Stick a Needle in your Eye or Runs with Scissors

 What are these old sayings?  Stick a needle in your eye?  Ooouch!  I take it as your needles need a place to be (and not in the eye).  A needle book.  So, you would think, "Ok, I could use ONE".  How about 8+?  Yes, for me it's 8 and I could make more.

It all started back in 1999 when the quilt guild I was in did a program on needle books.  We made 1 and I filled it imediately. Back then I was still hand quilting and really liked having a place to put these little delicate needles.  I wanted another book to put my embroidery needles in to keep them separate.  Then, tapestry needles needed a place.  My blunt needles for crochet were getting lost in a drawer, so I made a book with a pocket to hold a package of them.  Fast forward a little and now I have made one for my sewing machine needles.  And have accumulated 8 of these little books.  They are all different in size, design, and capacity.  

You would think, "I don't care, I'll just buy another pack if they get lost".  Well, I have to say over the years it may just be a few dollars for a pack of needles, but over time that adds up to a lot.  Like all my tools, I want to take good care of them for as long as I can.  I've had to replace old rusty dull needles, warped cutting mats, broken and chipped rotary cutter rulers, rotary cutters (and of course, blades), embroidery hoops, and scissors.  Yes, scissors!  

Running with Scissors?  Who came up with this one?  I personally have scissors, scissors, and scissors everywhere in my house. Not just in 2 big containers in my sewing room, but a coffee can in the garage, a junk drawer in my kitchen, a drawer in my bathroom, a small bin in my laundry room, a knife drawer in the kitchen, I said kitchen once, but nonetheless, it's two drawers.  Possibly making certain anyone who NEEDS a pair of crappy scissors will find these spread out all over and NOT grab my precious sewing scissors!  THE sacred rule of sewists everywhere, NOT TO BE USED FOR PAPER!   I bought a set (yes, set.  Not one, but two in differing sizes) of expensive scissors and tried getting them professionally sharpened.  The sharnpenig was $8 per pair and thought it would be a good thing to extend their life.  Of course, I was expecting YEARS of extended life!  That didn't happen, and I would say after a few months of use, they are back to being dull.  Not just a little dull, but hard to cut through the thinnest of fabric.  Dare I say this, I tried cutting paper with them.  Shocker, they didn't cut that well. My DH, bless him, says "just buy a new pair, it's OK you will use them".  I laughed, then cried, then got a little angry at the thought about buying MORE scissors!  Really?  I maybe have to realize that scissors today are not going to last decades and decades like Grandmother's scissors.   I am a licensed hairdresser and still have my hair scissors from college (45 years ago) and they are still sharp, very sharp, I've cut myself sharp.  They are "ice tempered" which means they go through a process of sub-zero temperatures to maximize blade hardness, edge retention, and durability.  Maybe I will buy a pair just to use in my sewing room?  Might be worth a try.  I can let you know, or not....could be the best kept secret?