When you read this, I will be at Camp Workroom Social!

It’s an event two years in the making. I was supposed to go in spring 2020, and there was this little global pandemic thing that got in the way.

Anyhoo, it’s finally safe enough to sew my little heart out at camp, and I thought you’d be interested to see what I brought in the way of tools and projects.

Here’s a look at EVERYTHING.

I took these pics in my hotel room the night before camp. Along with showing you, my sewing friends, all my goodies, it’s a good way to catalog all my stuff-n-stuff so I don’t leave anything behind.

I had to bring so much stuff, guys. I think this was the hardest packing I’ve done in my life! Ziploc bags FTW.

Tools for Sewing Camp

I generally tried to group like with like, because I thought that would be the most functional as I sewed.

This bag had pressing tools:

Sleeve roll

Tailor’s ham

Silk organza pressing cloth

Metal pressing guide: Good for even hems.

Wood point turner

This bag had measuring tools:

Small gridded ruler

Seam gauge: My fave for checking the distance between the sewing machine needle and fabric edge.

Flexible tape measure

This bag had writing tools:

Sharpie permanent marker

Pencils

Pens

Chaco chalk marker

Two-way marker with disappearing ink and water soluble ink

Eraser

Tailor’s chalk

These are pins and whatnot:

Wonder Clips: I have belt loops to sew, and these are the best for that task.

Magnetic wrist pin holder

Beeswax: For hardening thread ends to more easily thread needles.

Variety of pins: I have so many pins with me right now, between this magnetic wood tray and all the pins in my projects.

Hand sewing needles

These are hardware-ish and basting things:

Printout from American Airlines: So, in case you didn’t know, the TSA allows scissors with blades shorter than 4 inches. I wanted a document on hand to affirm this rule when my carry-ons passed through security.

Tweezers

Seam ripper

Washi tape: Good for making a seam allowance guide on the bed of a sewing machine.

Embroidery scissors and applique scissors: These are my best scissors with blades under 4 inches.

Presser foot with height adjuster: This is the standard foot with my personal Baby Lock sewing machine. It has a little button on the side that adjusts its height for thick fabric layers — kinda like a built-in hump jumper.

Hump jumper: In case the height-adjusting foot isn’t enough.

Washable glue stick: Useful basting tool, especially for knits.

Wonder Tape

Screwdrivers (regular and round thumb): For switching presser feet, tightening screws, etc.

Projects for Camp Workroom Social

Campers were instructed to bring 3-6 projects, cut out and ready to sew. I spent the weeks before camp making muslins, tweaking fit, and eventually cutting out and interfacing pattern pieces.

I brought:

True Bias Lander pants

Sew Over It Ultimate Shirt

Sophie Hines Euler bralette

Lander Pants

I’m making the cropped version in a goldenrod denim. I’m sewing them with a concealed button fly and a curved waistband. I also lengthened the rise for maximum high-waisted awesomeness.

Sew Over It Ultimate Shirt

In case you’re not familiar, the Ultimate Shirt is a slightly shaped button-up with a collar stand and collar.

I’m sewing mine in a rowdy, blue-green Liberty of London Tana lawn. Instead of a bias-bound cuff slash, I’m sewing a traditional tower-style placket.

I’m also using methods from Barbara Emodi’s “Stress-Free Sewing Solutions” for the collar, cuffs, and placket construction.

(When you see copies of instructions that aren’t the official pattern instructions, they are from books I didn’t want to drag to camp. πŸ‘)

Sophie Hines Euler Bralette

I’ve had a kit for this bra since forever, and I thought camp was the perfect time to put it together.

For this project, I made sure to bring tracing paper scraps for stabilizing a lightweight knit, stretchy wooly nylon thread for the bobbin, and a walking foot for even fabric feeding.

Parting Thoughts Before Camp

And that’s everything, at least as far as sewing stuff goes. Naturally I also packed enough clothes, toiletries, entertainment, etc. for a whole week, too!

In about two hours, I’m getting on a bus to ride to our camp in the Catskill Mountains outside NYC. I’m so excited to spend time with other people who are as hyped about sewing as I am. I hope I make IRL sewing friends!

Obviously I’ll do a camp-in-review post for the blog, but what else would you like to know? LMK in comments! Thanks for reading.