Do you know where your towel is? Or your tape measure, or your scissors? Is it just me who spends a large amount of my sewing time searching for the pins I know I had a moment ago but managed to put down somewhere on the other side of the room? (In case anyone’s wondering, the towel is a substitute for a pressing ham. It also makes a handy sleeve roll when wrapped around a rolled up copy of Burda.)
This week’s been particularly bad for losing notions because I’ve added hand-sewing needles and basting thread to the usual pile of things to keep track of. The dress I’m sewing has a lot of curved pintucks which need thread tracing. (Eight down, another six to go). However this little guy, a present from my friend Jane, has come into his own lately. At first sight he’s just a handy pincushion.
But pull his tail and he’s a retractable tape measure too!
Brilliant. The retractable tape measure is much easier to use for small things than my regular one, and I haven’t lost any of my needles yet. He even hangs onto basting threads because they stick to the felt. Now I just need a pair of scissors with a homing device built in. Thanks Jane!
Catherine Daze's Blog 
That is so cute! Might be a little creepy that the tape measure comes out of his behind, but still incredibly useful!
When you made the towel reference I didn’t really expect it to actually be part of your post, good idea to use it as a sleeve roll
I know exacly what you mean — I’m an extremely chaotic sewer, can never find anything! The Bird/tape measure/pin cushion is super cute – I also think it helps for the disordered amongst us to have everything all in one! Using a towel as a sleeve roll is a really good idea -will definately use that next time.