Many home schoolers are also involved in the domestic arts to a high degree.  Aside from being thrifty, sewing is a creative outlet which is very empowering to women.  You need not be at the whim of mercurial fashion trends.

If you sew, you know how important tools are to your work.  Scrounging around for items can cause frustration, not to mention wasted time – which no home schooler can afford.  Various contraptions are sold at Michael’s, Joann’s and Hobby Lobby to help with organizing such tools.  These are nice, but can be pricey.  I needed something that was easily portable from the cutting session to the sewing session.  Specifically – the tools involved in the cutting, altering, and marking of fabric before any actual sewing takes place.  The scissors used here should never be used for anything else!  Not even paper pattern cutting.   These things are used together – at the same time if you desire maximum efficiency.

Voila!  Problem solved.  This is a wrought iron silverware caddy from SAM’s club.  It was $9.98 cents when I bought it two years ago.  They usually carry them throughout the spring and summer, being intended for outdoor eating.  The price will vary during the season – going down markedly towards the end. 

1. In the far right holder, I keep extra sharp items, including tracing wheels, rotary cutter, and an awl.
2. In the center right holder, I keep all scissors, including dressmaking shears, pinking shears, paper pattern cutting scissors, and shears made especially for fragile fabrics.
3. In the center left holder, I keep every manner and color of marking pencil.
4. In the left holder, I keep a number of different hem gauges and small rulers.
5. In the front curved section (intended for paper plates) I keep my Dritz Ezy- Hem (invaluable for shrinking in fullness on skirt hems.)
6. In the square back holder (intended for paper napkins) I keep a tidy stack of many colors of transfer papers that are used with tracing wheels.

Once I’m done cutting and marking the fabric, the caddy is moved from the cutting area, to the sewing area, where I can easily access the scissors for trimming of seams while sewing.  The scissors are so easy to keep track of this way. 

I wear a wrist pin cushion while pinning and cutting, so there is no need to move a pin cushion around.  When it comes to home keeping and organization  it pays to think outside the box.  Specially made cutting tool organizers can be very expensive.  When it comes to being frugal, durable, efficient, and pretty – this silverware/cutting tool caddy can’t be beat! 

PROVERBS 31:25

 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.