spaces with my wonderful tool!

     390

391. Magnets! I use them to keep everything organized (if I dare call it that?) while stitching. Before I used magnets, everything I was looking for (threads, notes, needles, scissors) would have managed to sneak away and bury itself under something else. I now use a small board with magnets to keep it all together and visible. Love these little things <3

     391

392. My favorite needlework tool is a magnet that keeps my needles from straying. When you leave your stitching you just park your needle and it is right there when you return.

     392

393. I don’t have many tools, but my current black-on-navy cross stitch project is making me glad I bought a bright lamp that I can put by my head. I wouldn’t be able to see the fabric well enough without it.

     393

394. My clip-on book light with a flexible light. It’s perfect to clip on my shirt (ok, pjs) to see where I’m stitching late at night. I discovered this trick during a hurricane power outage.

     394

395. My favorite, and, often necessary stitching tool is a finger thimble patch or two. These little circles are so comfortable to use.

     395

396. My favourite tools are my magnifying glasses and secondly, my laying tool which has really improved my work since I learned to use it some years ago.
     Thanks kindly for the opportunity to win this prize.
     Eileen

     396

397. My favorite is my ott light. My eyes aren’t as good as they use to be ,So even on a sunny day I need my ott light to help me see fine detail when I’m stitching.

     397

398. Ooooh this is a tough one. My favorite stitching accessory is probably my tiny little scissors that I use to cut threads on my hardanger pieces. I don’t even remember when or where I got them. The only marking on them just says Italy. These are great for cutting the hardanger threads as there is very little of the ends you can see. I just love them.

     398

399. My favourite accessory would be the bag I use to keep my silks in for my current project. I purchased it at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford at the Feller Exhibition several years ago. It is a small zipped tapestry bag and it snugly fits threads on cards or in little plastic bags. And also has room for needles and scissors. It always makes me smile.

     399

400. My favorite tool for needlework is my needle threader….please don’t laugh. Absolutely nothing would get done without it. Unfortunately my sight is not as sharp as the past and that little gadget is such a helper and a necessity with fine threads. Beautiful prize this week, love those silk threads an scissors.

     400

401. My favorite accessory is my box of patterns, especially the iron on transfers. I like sitting in my chair and just opening the box and looking at all the patterns. I guess you could say I like my iron too.

     401

402. A good strong magnet holder!

     402

403. My favorite tool is my Shay Penday’s Best Laying Tool. I use it for laying stranded threads, for making eyelets, and for picking out threads when I make mistakes. Last night I was working on a Hungarian Point pattern and picked up the wrong color. It was stitched close to the last correct color so presented a challenge for picking out. My trusty BLT had that bad line of stitching out in just a few minutes. It smoothly lays threads and slides out easily. Love it! One tip for use: Don’t leave your BLT lying on the couch.

     403

404. I love my little tool box because it makes it much easier to keep everything corralled and to transfer the tools to another project bag.

     404

405. Hi Mary! My favourite little tool is a laying tool which my kind husband carved and polished for me out of Iron wood. It is not only functional but beautiful as well. Love these opportunities at these generous giveaways! Thanks!

     405

406. I love my laying tool, because it gets all my fibers lined up so nicely! It really tidies all the threads in my project.

     406

407. I think my favorite is my super sharp tweezers. They help me clean up my mess when I mess something up and they help when I am pulling threads for hardanger and such. So they help create and repair!

     407

408. I have to say I love my needleminders! These little magnets are a million times better for me than poking the needle through the edge when I take a break. I also put them on my light (it has a metal bar) to leave a needle or threader handy there. A close second is my star detailer which is great for pulling through loose threads and catching ends.

     408

409. Setting aside hoops, scissors, needle and thread, i wouldn’t be without a combination task lamp/magnifying glass. Mine, not coincidentally, is the one Mary recommended, the Dublin craftlite. Use of this tool has considerably improved my stitching, and I especially recommend it for satin stitching.

     409

410. My favorite tool is a tiny needle case with a needlepoint cover. It bears the initials “DCM” for Dorchester County Museum, where I purchased it long ago on a wonderful trip to England. I am reminded of the trip and the museum every time I select a needle or return it to the case.

     410

411. My favorite needlework tool is my needle minder. I am constantly dropping and losing my needle and my needle minder is there to help me find it.

     Thank you for this beautiful giveaway.

     411

412. Good Morning to all and Merry Christmas. I have to say it is my needle minders (nanny)…before I bought this small, specialty item, I had needles in the arm of my chair, on the floor, on my sweaters…the list just goes on and on, finding errant needles was becoming an all consuming task. But now all my needles are on my work, nice and tidy and within reach. Couldn’t do without my needle nanny!!!

     412

413. One can never have too many scissors and I realize I am a scissors “junkie”. I like to put a pair in each project bag and the scissors each have their own embroidered scissors holder. My absolute favourite are from the EAC 40th Anniversary seminar held in Winnipeg and are used exclusively for hardanger.

     413

414. Although I haven’t purchased their beautiful scissors, I have asked my Secret Santa for a pair. I have a finished pin cushion that they would match perfectly. I have wanted a pair for years.

     414

415. My favorite needlework tool is the pair of tweezer I use to pull stubborn needles out of my fabric. I really would like a magnifying lamp someday though.

     415

416. My favorite tool is my TJ Lane thimble. I always use a thimble and this one fits perfectly, and is so light and comfortable. And when I got a little zealous with a big chenille needle and put a hole in the thimble, I returned it for a free repair, just like they promised. I keep it in a little leather cuff link box of my father’s, so it’s even more special to me.

     416

417. My favorite is my wooden laying tool. Actually I have 2 wooden laying tools (plus another), but the thing that makes this one my favorite is that it is made of layers of woods of different colors. It’s just the right length for my hand and has a nice sharp point, as is the same with my others. But the colors of the wood and their textures make it visually pleasing as well as useful.

     417

418. My favourite needlework accessory is Voltaren pain relief cream. I use it morning and night on my hands so I can keep stitching.

     418

419. My favorite needlework tool is my clip on magnifier. It can travel with me and can be attached to my hoop, frame or a table edge. It’s a lifesaver when I need to work on the little stuff.

     419

420. Please don’t laugh, Mary, but my favorite accessory is the cardboard roll from paper towels or toilet paper! I use them all the time to wrap bias strips around, and to roll up canvasses so they aren’t creased. They can keep knitting needles readily available in my sewing bag, and they just make me smile!!!

     420

421. Mary – My favourite needlework accessory has to be a Verilux standing lamp. It gives the clearest light by which I can stitch in the evening. Nights are long here in winter and that is when I appreciate the lamp most. Second to that are the tweezers to catch the furry bits from pets that cuddle with me. Merry Christmas to you.

     421

422. My favorite tool is my trolley needle. I love not having to stop and pick up a laying tool!

     422

423. My favorite needlework accessory is my chatelaine. I purchased it nearly thirty years ago and use it with every project. It holds my scissors, thimble, emery strawberry, beeswax, and small, heart-shaped crocheted pin cushion. I taught 9- and 11-year-old sisters to cross stitch this past summer. They were very envious of mine; so I’m designing and constructing a chatelaine for each of them. Emily is a sunny red-head; so I made her pin cushion with a sun face on one side and her initial on the other. Amanda is golden haired, so I did her pin cushion with the moon and her initial. I cannot imagine working in an organized manner without my chatelaine!

     423

424. A home made tapestry loom for weaving and embroidering strips of cloth to explore a more experimental approach to producing contemporary textile works

     424

425. My favorite tool is my full spectrum light. I have old eyes and they need all the help they can get as I stitch memories into beautiful items!!

     425

426. My favorite tool is my Dazor floor lamp. I’ve had it since the early 1990’s, it’s moved house with me twice, and I couldn’t do many of my projects without it.

     426

427. my favorite needlework tools are the scissor fobs that the Divine Ms. M makes for me – i would lose my scissors forever if i didn’t have fobs…

     427

428. My favorite needlework tool is a little pincushion that I made from a bottle top. I first saw the idea on this page! 🙂 I used to just put the needle in the arm of my sofa, but it was a bit dangerous really!

     428

429. My favorite tool is my ribbon threaders. They are always handy for many different things! I would love to win this wonderful gift! Thanks for the giveaway!

     429

430. Can I have 2 favorites? They would be my mag glasses that fit onto my reg. glasses, the other is my Blue Max light…love it !
     Thank you Mary for the review you did a couple years ago ! Between these two things stitching is so much more enjoyable, does not stress my old eyes. I would love to have a pair of these scissors..they have been on my bucket list for a long time. Who ever wins this one is REALLY lucky.
     Sharon S.

     430

431. My favorite accessory is not a luxury but a necessity. I love my needle threader. I have one that you push a lever and the traditional one that goes through the needle with the thread looped through the threader.

     431

432. My favorite tool is a small embroidered needlebook. The embroidered cover makes me happy and it contains an assortment of needles and has a pocket for a few skeins of floss and a small pair of scissors.

     432

433. My favorite tool is my thimble. Can’t sew without it. I use those light gray rubber ones. Very hard to find them. When I do I buy all the size small they have in stock. I have been using them for years. When I quilt I use three thimbles. One grey and two black leather ones.

     433

434. My favourite tool to help with my cross stitch is my lap dog tray. It keeps my organise whilst I work and when I’m done it keeps all my stuff safe from little paws.

     434

435. My favorite tool is my needle threader – especially when I’m needlepointing with wool.

     435

436. My favorite needlework tool is my laying tool. It makes a difference in the appeareance of myvsttanded threads

     436

437. Does stitching stand count? My dad built mine based on plans I found online. The main reason I love it is that when I have a project set up on it, it’s easy to sit down and start stitching. I don’t have to put it in the hoop or figure anything out. Just start stitching.

     437

438. I stitch antique samplers, reproductions of course. It’s an obsession I can’t seem to shake but don’t really want to! My favorite tools are my scissors hands down. I confess I own a few, little and very sharp.
     We in the Northwest Sampler Guild love your newsletter!

     438

439. I guess it would have to be my sewing machine. I use it mostly to piece together my crazy quilt blocks. It is really special because I used some of my inheritance from my Mom to buy it. My Mom was one of my biggest fans so it feels really good that she helped me buy my first new machine.

     439

440. My favorite tool would be my awl. In fact I have two such items for making holes. One is a regular steel awl with a handle and the other I found in a thrift shop being a small ?ivory (or similar material) pointy tool ideal for making holes or enlarging holes when doing eyelets etc. I particularly like the larger steel awl when having to plunge threads/wire etc that is so often required in goldwork which I do a lot of. It is of particular use on stiff or piled fabrics or if having to go through backings like cardstock or interfacing.
     Thank you.
     Judith

     440

441. My favorite Tool is the Tweezers with a heart shape purchased from Joanne’s . They have kept their shape well & have helped me undo many mistakes. I would hate to lose them !

     441

442. My favourite tool is the “World’s Best Laying Tool”. It feels good in the hand. It is smooth and doesn’t catch the fibre you are working with. You can use it to lift threads into place or to widen a hole. It is the right size – many laying tools are beautiful but can be awkward to use as the handle is too large or the overall tool is just too big.

     442

443. My favourite accessory is a padded velvet board that I put my scissors on between uses because it is so much easier to pick them up from there than a hard surface. This velvet board is also great for picking up beads from when I need to embellish.

     443

444. My favorite new tool is the Stitch-Pop needles. I love the ball point tip which helps to not separate threads in a used hole, but the main reason is that they are a breeze ti thread. I have to use a needle threader with most of my regular size 26 needles, but not with the stitchy-pop needles.

     444

445. My favourite accessory is my magnetic needle holder, it saves me losing my needles and having to waste time searching for them when I could be stitching

     445

446. My favorite stitching tool is my magnification light I wear around my neck. Makes stitching so much easier, I can see the material and where stitches go.

     446

447. Hi Mary, My favorite accessory is Yvette Stanton’s “Embroiderer’s Companion. I look up the stitches, then log on to your video instructions and watch and stitch along with you until I get it right. I also love my Stella lamp that I purchased at our guild’s yard sell for $30! Yes, you read it right. I had always wanted one, but they are rather pricey.
     Thanks Mary.

     Connie Martin

     447

448. I love my pen sized telescopic magnet, great for picking up that dropped needle or pins when doing sewing.

     448

449. Though my “favorite tool” changes often as a result of the project I am working on, right now my newest and neatest tool is a Porcupine quill. It is a fabulous laying tool, and one end is so tiny, it is also very useful for the reverse stitching I so often find myself doing. And the porcupine didn’t have to die to give it to me !

     449

450. My True Spectrum lamp. Along with clip on magnifiers I can see the smallest count and I can work for hours without my eyes getting tired.

     450

451. My favorite accessories are my pin cushions. I never even knew I had so many until my grand daughter lined them all up in a roll! Oh my! I must really like pin cushions!!

     451

452. Interestingly, my favorite tool is my Gingher scissors. They are very sharp with a wicked point (very nice for the frogging “rip-it” process) and also are guaranteed. I have several pair of them in numerous project bags about the house. What would a stitching project be without a good pair of scissors?

     452

453. My favorite stitching accessory is a pin cushion. I always have a handmade stitched one when I am working at home. Once, a long time ago, I used to use the armrest on the couch but after I impaled my hand while also using the armrest to stand up, I no longer do that!

     453

454. My favourite tool is my Laying Tool. I would be lost without this tool and I have several of them.
     I do a lot of work with silk threads and my laying tool is my Pal other wise my poor threads would
     be all twisted and not look very nice. My laying tool is the Best friend I have in my Needle work Box with out it I would be lost. Thanks for the opportunity for the give away of the Beautiful scissors which I wouldn’t be with out either.
     And the gorgeous silk threads.Merry Christmas Mary and Every one who reads her wonderful emails she sends out every day. My favourite emails to read every day.

     Merry Christmas Every one

     454

455. My favorite item in my sewing box is an old thimble that fits perfectly.

     455

456. Oooh just love the scissors in the giveaway. Thank you so much for organising the giveaways Mary.

     Quite difficult to name my favourite tool. I think it must be my magnetic dominos! Shaped just like normal domino pieces but without the spots. Instead they have lovely flowers decoupaged and varnished on one side and on the other side an extra strong round magnet. They hold my needles safe and secure after I have threaded them, ready for use.

     456

457. My favourite needlework tool is definitely my magnifying led lamp. Couldn’t do without it, especially when I’m doing counted thread projects using fine linen or needlepainting. My eyesight is not what it used to be and the lighting isn’t always right. The lamp is a lifesaver

     457

458. My favorite tool would have to be my magnifying floor lamp. I couldn’t stitch without it. It was costly, but worth every penny.

     458

459. My favorite accessory is my audiobooks, which keep me company (along with Lola, my fluffy feline). Easy to pass hours of a weekend winter afternoon lost in threads and stories.

     459

460. I use my lighted, hands-free magnifier for ALL my stitching projects. My stitching improved significantly now that I can clearly see those tiny stitches!

     460

461. Such beautiful thread to uses on my projects

     461

462. This might sound a little strange but I found a small pair of pliers in my husband’s tool box and I “borrowed” them – 5 years ago. I frequently work in recycled wool which can be thick and I need something to grab the needle. I know there are some rubber type gripping pads made for stitching but the pliers do not require extra pressure from my fingers – a relief for arthritis. Not used for surface embroidery but definitely helpful when joining those wonderful embroidered parts together.

     462

463. This is a great question. Besides the ones you have excluded I would have to pick my Dazor magnifier with color corrected bulb next and my thimbles also – they would be a close second. Would love to win both the scissors and the silk thread!
     Thanks for the chance.

     463

464. My favorite tool is my magnifier light. It allows me to do accurate counts.

     464

465. My pretty tin boxes that house my supplies. I put MAGNETS on the inside lids and any needles I’m currently using stick to the magnet and lid so I easily find them for works in progress.

     465

466. This is probably pretty lame, but my other favorite tool is my stack of magnets. They are about the size of an aspirin but I can stick them all over the place to hold my scissors, needles, tweezers, mellor, etc. My lamp is metal so when I am in my stitching chair I can stick everything there as well. Love them!

     466

467. My favorite accessory is the Clover Needle Threader. It is great if you are embroidering with thicker threads (like Sashiko threads). I wear mine on a ribbon around my neck.

     467

468. Aside from the basics, my favorite accessory/tool is my IKEA Roskog cart. I keep everything for my current project in a Sterilite plastic container (about 10″ x 13″) that fits perfectly on the top shelf of the Roskog cart. The other 2 shelves hold other projects, or other tools, or a lap blanket for chilly stitching. I have a small cup that hangs from the top shelf for ORTS. I can stick things on the outside of the shelves with magnets when needed. The wheels are big and roll smoothly so I move my project station out of the way when I need to. Even if I am working with a floor stand or on a big project, I use the cart for corralling my supplies and bits for that project. This makes all my stitching easier and helps me keep my area cleaner.

     468

469. I can’t do without my magnifiers; specifically the ones that clip onto my glasses. The older I get, the more I need magnification. I’ve tried a few kinds but I find the clip on ones are the best. It means I’ll be stitching for a few more years yet 🙂 Phew.

     469

470. Hi Cindy
     Merry Xmas and wishing you the best of health for 2019. I love the products from Sajou. I don’t have many of them,but I treasure the ones that I have. I love reading your regular newsletters and your reviews of products. Thank you for this regular treat.
     Regards and have a wonderful Christmas.
     Jan

     470

471. My favorite accessory is a beautiful needle keeper. Be it a magnet or a beautiful,emery pouf, they delight my eye.

     471

472. Oops I forgot my favorite tool is my booboo stick, for my regular frogging. Jan

     472

473. Favorite embroidery accessory – Well, it’s not really an accessory, but I couldn’t embroider without it, my strong reading glasses! 🙂 At age 59, I really could not work on embroidery without these precious glasses. Probably my second fave is my tapestry needles. Love using them and the feel of them in my hand.

     Merry Christmas!

     473

474. My favorite stitching accessory, aside from my scissors, hoops, etc. is my needle nanny. It’s one of those magnet things that sits on your project, thanks to magnets on both sides of your fabric base, and holds your needle so it’s not stuck into a chair arm where you are sure to stab yourself in there hand or arm. I have several – some are old buttons that are just pretty, some look like a cameo with a “carving” of an animal or bird or even my initial. They just make me smile.

     474

475. I am a beginner embroiderer so my stitching supplies are rather basic, but my favourite stitching accessory is my portable, rechargeable desk lamp. I can take it with me to stitch anywhere, and helps me to see what I am doing so much more easily!

     These scissors are beautiful. Thank you so much for hosting these amazing giveaways!

     Merry Christmas.

     475

476. You probably wouldn’t think of this as a needlework accessory but I have a hemostat that I use as a 3rd hand such as: an extra hand to hold the floss cards while wrapping the floss on, to pull my needle thru thick material, basically to hold or grip anything I need my hands free for!
     Thanks for all your great projects and ideas in your Magazine! I refer to it a lot and can’t wait for the next installment. Aileen

     476

477. My favorite hand stitching tool is my gold thimble. Can’t live without it! If it rolls off my finger, and off my lap, I climb down on the floor on all fours and search until I find it again. I’ve even flipped the Lazy Boy over just to get it. Merry Christmas!

     477

478. My favorite needlework tool would be my takobari or laying tool. I tend to twist my threads and this helps me keep my stitching smooth. It also slows me down and helps me enjoy my stitching time more.

     478

479. I love my laying tool – it really helps me keep my stitches looking neat and tidy!

     479

480. I bought a pair of CraftOptics magnifying glasses on your recommendation and they are the best thing ever!

     Thank you for yet another great giveaway.

     480

481. My can’t-do-without item is…a size 15 steel crochet hook! I use it to finish off stitching when there are only stitches left but enough thread on my needle. I use it to hide thread tails in the same situation. Indispensable!

     481

482. My favorite tool? My first thought was my laying tool, a simple object that makes my finished work look so much nicer. Second, my computer, which I’ve used more and more to learn new stitches, framing options, techniques, etc. It never ceases to amaze me.

     482

483. I love my dololly for capturing and securing loose threads!

     483

484. My favorite tool is a silly little spool holder I got ages ago. When I have a project that uses floss I just wind it onto old wood spools I have found at garage or rummage sales, some I have repurposed from my Grandmother thread box. This little spool holder also holds a pair of small scissors.

     484

485. I just love all the little thread catchers I have made. I have them all over the house so no matter where I am stitching, there is one there to catch my mess!! I have also given many away to my friends!

     485

486. My favorite needlework tool? It has to be my computer! I’m getting into doing monograms and the fonts on my computer are my great inspiration. I have so many fonts to choose from. I love being able to size them exactly to what I want and being able to add to the composition. Thanks!

     486

487. Gosh, like so many others, without a magnifier type light, there are many things I could not do. I am very grateful that I could have afforded one.

     Thank you!

     487

488. Hmmm, this is a tough one. I would have to say my project bags. It is the only way I can keep everything contained, protected and easy to move. I don’t have a designated stitching area so I move everything around the house. I was going to say books/magazines but they do tempt me to do more “mental” stitching than actual stitching. So the project bags win.

     488

489. I have a magnet flower
     attached to a chain round my neck and is very handy for pins and needles and love it. So easy to use.

     489

490. My current favorite needlework accessory is the stitching tray. I have a beautiful fabric snap corner tray. What is so VERY wonderful about this tray is that it holds all my tools. Each one is laid out – nothing jumbled on top of each other – needles in a row on a magnet – scissors ready to snip – needle threader awaiting a color change. All the tools contained and not MIA. No more looking around for what I need. Stitching time is precious and this allows me to stitch – not hunt and seek.

     Merry Holidays,
     Lois

     490

491. I have to say I love my scissors, especially a small pair of Dovo embroidery scissors that I use all the time. They are small and very sharp and I can get very close to the edge of the fabric.

     491

492. Beautiful silks and scissors. Thank you!

     492

493. My favorite needlework accessory is my Ultimate Stitching Station from K Creations. It enables me to sit in my recliner and stitch away in comfort. It adjusts to all of my various sized frames and has a neat thread box with spools. I love how the knobs make it a snap to make adjustments so I can move it from room to room and chair to chair so I can be in different areas in my house throughout the seasons.

     My husband gave it to me for Christmas 2015…..turned out to be the last Christmas gift he ever gave me…so it is my favorite for multiple reasons….I feel close to him when I stitch

     493

494. Definitely the perfect pair of tweezers – saves my fingers and my sanity in so many cases!

     494

495. Try this again. My favourite tool hands down would have to be my dazor lamp. I paid dearly for it 25 years ago, but it’s solid and strong and let’s me stitch on high counts of linen.

     495

496. I like to take my stitching with me to the coffee shop…my favorite accessory is my portable Ottlight! I can’t see without it, even with strong readers.

     496

497. My reading glasses and Ott light are a given – can’t do a thing without them.
     Thanks for the giveaway, Mary!

     497

498. I use a tekobari (stroking needle) for laying silk in the Japanese embroidery projects that I do, but also is never far away for stitching with other types of threads for other types of embroidery. It helps make all the difference between a consistent smooth stitch and a muddled one.

     498

499. My favorite tool has to be my little Puffin rabbit needle threader because my old eyes just can’t seem to get that thread through a needle hole.

     499

500. My favourite accessory at the moment is my magnifying glass! After a long day staring at the computer screen, my eyes need that extra help in the evening to thread paint!

     500

501. I read all your emails which are most helpful and inspirational. Many of my projects are from ideas I get from you, Thank you

     M

     501

502. Without a doubt my favorite needlework tool is my needle minder. I do not know how I stitched without one before! They are so helpful with keeping your needle handy but out of the way when you stop stitching for a bit.

     502

503. Dear Mary
     My favourite tool is a little boring but invaluable to me and it’s a magnet for all my pins and needles while I’m stitching. In the past, I have been known to drop pins on the floor, or (whisper) stick them in the chair arm and then not realise until either the cat comes padding along or my husband does. This magnet ‘pincushion’ has become my go-to tool and I wouldn’t be without it! (On the same sort of topic, my telescopic ‘magnet on a stick’ is fabulous for sweeping round the floor and identifying wayward pins too!)
     Best wishes
     Ellie

     503

504. My favourite tool is a goose neck floor lamp that my mother-in-law gave me when she had to stop knitting. It’s a circle with a natural light around the outside and a large magnifier in the middle.

     504

505. My biggest project of embroidery is the 12 Trees of Christmas. I am living it!

     505

506. My most-used stitching accessory would be my mesh zippered project pouches. I keep WIPs nd they’re associated threads etc. in them, and I’m able to take them with me easily if I’m going somewhere I might be able to stitch. They’re from the brand Omnigrid.

     506

507. Favorite needlework accessory is my smartphone! If I’m working with new fibers or trying a new stitch then helpful information and even videos are just a touch away. But mostly, I love playing audio books on my phone while I’m stitching. My top two favorite activities are reading and needlework so being able to combine them is really heaven on Earth.

     507

508. Hi Mary

     My favourite tool is my embroidery scissors. I am a ‘scissor junkie’ or as my husband says ‘a scissorholic’. I just have to have my favourite embroidery scissors everywhere I go! I have embroidery in each of the rooms in my house, ready to pick up when I have a few minutes. I obviously need a pair of embroidery scissors in each room, ready for when I pick up my embroidery. They must be small, sharp and sit nicely in my hand. I liken buying embroidery scissors like buying shoes – feel good, look good, perfect for the job, admired by everyone and can go everywhere!

     Chris

     508

509. Oh by far it has to be my daylight lamp! Can’t do anything without it!

     509

510. I would have to say the THREAD, with out it you have no project whether you do stitching or bead embroidery. Good quality thread is hard not to have it makes all the difference in your project.

     510

511. The extra stitching item I reach for most often is an old wooden cuticle stick in my stitching bag – a point on one end and a flat screwdriver end on the other. It’s so handy for corners, holding down stitches while I grab something else in the other hand, or smoothing threads, among such a variety of uses… and inexpensive! Thanks so much!

     511

512. My favorite stitching tool is the “star detailer.” This tool has a metal loop that allows me to catch threads and pull them through to secure on the back. I do a lot of Hardanger and this really helps secure the ends better than trying to use the needle to weave through the satin stitch blocks (at least for me!). I also do crochet and tatting with fine threads and I use this to weave through the ends. It’s more secure than trying to weave with a crochet hook. It’s also small enough to fit nicely in my purse or a small project bag when I take my needlework along on appointments.

     Thanks Mary, for the continuing great posts and for this giveaway.

     512

513. 35+years ago my dear husband gave me a set containing Stork scissors and a “gold” thimble in a velvet box . The thimble , from day 1, seems to have magical properties – to the extent that when I pick up a needle to sew, I must have THAT thimble as it somehow completes the embroidery/ quilting/sewing process and leads to more beautiful stitches. Could it also be that it was a gift given out of love that continues to add a little love to everything it touches? I do have other thimbles but none can work the magic of the gold one.

     513

514. My favorite stitching accessory is my chair! I feel like I’m truly in heaven when it sit down to stitch in utter “comfort and joy”.

     514

515. 35+years ago my dear husband gave me a set containing Stork scissors and a “gold” thimble in a velvet box . The thimble , from day 1, seems to have magical properties – to the extent that when I pick up a needle to sew, I must have THAT thimble as it somehow completes the embroidery/ quilting/sewing process and leads to more beautiful stitches. Could it also be that it was a gift given out of love that continues to add a little love to everything it touches? I do have other thimbles but none can work the magic of the gold one. Thank you.

     515

516. My next favorite thing would be floss. There are so many beautiful ones out there!

     516

517. I have just begun embroidery. One month in! I found this site and fell in love with it. I do a stitch a week..making a sampler for myself. So, no real favorite accessory as of yet. I guess I have to say my favorite accessory if I have to choose one is your how-to videos. (if they classify as a on accessory..lol) If I win the scissors ( which I adore) they will be my favorite accessory indeed!

     517

518. The mellor is a goldwork tool but, I use this tool for placed the thread and smoth the top of padde (satin stitch).
     In 2012, I read your chronicle on the mellor but in that time, I did not have this tool.
     Now, we are inseparable.

     518

519. It would have to be my trolley needle. Once I learned to use it properly I was amazed at how much better my stitching looked with the threads all aligned and smooth.

     519

520. My new favorite tool is a silver metal needle threader holder. It is made to hold the round wire needle threaders that are very inexpensive and plentiful – their wire is thin enough to thread my small needles, and the case is easy to use and GORGEOUS!. I also am learning to love my laying tool. And of course – I can’t do needlework without my binder that I designed and cross stitched – it holds all my needles, needle threader, fobs, scissor, pencils, project threads, and anything else I need…I am lost without it.

     520

521. My absolutely favorite tool is my magnifying light. Without it, I would not be able to see the (ahem) beautiful stitches I am making!

     521

522. My favorite stitching accessory is my handmade cherry stand. It holds both a hoop or frame plus has a rack to hold patterns. It was made by a local cabinet maker and is a true work of art.

     522

523. Oh my goodness, I have to pick a favorite? My lighted magnifying lamp is pretty necessary as is a needle threader but I think the silicon thimbles are my favorite.

     523

524. My favorite needleworking accessory is my sterling silver thimble that my Grandmother gave me when I was 12 years old and began learning from her lessons on needlework.

     524

525. Needle minders. I couldn’t find one that I liked for a reasonable price (i.e. that wouldn’t cut into my thread budget) so I found a cute pair of turtle brooches — one about 1.25 inches, the other a teeny 15mm or so — and snipped off the pin backs to glue on magnets. Since the feet, head, and tail create an overhang, there’s no way to accidentally poke yourself or pull the needles off accidentally. An unexpected bonus is that when I’m using a larger hoop the itty bitty one is great for holding threads that aren’t long enough to reach the spot I normally keep the large one without getting in the way itself.

     When I’m working in public people who aren’t familiar with a needle minder keep asking why my embroidery hoop has jewelry, and then deciding it’s the best idea ever after I explain. Adorable, useful, *and* educational!

     525

526. Lighting! I absolutely must have great lighting. I have a color-balanced lamp that also works for my watercolor paintings. Unfortunately the eyeballs aren’t what they used to be, so the lamp and a pair of bifocals are almost as important as the needles these days.

     526

527. Oh my goodness, those silks!

     My favourite accessory is my computer! So many good hints and tips, as well as all the inspiration, the patterns and the tutorials. I don’t know where I’d be without it.

     527

528. My favorite tool is a small wood laying tool. I use a lot of silk and specialty stitches that need to be laid. This laying tool leaves the silk, and other threads, smooth and flat. I have used other laying tools but slways come back to this one.

     528

529. I love, love, love my flat tipped needle threader by Clover. I do a lot of thread embellishment on wool appliqué. This little threader is my go to for threading thicker gauge threads. It flattens the thread for easy pass through the eye.

     529

530. My favorite tool is my 4 inch Ginger scissors, very sharp with great points.

     530

531. I can’t say it is a favorite accessory, but I can’t stitch without it. That is a magnifier that clips on to my glasses. I have used other magnifiers, but this is very handy and fits the bill. My eyesight limits me, and is complicated by cataracts which will be removed soon. And I’m only 81.

     531

532. Ever since middle age hit me, I now totally rely on my Ott Light and cheater glasses. I would not be able to stitch without either of them.

     532

533. The colours of those silk Sajou threads are delightful and the scissors are so pretty! Thanks so much for another great giveaway This year, I bought a tiny little Dritz seam ripper and it’s become so much more useful than I expected! The tip is very sharp and fine enough to slip under finished cross-stitches and easily cut them open, which makes the removal of mistakes fast and easy. It’s gotten me out of a few tight stitchy spots

     533

534. My needle/thread holder — it’s a champagne cork with a bit of felt wrapped around the shank, but it works really well to hitch threads around, and you can stick needles through the felt and they stop in the head of the cork. Stopped a tradition of loose needle accidents!

     534

535. My favorite accessory is a wooden tea box I repurposed to keep the thread and tools for my current project in. Its felted, so I can store my needles in the lining, and it has dividers to sort the threads by family, as well as stash my scissors and handy dandy seam ripper.

     535

536. Nothing tops the magnetic needle nanny /needle minder as my favorite sewing tool. Until I discovered it I was master at loosing needles.

     536

537. Mary, Thanks for the giveaway. My favorite additional accessory is my Mighty Bright Hammerhead book light. It is a great little light that attaches to most anything and so easy to pack when I am traveling!

     537

538. I think one of my favorite tools is my leather thimble. It fits my finger really well and doesn’t fall off as I’m working on my project.

     538

539. Love Sajou! One of my favorite needlework tools would be the Sajou thread organizer(s) I use for embroidery projects. So colorful, and such interesting images.

     539

540. My favourite needlework tool would be pencil and sketch pad for all the ideas that swim around in my head

     540

541. My favorite tool is my Boo Boo stick! And yes, it gets LOTS of use.
     Thank you for the give away, Mary.

     541

542. I have a metal board with magnetic strips which keeps my pattern handy, and I can keep track of where I am.
     Those scissors are so pretty!

     542

543. My favorite needlework accessory is a necessity for me! My Ott floor lamp. My stitching time usually comes after dinner, which means it’s dark, especially in winter. Without that lamp, I wouldn’t be able to stitch at all!

     I also love my magnetic needle keeper. Long ago, my son found a dropped needle as he jumped down the stairs. He needed surgery to remove it from his foot. Since then, the needleworkers in the family have taken extra care with needles and the needle keeper is a great help.

     543

544. I have “followed” you for years. Thank you for all the tips and projects you present to us. My favorite accessories or tools?? I love to make little gifts for friends using bright colors of silk , wool and other flosses, plus working with velvets and bright colors as I am a Crazy quilter. I couldn’t work without my lamp and my magnifying glasses and sharp little scissors to cut ends of threads.

     544

545. A telescopic magnetic wand for picking up needles that drop!

     545

546. Uh-oh … actually … I don’t own any accessories (yet) … there’s only my needles and hoops and scissors, by and large … But I do love one thing – if that passes for “accessories or tools”, too? – My rubber! A nice clean white rubber, which I came to appreciate when the DMC threads left tiny fibres (“crocking”) on the Jobelan fabric after unstitchting. The rubber works like a vac, really! Now I keep it next to me on the side table all the time and I don’t fear unstitching anymore. 🙂

     Angela from the Ore Mountains

     546

547. My favorite needlework accessory is a ribbon with a heart magnet attached to one end and a round magnet on the other end. It is used to hold my chart in place on my needlework as I am stitching. It is easy to move around and easy to read the chart….no more back and forth to read it. I have worn out the ribbon in using it so much. It was a gift from a dear friend and it is so handy for all of my projects.

     547

548. My favorite tool is my set of nail clippers that I use to trim threads and flosses. They seem so basic, but they are easy to carry around with me, they don’t need extra protection, and they have never poked through fabric when I’ve been careless with putting them away.

     548

549. My newest, and now my favorite sewing tool is a needle threader. It means I can use finer needles without becoming frustrated at threading them. Think my eyes are getting older. I am drooling over the chance to thread those bright colours.

     549

550. Well—— putting aside all those favorite items listed— I think my rubberized thimble with the metal top would be my next favorite item…

     550

551. My favourite tool is my clip-on magnifiers. They clip on my glasses so I can see to stitch even very fine fabrics.

     Cheers!

     551

552. I could not stitch without my Ott light which also has a magnifier. Although my house is bright and filled with sun light on a good day, I still need my light.

     552

553. Hi Mary,
     I think my favorite and most useful needlework accessories after those you mentioned are my big daylight lamp and my clip-on magnifying glasses.
     I couldn’t stitch without them.
     Have a great Christmas.

     553

554. My favourite tool is an unnecessary gadget. It’s a little needle threader, you put the needle in eye first at one end, lay the thread across the body in a groove then press a button at the end farthest from the needle. It clicks and there you go the needle is threaded. It does have limitations, it’s very hot or miss with small needles or thicker threads but I’m so pleased for it when it work, how silly is that!! It is a little toy but it amuses me no end and it was very cheap.

     554

555. My favorite accessory is my Morgan lap frame. Just got it this morning! It is two hoops, 10” & 7” separated by 6” “sticks” for lack of a better word. It allows me to have the project raised on my lap & be able to work w/o holding the hoop. Should be great for reducing wrist & hand strain

     555

556. Silk thread-Yum! My favorite needlework accessory of all time is an etched glass awl that I have from my Mother’s stash. It’s the perfect size, beautiful, and I can remember he using it as I was grown up. Used to be fascinated by her chair side light reflecting off it. Wonderful memories of a loved one who taught me needlework.

     556

557. I love my thread storage. I made fabric pages with zippered plastic compartments so I can easily see and access my threads. I have various size compartments to hold different threads. I put these pages in a fabric “binder” to keep them together.

     557

558. I love my pin cushion! It’s made almost entirely out of leftovers – Stuffed with fabric scraps, the base is a round sweet tin, and the cover was a scrap of worn out cotton trousers that I embroidered and then gathered over the top of everything and stitched a round fabric bottom to cover the gathering stitches. Only the thread was not salvaged. It’s done in red, peach, and yellow linen on black.

     558

559. Yes, I am a Scissor Junkie! I love the Sajou scissors & have always admired them.
     I am an older person who would very much like to have the above scissors to add to my small collection, having been an embroidery tutor for many years but now retired a lot of these “treasures” are now beyond my purse. Perhaps I might be lucky enough to win these ones?

     559

560. Although I couldn’t live without my Bohin needles, I would have to say that my next favorite accessory would be my spare glasses that I wear over my bi-focals. without them, I can’t see to work the 36 and 40 count fabrics that I love.

     560

561. My favourite embroidery tool is my Italian, hand-carved, mother of pearl thread keeper. It is lovely to look at, warm to the touch and does its job well and beautifully at the same time.

     561

562. My best needlework tool is the various magnifying clip on glasses I have. Without them I could not see clear enough to stitch. I have 2.00 to 4.00 magnifiers and I love them.

     562

563. I guess my stand, it allows me to fr both hands and stitch more comfortably. Or maybe my plastic nose pliers they pull needles, tighten hoops and pull threads. Love your blog, merry Christmas

     563

564. My light!!!! I find it helps me keep stitches more consistent if I can actually see what I am doing!

     564

565. My favorite tool is my magnifying headband- definitely not glamorous, but oh so necessary for this blind-in-one-eye girl!

     565

566. My favorite needlework tool or accessory is not one that I use. I collect antique sewing tools, and my favorite is a 17th century silver tape measure in the shape of a hat. One that I do use is a pair of scissors in the shape of a black cat. They are great for snipping fine threads and when I have to do frog stitch.

     566

567. Is this an accessory? My favourite addition to any of my projects is my stitching group! With ages from 30 to 90+ everyone has advice or an idea for me, a newbie, and I appreciate them all! At our stitching day event last week, I sat at one of the tables where a Sage Stitcher conducted a wee class on Raised Stem Stitch (in the form of a heart) and as we were stitching away, post-instructions, one of our eldest members came over to look at our work and said “I just used this to attach a needlepoint to a cushion face. It worked beautifully.”

     See what I mean – who knew that would work! I love my stitching siblings!

     567

568. “Putting aside your needle, hoop or frame, and scissors, tell us about your favorite needlework accessory or tool and why it’s your favorite!”

     I want to say my laying tool, which I love, but honestly the most versatile, the most-used accessories I have are magnets! I use them as needle minders on my work, as a parking spot for tools on a tray (scissors, tweezers, a mellor… anything metal).

     Thank you very much for these giveaways! They always brighten up December 🙂

     568

569. My most useful accessory is something I think called a stitch fixer. It is 2 inches long with a curved metal pick on one end and a double pronged pick at the other. I find it most useful for picking out stitches. It gives me something to hang on to while I insert the curved end under stitches so I can pick them out.

     569

570. My favorite needlework tool is: my sister. She helps with encouragement. If I need help with color or stitches she is right there to ask. Couldn’t have a better tool.

     570

571. My stitching glasses. I took my finest stitching to the optometrist and he gave me the best strength for my stitching focal point

     571

572. My favorite accessories are my collection of metal lunch boxes – I’m a huge geek, and was really delighted to realize that metal lunch boxes make the greatest needlework carrying containers. They’re (mostly) water- and crush-proof, and I am entirely delighted to carry a 16th century style piece inside a TARDIS lunchbox…

     572

573. My favorite tool is my T J Lane thimble. I have a couple and each is a work of art. T J also exchanged my original one that was too large after I lost 40 lbs. The thimbles are beautiful and make me smile each time I use one. I strive to make my embroidery stitches reflect the beauty seen in these thimbles.

     573

574. My favorite needlework tool (of the moment) is a mellor. I’ve just started exploring goldwork embroidery and find it so useful.

     574

575. My favorite needlework accessory would have to be my Embroidery Pocket Guide. I am lost without it. I need to review how to start certain stitches when doing needlework.
     Thanks for a chance to win

     575

576. My favorite tool is my thimble. It protects my hand and works so nicely with needles and threads. I used an heirloom thimble for many years, but since it is gold, I decided to not take it in my take-along projects to reduce the chance that I would lose it. I now use any old thimble I can find, but I always like to use a thimble.

     576

577. I love my fine-tipped Iron-on transfer pens from sublime stitching! They make transferring a pattern so easy and come in multiple colorways!

     577

578. My needleminder, as it is both functional and a design that makes me smile!

     578

579. My favorite accessory is a little blue thimble that I use all the time for my stitching.

     579

580. My favorite needlework tool is definitely the pair of prescription glasses I use. I have not had success using magnification, and I found information on the ANG website to have a prescription that works for hand stitching. I took it with me to my eye doctor’s and had a pair of bifocals made. I love them and they work great!

     580

581. Hands down my Dazor magnifying floor lamp! I consider it more of a necessity than an accessory. Without it my stitching is limited to large count fabrics – and I LOVE 40 count.

     581

582. My favourite tool, other than the usual suspects, is my needle threader. It’s small, useful, and unassuming. It’s often overshadowed by the other more conspicuous and fancier tools in the needlework box or basket; however, it can be a real lifesaver, a definite timesaver, when threading needles with teeny tiny eyes.

     582

583. My favorite stitching tool is a needlework chatelaine — I hang it on my lamp. It’s a needle-keep; keeps threads neatly separated, ready to use; has my scissors, tweezers, & seam ripper handy; and, if I must change stitching spots, it carries all to another lamp on one long grosgrain ribbon.

     583

584. Hello Mary,

     My favorite tool is my little wooden stiletto. It was made by a lady here in the Province of Québec. She is not far from where I live. It is made of White Lilac Wood by hand and it is beautifully carved. I use it for my appliqué in a quilt project. It is so useful to have this on hand. It makes my life so much easier, it’s small and can be used at each end.
     So for me this is a tool that I use all the time.

     584

585. My favorite accessory is my trolly needle
     I use it a lot when doing satin stitches and any stitch that needs to lay without twisting.

     585

586. I love my project bags that keep my stitching kitted and ready to work on.

     Sajou products are lovely and the silk threads are gorgeous. Thank you for the chance.

     586

587. My favorite tool is my number 1 clip on light with magnifier. Coupled with my Pisen charger, I can move it to any room, clip it to my chair, or my table. I’ve even clipped it to the glove box to work in the car. I use it in every room of the house and even in hotel rooms.

     The only other thing I would not be without is my humble pin cushion. Keeps me from parking needles in myself….

     587

588. My favorite stitching tool is my thimble, besides protecting my finger it makes me feel like a professional. However, I have a difficult time finding thimbles that fit just right and am always on the lookout for the “perfect”thimble. Consequently I have lots of thimbles in drawers, plus a thimble in each of my hand sewing projects and traveling sewing kits.

     588

589. My favorite needlework tool is my thimble. First acquired when I began my tailoring apprenticeship 60 years ago and with me faithfully through more sewing projects than I could count. My thimble is part of my identity and no sewing, at all, can be done without it. I think that it must be wired directly to my brain and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

     589

590. My favorite tool, other than the hoop, scissors, and needle, looks almost like a large needle. It’s larger than most needles and has no eye. It’s sharp at one end and has a surface almost like a nail file or emery board for part of its length. You stick it through your canvas or fabric to pull stray fibers to the back. It’s especially valuable where yarn is involved (needlepoint, cruel)—most of all when dark threads are next to light ones and straying. You can also use it as a laying tool (smooth end) if you’re careful.

     590

591. My favourite needlework accessory is actually a hexagon carved wooden box, which stores all the silks, needles, a folded up pattern and even scissors when I am out with my friends. Being a medievalist means that it doesn’t stick out when at a medieval event either!

     591

592. My most favorite sewing accessory is probably my OTT light. but a close second would be my lovely needle book. Hand made and gifted to me by a dear friend. I would dearly love a pair of those wonderful scissors and that lovely thread selection. What a fun blog/site this is. thank you!

     592

593. At the moment my favourite tool (besides a good needle and a fabulous pair of scissors) would be my thimbles. When I first started embroidering, I couldn’t abide thimbles, the ones I found didn’t allow for finger nails (which are a handy tool in themselves) and slipped around my & off my finger.
     But then I discovered thimbles that had space for fingernails and were small enough so they actually fit!
     My what a difference!
     I now use a thimble for (almost) every project.
     I also have started doing a bit of Sashiko, and that is so much easier with the right thimble, I use a leather one for that.

     593

594. my mag-eyes. couldn’t stitch without them!!

     594

595. These threads are beautiful! What a wonderful addition this would be to my sewing basket and a wonderful Christmas gift to receive!

     595

596. My latest favorite is my Stella Two light. It’s easy to move from stitching room to in front of the fireplace and easy to adjust color/brightness. I can even see black stitches on black fabric with it!

     596

597. I was gifted a collapsible fabric tray by a fellow stitcher, and I loved it so much, that I made a whole bunch more! I have them in my different stitchy spots for ORTs/highlighters/scissors, and next to my sewing machine for bobbins, machine feet etc. I LOVE how easy they are to make, the fact that they fold flat, and that they have so many uses.
     Thank you, Mary.

     597

598. I cannot thread a needle without my lighted needle threader! The light helps me see the eye of the needle so well I’m never without this handy tool.

     598

599. My favorite stitching accessory is a disappearing ink pen. I use it for marking the doodle cloth so I can practice a new stitch or explore a variation on a stitch, also for making small designs that I can complete the same day. The ink disappears completely by the next day. No ironing or washing required!

     599

600. I love my ott light. I’s small and easy to move around.

     600

601. It’s hard to pick a favorite. I just got the millennium frame and love it for the craftsmanship and versatility. I have a set of 3 dovo scissors in a case that meet all my needs though I could easily be a scissors junkie.

     601

602. After my scissors (all of them) my favorite tool is my mag eyes – magnifiers. They are comfortable to wear very light and I can easily look over them at the TV or whatever. They allow me to see the fine details of my work so my stitching is more accurate and more enjoyable. Would not be without them.

     602

603. Sometime back you mentioned in a newsletter a gadget that I had not seen before that is a type of stitch fixer. I searched the Internet, found a supplier and although supposedly for tapestry work, I have used it often as have my fellow switchers who also have not heard of the tool. With failing eyesight it is a wonder for me on numerous occasions. Recent I have had two cataracts removed and wow the things I can see now are wonder, However I still need this wonderful little tool. Thank you for telling us about it. Regards

     603

604. My favorite tool happens to be my laying tool that I made from an old sterling silver handle and a dental tool it fits nicely in my hand plus I love to repurpose old vintage things.

     604

605. My grandmother’s thimble is my favorite stitching tool. It fits me perfectly and I’ve been using it for years ! It is a plain brass thimble, but I think of her every time I use it. She embroidered on her otherwise plain utilitarian wool quilts and on the doll clothes she made me. She was the only person I knew who actually made things and inspired me to follow in her path. What would we do without our stitching !

     605

606. My favorite tool.after scissors, hoop & light would have to be my laying tool. I like my threads to lie neatly when I’m embroidering, doing needlepoint, or just cross stitching. I know, I’m fussy. Sometimes it’s a curse.

     606

607. Well…I fear this is a rather dull answer, as I do own some lovely tools; but day in, day out, any project, any thread, I really love my needle threaders of various types. They are just so efficient! And if my ageing eyes and cranky thread and a small needle eye are all in play at once, I must have a threader. But even if the thread and needle eye are manageable, I am happier using a threader than not.
     Thank you Mary and Sajou for this tempting prize!
     Linda

     607

608. My favourite needlework accessory is my haberdashery cabinet. It stores all my embroidery threads, scissors, needles, hoops, and anything else I need for my hand embroidery. I love it. Its both beautiful and practical.

     608

609. My favourite accessory is actually a necessity. Magnifying glasses . I can stitch without them now but with them I get as much pleasure from stitching as I always did. I keep half a dozen pairs as I mislay them too often! I love your website,many thanks for all you do to keep us informed!

     609

610. A good lead pencil and a notebook are essentials for me. They are handy to record ideas, inspirations and tips that are spoken of in our stitching group. Thank you for this opportunity.

     610

611. Hello, my favorite is the magnifying glass, ohhh without this instrument I could not embroider, my eyes are not so young, the lenses are not enough, it is indispensable for my embroidery.

     611

612. My favorite accessory is the needlework holder that I made.

     I used to have a plastic Loran holder for my needlework. I found that since it was plastic the instructions to kit would sometimes get melted to it when traveling in summer – the print on the instructions would transfer to the kit and I would have to try to get it off. It was also just a bit small to hold what I needed for projects.

     At that time we traveled by car and stayed in hotels and I needed something which would fit easily in the briefcase I used as a suitcase and hold everything I needed conveniently. I decided to make myself what I needed.

     I sewed a case which is about a foot by a foot. It has 3 inside sections which can hold instructions, fabric, threads hoops, clip on light, etc. I can use one section each for 3 projects or multiple sections for one or two projects.

     The outside front of the case has two smallish pockets -one tall and one wide. The taller one has 3 pairs of scissors for needlework – 2 pairs of sharp pointed embroidery scissors and a pair of blunt end Fiskars children’s scissors. If I happen to need to take my needlework to somewhere I cannot bring pointed scissors (we don’t fly, but I did have a problem with the pointy scissors going to jury duty) I can leave the pointy scissors home and still have a good scissor for cutting threads. The smaller pocket holds needles, needle threader, small pencil, etc.

     There is a large flap which goes over the front including over the small pockets on same.

     The entire case fits easily and compactly in a small suitcase. We now travel in a very small RV (converted Chevy Express van) and it is easy to fit the case into small spaces in the RV to bring it with me.

     612

613. A tiny scrubby brush that picks up all the fluff after unpicking. I do a lot of unpicking.

     613

614. I thought about this and suddenly I realized that I cannot do any stitchery at all without my magnifying glasses. So this tool would have to fall in the category of my favorite tool.

     614

615. My favorite tool to use is a glass head straight pin. It is first used to center my design and then I use it to take out frustrating knots and mishap stitches.

     Tanis

     615

616. My favorite tool would have to be my magnetic needle minders. Without them I constantly lose needles, often finding them in a quite painful manner.

     616

617. My lamp with magnifier is my favorite because it is important to have good lighting and the magnifier helps to see that I am in the correct spot for the stitch.

     617

618. My favorite tool is the Hummingbird needle threader. It is small and handy. I recommend it to everyone. It goes through small needle eyes and makes needle threading a no brainer.

     618

619. Would love an opportunity to try the silk thread. Thank you.

     619

620. A magnetic needle minder. Without somewhere specific to put them, I’m very bad about momentarily sticking a needle into a sofa arm, my own pant leg, etc, only to immediately lose it!

     620

621. My favorite is my trolley needle. I never knew how good stitches could look until I started using one.

     621

622. I love my tail ender thingy for when I am running low on thread/fiber and need to end. It keeps the back of my work nice and neat and I use it all the time. Thanks for this giveaway, hope this is my lucky day!

     622

623. Hi Mary,
     Mi favorite tool is my lamp (I followed your recomandation) because without it I can’t stitch properly. At 63 my eyes need a little help.

     623

624. My favourite tool is my ‘reverse’ stitching tool, it has wooden grip and a pointy awl like tip, just not quite as sharp, so it doesn’t fly into oblivion like a needle is easier to locate, and keeps everyone safe, and visitors don’t find needles with their feet!

     Margaret R

     624

625. My favorite needlework tool is my laying tool. My husband made it for me out of some beautiful wood. It is so handy for keeping the thread smooth and the stitches even and beautiful.

     625

626. A dear friend gave me a charming magnetic rabbit needle keep made of mother of pearl. It never ceases to make me smile each time I pick up my stitching frame.
     Thank you, Mary, for all these lovely items and, most especially, all you do for us stitchers!

     626

627. I have reached the age where a really good light is essential to do any needlework. No light-no sewing.

     627

628. Good day Mary, what a great prize! Silk threads……love to be able to play with them.
     My favourite item is a tiny crochet that is extremely useful when I no longer have enough thread length to secure with a needle! Yes, sometimes in my excitement to finish an area I extend my thread to its limit can you believe it! Hahahaha! A big thank you to you and to Sajou

     628

629. My favorite needlework accessory is a scissor sheath I made from a counted needlepoint canvas kit from a Canadian designer who does a lot of blackwork and whose name is eluding me right now. It is a favorite as the delicate white threads look like lace on the blue canvas and it has tiny beads so it is very pretty, and brings back happy memories as I taught it to my former EGA chapter. Also it protects my work from scissors point.

     629

630. My favorite accessory is my lamp. It has a magnifier that I don’t need – so far – but the light is essential for me. I can’t stitch without good light and this gives me that.

     630

631. I have two favourite tools. My lamp and my craft glasses. I just cannot see enough without the glasses and good lighting increases my enjoyment of stitching even more.

     631

632. I think I need to decide among my steel crochet hook 1.25 mm by Clover with the comfortable flat handle, my new bobbin lace bobbins, (I’m just learning), and a really nice sharp, smooth embroidery needle with a long eye and completely free of barbs. Ive been handmaking a lot of mid-Victorian lacey caps for the Dickens Christmas Fair, and these things have been invaluable. I think the smooth, slender needle is probably the most appreciated of all. It goes through a lot of different layers like butter! I rarely wear a thimble, so the needle quality becomes very important. Of course, then there is the joy of picking up a lovely pair of scissors to snip the thread end, which is a joy in itself.

     632

633. Hi Mary, I use my little wool pincushions whenever and wherever I stitch. It helps me keep track of my needles and pins if needed. It is very nice to have your special, personal embroidery tools close by while stitching.

     633

634. My favourite accessory is a folder I made from a kit. It’s hand embroidered & one a prize at two different local shows. It keeps everything I need in one place. These scissors & thread would look amazing in it. 🙂

     634

635. aahh, favorite is my sterling silver laying tool! I use it almost daily so it has never tarnished. Has a gorgeous case to hold it with an around the neck chain. Purchased the pair in the 80’s at ANG seminar (one of the other attendees was a silversmith from Puerto Rico). Have tried several other laying tools….wood, bone, brass, etc. and none compare to this one.

     635

636. I love the colors of the silk! My favorite stitching tool is my antique brass thimble. I like it because I am interested in vintage sewing tools and this thimble is a wonderful example. Not only that, but it fits my finger perfectly, and I wonder about the woman or women who used it before me.

     636

637. Hello,
     Wow, thank you for offering an opportunity to win a lovely pair of scissors (can’t have enough scissors on hand!) and beautiful threads!!

     Carolyn

     637

638. I love my sewing box which has my first piece of crewel work on the lid. I feel pride every time I open it.

     638

639. Aside to all my other needlework tools, my most used favourite tool has to be my “persuader”. It is a tiny pair of soft handled pliers. I use them to gently ‘persuade’, as in tighten the screw on my hoops. Screwdrivers can only tighten so far and if a hoop needs tightening a little further to hold the fabric tambour tight my little pair of pliers do the trick. Without any damage to my hoop and saving any damage to the skin on my fingers when it comes to releasing my hoops. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this lovely competition.

     639

640. After reading through many other comments, I realized that magnification and light are the only ESSENTIAL items to me. Without those, none of the others are necessary. So, sunlight or lamp, readers or clip on magnifier? Daylight clip on magnifier wins because it makes everything work! It used to be my Ultra Slim Daylight magnifier lamp, but it’s not transportable to other rooms easily. They don’t sell readers in 4X yet, *sigh*
     Terri B

     640

641. My favorite Needlework accessory is my fox and grapes pair of French made scissors.
     They are beautiful to look at and sharp and allow me to make precise cuts. The best part is that they were a gift from my son who loves my Needlework.
     I would love to own the threads and scissors in this give away. Thank you.

     641

642. As I like to do quite fine work, I can’t live without my MagniClips. They attach to my glasses so when I’m stitching I have magnification but when I want to look up, I am looking through only my own glasses.

     642

643. My favorite embroidery accessory is my OTT Lite. I have the floor model and have added the tray accessory so that right by my elbow I have room for threads, needles, pins, pens and more.

     643

644. My other favourite sewing accessory is the Ort box. I’ve made several of these for myself, which have been decorated with specialty buttons. They are positioned around the house and I have made them for my other stitching friends. They love them.

     644

645. I love my standing lamp with its Daylight bulb.

     645

646. I hope this isn’t cheating because I have 2 favorites. ANY of my needle minders and I have several because I’m a “tool collector”. My favorites are the beautiful wood versions produced by Wray Parsons. I think needle minders are fun and they put personality into any project. They are super handy for needles and laying tools. Some of them are strong enough to hold small scissors as well.

     My second favorite is a little tool called the “star detailer”. It has a little clear plastic star at one end a a long loop of fine wire embedded in the star. I use it to catch short threads and pull them under other threads when it is difficult to do so with a needle or other tool.

     646

647. My favorite tool is the necklace thread cutter I had for years and recently lost. I wore it when crafting and it always came in handy. I could cut threads and tape and sometimes envelopes when I have it on when I check the mail. It was a very convenient. I will have to find a new one again some day. I lost it when I moved. My worry is that as soon as I purchase a new one the old one will show up. Xx

     647

648. I love using a tiny little patchwork pin cushion made by my friend before she died. It has been used over and over and may need to be “retired” one of these days.

     648

649. My favourite item is my antique sewing box. It sits at the perfect height to just reach from a chair. I love it, I have loved it since I found it in the back of a second hand store.. it’s just perfect for me.

     649

650. One of my favourite embroidery tools is my gold work mellor , which doubles up as a fantastic laying tool for silk threads as well.

     650

651. My favorite tool is a headlamp on a band that fits around my head. It is adjustable so I can angle it to shine on the area I am working on.

     651

652. Hello. My favorite needlework tool is an African ostrich quill. On vacation in South Africa, I was given a set of quills and thought “what a perfect laying tool!” It’s about 8” long and slopes to a perfect, skinny point. It’s light and smooth and can be held for long periods of time without a problem. I can hold it easily in my arthritic hand, and I’m not constantly dropping it. It also doubles as an awl for poking holes in linen. Best wishes for a happy Holiday and a healthy 2019.

     652

653. Love my burling iron tweezers, as they get rid of cat hair.

     653

654. My favourite stitching tool is something I don’t have.heehee. And I covet it… my girlfriend owns it and fortunately we often stitch together. I have no idea what to call it either… I guess it looks like a tiny crochet hook that you (I) use to pull the thread under stitches to end off. I often need it when I become obsessive with stitching with every inch of useable thread to finish the line and the find out I don’t have enough thread in the needle to end off properly.
     Ricky

     654

655. My favorite tool and one that I cannot get along without is my Mageys for magnification. I use it every time I stitch, and makes stitching much more comfortable for me.

     655

656. I enjoy using My Favorite Dololly! Great to pull a short tail through. I don’t think they are made anymore, and I hang tightly to mine so I don’t loose it!

     656

657. My favorite **other** needlework tool is my water-washable blue pen. I have used (and will continue to use) several different transfer methods for embroidery designs, but the easiest is a light box and my trusty blue washable pen – generally used for quilting.

     657

658. Hello Mary,
     I’m very proud of my scissors case. It’s one I’ve made with Tanja Berlin’s kit (Habsburg Lace) and each time I take it, I feel good. Before, I kept my scissors in the plastic case I have bought it in… but it was not that, if you see what I mean.
     Diane from Montréal in Québec

     658

659. My needle threader. As I get older, it seems the eye of the needle gets smaller. Great to have a tool that helps with threading the needle.

     659

660. Mary, you are introducing me into needlework I never knew. My embroidery was all self taught with help from kits. I’m now trying again, only now with a great teacher-you! The one accassory you’ve introduced that I like the most is the needle index carried in Needle in a Haystack. Needless to say most needles were a mystery but this accessory has helped me quite a bit.

     660

661. My favourite needlework tool beyond the basics are my magnetic needle minders. While I use them for needles sometimes, my favourite use is holding patterns a little to the side of my stitching. That way I can easily read/refer to them as I stitch.

     661

662. My favorite needlework tool is my lovely, wonderful, very fine DOVO scissors! No, wait! It’s my wonderful much-loved John James Tapestry needles – and yes, I use them for everything! O, but what about my incredible, indispensable Hardwick hoops?? O, I can’t decide, I can’t live with any of them!

     662

663. I have one shelf of embroidery related books which is within easy reach of my left hand, as I sit in my favorite chair. I am still learning and am always opening and rereading them. I find constant encouragement and inspiration from them all!

     663

664. My favorite accessory is actually my emery strawberry. I hand embroider for hours at a time so I quickly notice when a needle becomes dull. It makes such a huge difference after you run it through a few times.

     664

665. I love my stand. Having a stand has changed how long I’ve been able to stitch and I feel so fancy when I use it.

     665

666. My favorite stitching tool is the Clip & Flip. I discovered these years ago when doing miniatures. They’re also perfect for stitching of any type. They clip on my glasses and give me the close up magnification when needed but easily flip up out of the way when I need to read a pattern.
     Thank you for your generosity and Season’s Greetings Mary.

     666

667. My favorite embroidery tool is my laying tool. I have both a tekobari and a BLT (best laying tool) as well as several made from wood. I love them as they really help to have my threads lay straight on my piece. This helps to make the silk really shine!

     667

668. As I age my eyesight has limited my ability to see small detail. Having said this ,I don’t know if it qualifies, but without my adjustable otte lamp I would have given up my needlework. So my otte light is an important tool for me and my bifocals.

     668

669. I still stitch with a thimble. My favorite is one that belonged to my mother-in-law. I think of her and her love of handwork when I wear it.

     669

670. My favorite accessory is a lighted magnifier so I can see what I’m working on at night.

     670

671. Wow. That’s a hard question. Guess my next favorite tool are the needles I stitch with. Depending on the thread and linen count I’m stitching on I very fussy about which needle I use. Sometimes I have to use several in one project just to find what works best. After that I love my needle minders. I really have a hard time keeping track of my needles and have magnet wands to find them.

     671

672. My favourite accessory is usually a vital necessity – my magnifying lamp. These days it’s easier to just use it from the start rather than try to make do without.

     672

673. As a beginner with embroidery and starting it very late in life, my most needed tool is my needle threader ‘helper’. Followed by my ‘sunshine’ sewing light……can lose hours and am so surprised when I look up and see that the sun is NOT shinning

     673

674. With my vision needing extra help these days, it should probably be my magnifier light. However, my favorite needlework tool would have to be my scissors. I have many pairs but my Dovo hardanger scissors would most likely be #1, with the Premax Petite Scissors being second.

     674

675. My favorite needlework accessory must be my “painters palate” shaped thread organizer. With holes around the edge I can pull my project floss through, keep it neat and store it with my project. I have a tendency to just use floss without organizing, get myself into a mess, and then am amazed when I take the time to put my project’s floss on the organizer and from then on I have all the colors at my finger tips. It’s pretty old, but it still works!

     675

676. My favorite is the little embroidered tags that i have on all my scissors. I poke my needle in this instead of putting it down anywhere else and also use it as a small pin cushion as i stitch so i never loose my needle.

     676

677. Me favorite tool has to be my stitching glasses. I couldn’t see my work if I didn’t wear my magnifying glasses. I have different strengths depending on the embroidery I am working on.

     677

678. I am a scissor junkie and Love the Sajou shears pictured. LOVE!
     I also love the silk threads but have never used that brand before. The depth of color and sheen are fantastic finishes while stitching.

     As for my favorite toll, recently it has to be my needle threaders. They certainly come in handy and I love the rhythm of the needle, be it cross stitch, wool applique, needlepoint, quilting the zen quality of life comes shining through while I work my stitching. Merry Christmas and thank you for all you share. Your wisdom and experience is appreciated.

     Merry Christmas and Joyeaux Noel! (sp?)

     678

679. OK, so I can’t talk about needles or scissors or hoop, right? I’m going to vote for something I found right here on Needle n Thread, then — those plastic zipper project bags. I bought several, and they are really helping me keep things more organized! I’m a very messy stitcher and those bags are a huge help. Now I just need a holder for the bags and I’ll be in business…

     679

680. My favorite needlework tool or accessory is a needle threader. I use it, not to thread the needle with a new thread, but to thread the short ends when ending a thread. I tend to not leave a long enough tail and then work the thread too close to the end. That is where the needle threader comes in handy.

     680

681. The simplest tool is the tiny latchhook knitters use to repair an out of place stitch and I use it to tidy up ending threads on back of my embroidery. But I’m desperately accustomed to the Beam n Read necklamp, even though only three of the six LEDs now work.

     681

682. My favorite tool is a flower frog it holds so much for me my sissors all kinds ( husband once asked me why so many I told him each one has a different function),tweezers , pins, laying tools. Next is my floor lamp.

     682

683. My favorite embroidery tool — scissors!

     683

684. My favorite accessory is my needle threader. It is a big help to me so that I am not wasting time trying to see the eye of the needle.

     684

685. My favorite tool is my magnifying lamp. Couldn’t work without it!

     685

686. Hi-

     What a wonderful give away!!!

     I have two items I love.

     One is a small metal pattern holder I love. I use it to hold the pattern I am working on and as a small lap desk table. I have a big round magnet I keep on it to hold my needles.

     The second is a small round wicker sewing basket I purchased at an estate sale. It has a small wicker pocket worked inside, that holds my scissors and small items. The basket is just the right side to hold my supplies and current project.
     Thank you- Kim

     686

687. I find myself nodding at all the great comments! It’d have to be my thimbles. I found one I loved and then bought one for each place I sit and stitch.

     687

688. My favourite tool that i use all the time is my Thimble. Yep. That thing. Why? Because it fits my finger perfectly and if it doesn’t fit right then it is it fun to use. I have small fingers and wear it on my ring finger. It’s rather difficult to find a decently fitting thimble. I got lucky finding sized ones at a sewing machine store. Sadly it has closed and I will have to search for more online as i would like a few more.

     688

689. My favorite stitching accessory is an antique lacquered box my father bought for me. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t initially used as a sewing box, but it’s just the right size for my laying tools. I treasure it because he wasn’t one to give gifts regularly, and it touched me that he was cognizant enough of my needlework to know that I would like to have it. He died in 1999, and I think of him every time I open it.

     689

690. My favorite tool is a needle grabber to help pull needle throught cast on stitches.

     690

691. It’s a wonderful German pin cushion that’s over 50 years old, still pretty and most useful. It is 10 cm or 4 inches square. The top is cut from Bavarian design jacquard cotton tape. The design of red roses, green leaves, white zig-zag around it all and an Edelweiss in the center — all against a black background fits a perfect square. It has a red cotton cord loop at one corner. The under side is bright red flannel. The black “Borte” tape is turned under all around and nicely top-stitched. Or was it somehow seamed, then turned and then top-stitched? The stuffing is perfect — not too firm and not too squishy. The corners and red under-edges lift and turn with the years, which gives it character. It will stay where I put it, never sliding off the sofa arm. I can thread several needles of embroidery or basting or hand sewing thread and leave them at one side, the ends staying untangled.

     691

692. I love my Telescopic magnet!! It looks like a slim Biro and extends to 60cm. Just sooo ideal to pick up dropped needles and pins from the floor, also without too much bending or dropping to ones knees to search! It’s getting harder to get up so this is a boon!!

     692

693. I have a very small woven basket that I use to collect my cut off thread ends. I love seeing the jumble of shapes and colours in the little basket at the end of a session of stitching.

     693

694. My favourite needleworking accessory is my magnifying light. My daughter loaned it to me for a trial and I just couldn’t believe how much it made a difference to being able to see my work. I love that it allows me to stitch any time rather than when the light is available and I can see through the magnifier when I need to (especially to correct mistakes before it’s too late. Now I don’t know how I could have worked without it.

     694

695. My favorite tool is a magnifying lamp. If not for it I would not be able to stitch. I have several for lots of different situations.

     695

696. My favorite needlework tool/accessory is my hand-stitched needle/pin/scissor book. Because I made it myself, it is exactly perfect for my needs. It has everything I need, and nothing I don’t need. The colors and fabrics are, of course, exactly what I like. I created it 20 years ago, and have used it almost daily since. Every time I look at it I feel happy!

     696

697. May favorite sewing tool is my floor stand Dazor magnifying lamp. Can’t stitch the small stuff without it.

     697

698. I found these little needle threaders a while back. They are very thin plastic with a loop on the end. You insert the straight end into your needle and place your thread in the loop, pull it through and you have your needle threaded. Pretty slick!

     698

699. My favorite needlework tool would have to be my needle threader, as without it I would not be stitching given my eyesight! It makes all things possible!

     699