Sewing room accessories

I don't have a lot of accessories in my sewing room.  I use a basket for my thread, I use thread organizers for my specialty threads.  I have a great table for my machine my husband made for me, along with a small secondary table to take the weight of a quilt when I machine quilt.  I use a tv table off to one side to hold things like bobbin holders, Ott Light, marking pencils.
However I have one thing I made awhile ago that I just love.  My friend, Barb, said to me she would like to make one.  I thought at that time, what would I do with one of those?  As she wanted to make it, I decided to make one too and so did our friend Charleen.  Well, let me tell you it is the best thing I ever did!
It is a sewing machine organizer
and of course me, being me I changed some of it.  Not much, just the way the pocket sits in the front.

I didn't put binding on the top of the pocket.  I layed down the batting, then the pocket front, then the lining and sewed a seam along the top.  I then put the lining to the other side and pressed it well.  After I was done at the ironing board, I made the lines for the pockets and stitched them down.
I didn't have any rhyme or reason why I gave them the widths I did.  I just sewed them down.  The rest of the pattern I pretty much followed.

I put it under my sewing machine and boy is it useful. 

I love it!  Actually I loved it so much I made another
one for my other machine. 

Before I made this one, I measured the base of the sewing machine.  This machine is bigger than my old #1 and I didn't want the machine to sit on edges so that it might rock while I'm sewing.  The little edge along the front is also good for jabbing a pin or two in as you sew. 

What do I keep in this little organizer? 

My 6" hemming ruler, my little scissors, needles, lot and lots of needles of every size, my seam ripper, my screwdriver, my brush, my point poker outer.  Anything I need that is usually in my tool box, which is inaccessible when I use my quilter's table, which my husband made for me.

The other little accessory I love is my thread catcher/pin cushion.  This pattern was given to me and I must admit I goofed on the pincushion.  It wasn't suppose to be this large, but I'm glad it is.  I don't have to think or look when I put the pins in.  Its so big, I never miss it!  Yes, pins do fall on the floor and I do pick them up.  I have a long magnet for that and I keep it in a toothbrush holder on the table.  I use to keep it in the box with junky stuff but I had to move it out of there.  Even with the toothbrush holder you would pull out anything in the box that attached itself to the magnet.  This site has a free pattern for a thread catcher.      

You can find your pin retriever magnet here.  This is the one I use and I can attest to the fact that it works without breaking my back.  I use a sweeping motion when I use it.  It finds pins I haven't even seen!!!