Simple Sewing Projects

This list is chock full of simple sewing projects. Need to sew something that doesn't take a lot of fabric or pattern pieces? This is the list for you! I've compiled some sewing projects that are easy and great for beginners. These are great for scrap-busting and make wonderful gifts, too!

Projects to Sew:

1. Keychain

2. Headband

3. Zipper Bag​

4. Apple Watchband Scrunchie

5. Fabric Basket

6. Pillow

7. Small Purse

8. Advent Calendar

9. Hair Scrunchie

1. Keychain

We all need keychains for our keys or extra sets of keys. You can increase the length of this to make a wristlet or lanyard as well. 

Supplies:

• Fat Quarter or large strip of fabric

• Lightweight interfacing

• Matching thread

• Metal key ring

• Iron + ironing board

• Sewing machine + notions

1. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric that measures 8" long by 4" wide. You can always cut this shorter if you'd like but, this is a good starting size for a pocket key fob..

2. Apply interfacing according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Fold the fabric in half, wrong sides together, lengthwise, and press.

4. Fold one long edge into the center crease you've previously made. Press. 

5. Do the same with the other side. Press. Fold the edges in again and you should now have one long strip. Give it a good press once again.

6. Top stitch 1/8" using 3mm-3.5mm stitch length, from the folded edge starting from the top. Repeat on the other side, starting at the top. (This will help with any puckering that may occur).

Cut fabric strip. Interface if desired.

Fold in half, press.

Fold each half towards middle crease. Press.

Press all folds again.

Topstitch both long sides.

Grab the ring and slide it onto the fabric strip. Pick which side you want on the outside.

Fold one end over the ring about 1/2". 

Fold the end under again, 1/2".

Take the free end and tuck it under the folded end.

Use a clip to hold the layers together.

Add keys and go!

Bring the opposite edge up and under the folded edge. You'll hide the raw edge under the folded edge. Use a clip to keep them together. 

Sew a few rows of stitching making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. That's it! You're done!
​
​Add your keys and show off your new keychain. Sew simple, right??

You can make this into a neck lanyard as well. Drape a measuring tape around the back of your neck and bring the end to the front to get your desired length. Add 2" for the folded edge. 
​
You can also make this as a wristlet keychain. 

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2. Headband or Hair Scarf

Choose between a thin Rockabilly headband or a wide Pinup style headband to sew. Or, make them both. A gal needs options, right? 

Wide 50s Pinup Scarf

Narrow, Rosie the Riveter Headband

• Wide Headband with a PDF pattern

• Narrow Headband

Click the link above to take you to a tutorial. 

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3. Zipper Pouch/ Makeup Bag

Follow this blog post for an easy zipper pouch. Increase the size and length to make it larger. These make great essential oil pouches, pencil cases, wet bags, etc. 

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4. Apple Watchband Scrunchie

Click here for the blog post and directions to give your Apple Watch a little more personalization. You can find the watch magnets on Amazon. These are very easy to sew. Make one of these for yourself or as a gift along with a new Apple watch. 

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5. Storage Basket

We all have stuff. Too much stuff. And, all that stuff needs a home. Storage baskets and bins are perfect for small items that need some organization in their lives. You can customize these by increasing the size to accommodate larger items. Click here for a smaller size that's great for a beginner basket. 

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6. Pillows

Make a pillow for your bed or couch. Make some small pillows for kids to use too. Pillows are as easy as pie to sew. Follow this Blog post and make all the pillows your little heart desires.
These aren't great scrap busters because they do take larger pieces of fabric. However, you could use a different front and back piece to use up the scraps you have on hand.

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7. Purse

Make a small or large handbag custom to your wants and needs. This tutorial will walk you along with a “choose your own adventure” style bag.

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8. Advent Calendar

Countdown to Christmas

Get a head start on holiday sewing with this ​easy tutorial for making an Advent Calendar. It's a good scrap buster to use up those holiday fabric pieces. You could alter this to make a Birthday countdown calendar or countdown for a wedding, other holiday, etc. It will take a large piece of fabric for the front and back main panels but, you can use scraps for the smaller pieces. 

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9. Hair Scrunchie

Is it scrunchie or scrunchy? My daughter even calls them a "scrunch". Either way, we all love them! They are comfortable to wear and claim to be healthier for your hair than rubber bands alone. A handmade scrunchie will accessorize your outfit and put a smile on your head. Not really, but just go with it.  ;) They also keep the hair off your neck while sleeping, cleaning, or sewing. ;)

​As with most things that are mentioned above, you can increase/decrease the length and width of the fabric strip to make these larger and fluffier or shorter and thinner.

​*I personally like this exact size. I've made a few in different lengths and widths for my daughters but, they love the fluffier size too. 

Fabric for the scrunchies.

Supplies

• 1/4" elastic 

• Fabric measuring at least 23" long

• Sewing machine + notions

• Safety pin

1. Cut a fabric strip measuring 4" by 23". You can use satin, cotton, viscose, rayon, or anything that is lightweight and has a drape. You wouldn't want to use canvas or something that is thick and stiff. You're basically creating a ruffle, so it needs to be able to... ruffle.  :)

2. Fold the long strip in half, like a hot dog bun, RST (right sides together). Sew a seam down the long edge using a 1/4" seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end. You now have a long skinny tube.

3. Turn the tube right side out using a turning tool or safety pin. 

4. Cut your elastic piece 6-7" long. Feed the elastic through the tube using the safety pin. 

5. Tie a simple knot in the elastic or sew the ends together by overlapping them.

6. Fold one short end under. Tuck the other end inside the folded end and clip or pin. 

7. Topstitch the opening closed with a 2.5mm or 3mm stitch. Make sure to backstitch. 

Cut your long strip.

Clip long ends together RST. Clip together.

Sew along the long edge.

Turn the tube using a tube turner or other tool.

It will look like this aftewards.

Cut elastic 6-8” long depending on how thick your hair is.

Use a bodkin or safety pin to insert elastic.

Insert at one end.

Clip the elastic to the end so it doesn't come undone.

Fold one edge of fabric under 1/4".

Sew 2 rows of stitching across elastic ends. You could also tie in a knot too, but you’ll need a longer piece of elastic.

Tuck the open end into the fold end. Clip.

Sew across the seam, backstitching at beginning and end.

Hooray! Now you can make tons for yourself or as gifts for everyone you know. Yay for hair scrunchies!! The 80s and 90s knew what they were doing. 

I hope you've enjoyed these Simple Sewing projects. Share this post with your other sewing friends. These are all pretty easy which makes them great beginner sewing projects.

​Thanks for hanging out today. If you make one of these Simple Sewing projects, tag me on Instagram, @sewingtothemoon I'd love to see what you create. 

Happy Sewing!
Annette

Easy Vintage Hair Scarf Sewing Pattern

Do you love the vintage pinup look but, don't know where to start? Grab some peddle pushers, a black fitted top, and this sewing pattern! You're about to get your vintage style on. 
This pattern is the straw that broke the camel's back- in a good way. I have quite a few patterns I want to share but, I lack the technical know-how to get them to you. This is the pattern that made me search the interwebs, far and wide on how to create a PDF. And, here it is! Finally, a downloadable pattern that was made just for you!

This wide hair scarf is made for good hair days, bad hair days, and for curly-haired gals too! I see you (I am a curly girl). Toss your hair up in a messy bun, and you'll be cute as a button when you wear this retro-inspired hair-scarf. This isn't a lifesaver but, it's definitely a hair saver. 

If this thicker style headband isn't your cup of tea, I have a post on a narrower one, over here. It can be worn with your hair up or down. You can tie it around your neck, or wrist, or use it as a purse accent when tied in a bow. The size is completely customizable too, lengthen or shorten it to your desired size


Okay, let’s get started on the Wide Hair Scarf Pattern. 

What You'll Need:

1. 1/2 yard of cotton fabric

2. The Pattern

3. Sewing machine 

4. Clips or pins, ruler, chalk pen

5. Matching or contrasting thread

6. Chopstick or other turning tool

7. A smile, because you're making something cute :)

Let's get sewing! 

Download the PDF pattern, print it out (*do not scale or resize), and tape it together. This will now be your pattern piece. Make sure to match up the star points. Cut out the pattern along the lines and set it aside. It will resemble a plague mask at this point. Haha, perfect for the year we've had. ;)

*The pattern will print out on 2 horizontal pages. They are made to overlap a bit to create the pattern. Match the star and you'll be good to go. No scaling or anything is necessary. If you'd like to trim off a thin sliver of paper to match the star up perfectly, you can. That's what I did. 

PDF Stuff

1. You might have to trim a thin slice of paper for the star to fit perfectly.

2. Cut along the line.

3. Once its cut, it’ll resemble a plague mask.
   
   
   

Fabric Stuff

Next, wash, dry, and iron your fabric if you haven't already.

​What fabric(s) did you choose? Did you go with a solid color or a fun novelty print? 
​

Use pattern weights to hold the pattern down. Trace around, then cut it out.

• Grab your scarf pattern piece and lay it on top of your folded fabric. Line up the folded edge of the fabric with the pattern side that says FOLD. You can do this with RST or WST, it won't make a difference for this pattern.

• Use pattern weights to hold the piece down, while you trace out the shape. Use an air soluble pen or a chalk pen to trace. Cut along the lines.

• Repeat the steps for the other side. You are tracing an outer and inner piece of fabric for your hair scarf. Cut.

• You should now have 2 pieces of fabric cut out.

• Now take the pieces and place the right sides together. Use pins or clips to hold them together.

• Mark a 3" gap where the pattern piece indicates. This area will not be sewn so, you can turn the scarf out afterward.

Match pieces together, RST.

Pin around edges.

Mark the pivot point.

• I took an air soluble pen to mark the pivot point on the scarf. This isn't necessary, but it helped. The pivot point is where the scarf gets narrower. 

• Time to sew! Use a 2.5 or 3mm stitch length. 

• Seam allowance is 1/4"

• Go slow, this gets tricky at the pointy ends

• When you get to the pointy corners, leave the needle down, lift the pressure foot, and turn your fabric. If it's not quite at 1/4" mark, go back and hand crank a stitch or two. Continue sewing all the way around until you come to the 3-inch gap. Backstitch.

• Clip your corners.

• Time to turn the scarf out. Grab a chopstick or any other turning tool.

If you're using a chopstick or pencil, poke the blunt end into the pointed fabric corner. Slowly pull the fabric down around the chopstick until you can easily push it through to the gap opening. Repeat for the other side.

It should look like the last photo above, once it's turned out! Huzzah! The rest is downhill from here.

Iron time! 

• Roll the seam out. Using your fingernail seems to help this process. You can also take the chopstick and slide it under the seams while pushing the seam out and open as well. It'll take some finagling, but it's well worth it in the end. This is the hardest part of making this 1950s vintage-style hair scarf.

Back to the sewing machine to topstitch the gap closed. 

• Topstitch 1/8" from the edge, backstitching at the beginning and end. If you'd like to topstitch around the whole hairscarf, you can. 

• Clip any loose threads.

• Press the scarf again. And, you're done! 

Topstitch the opening closed.

Clip those little threads.

Ta-da! It’s finished and ready to be worn.

To wear the scarf:

Place the wide part at the back of your head just covering your hairline. Pull the pointy ends upwards, covering the tops of your ears, and tie in a knot on top of your head. 

This is perfect for messy hair days and curly-haired girls too. To make it into a more formal look, pin curls on top of your head, tie this scarf up, and wear it with a pretty dress.
If you're going for a 40s style, you can pair the scarf with wide-legged trousers and a boxy button-up top. This hair scarf is for anyone looking for a quick and easy retro hairstyle! 

So, what do you think of the pattern? It was easy, right? Do you plan on making as many as you can for the summer? I wear my hair up most summer days and this thicker style is what I've been yearning for! Easy & cute hair... yes, please!!! 

If you make one or ten, please tag me on Instagram. I want to see them aallll! Use the hashtag #sewingtothemoonScarf
Let me know in the comments below if you've made this or plan to. I seriously can't tell you how overly excited this whole process made me. :D 

Thanks for all the love and support on social and here! Sewing people are the best people. 

​Happy sewing,

Annette

DIY Advent Calendar

Are you itching to do some holiday sewing? This advent calendar is a quick-ish sew if you want to whip up a fun Christmas item now! Get some stash-busting done too.

Tools needed:

• rotary cutter or scissors

• ruler

• 1/4 yard of a few different fabrics or scraps

• 1/2-3/4 yard of sturdy solid fabric for the front and back. (duck cloth, canvas, denim, etc.)

• Matching thread

• Iron on numbers, cutting machine with HTV vinyl, or template for sewing them on, if you don't embroider them. 

• All the sewing notions and a machine

• A piece of 1/2" wooden doweling and twine for hanging. 

Machine embroidered numbers on pockets

I chose Christmas fabrics similar in color, grabbed them, and started cutting. I liked the size of my phone, so I used it as a pattern. Find something around the house that is the size you want, and use that as a pattern template.

My phone roughly measured 6.5" by 3". I added 1 inch to the width and length for seam allowances to make rectangles. Fold them in half RST (right sides together) and stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance. Sew the sides only. Leave the bottom open, clip corners, turn out, and press flat. 

**If you decide to sew or embroider the numbers on, do this before sewing the pocket together. If you use vinyl or iron-on numbers, you can add the numbers after the pockets are sewn and turned.

Organize them vertically if you’d like.

After you have your pockets made, lay them out and switch around until you decide which assortment you love the best or go crazy. I liked the taller version better.

Arrange them in a horizontal way if you like that better.

I did this part backward, sorta. After laying the pockets out, I cut my fabric for them to be sewn onto. I measured the size of all the pockets and added 2" on each side. 5" to the top and 2" to the bottom. This allowed extra room for seams and the top to get turned down and stitched to create a loop for the wooden doweling.

I added length and width to the solid piece of fabric to sew the pockets onto.

I worked from the bottom up, sewing the bottom row of pockets first. You do what works best for you. :)

Measure from the bottom row of the pockets to see how much room you want.

Flip pockets the wrong side up and stitch along the open edge.

I sewed the second row 1/2" above from the top of the first row. You decide on your own spacing.

I decided to sew the bottoms of all the pockets on first. Then, I flipped them up to sew the sides. As you can see, I used pinking shears to keep the edges from unraveling. This whole project was on the fly and meant to be fun, without overthinking. Sometimes you just gotta sew something! LOL

Sewing the sides. Start from the bottom and go up, backstitch at the beginning and end.

Be sure to backstitch at the start and end of each pocket side. I also added extra stitching at the top where little hands will reach in and out to discover the treasures inside.

After you have all the pockets sewn on, it’s time to put it together.

Grab the backing fabric and pocket piece, and lay the pocket side RST on top of the backing fabric.

Pin or clip the pieces together, and sew a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave a 4"-5" gap at the top for turning. It’s a lot of fabric and layers so, you’ll want a nice size gap for turning out.

It’s starting to come together and look like an Advent calendar now.

Leave an opening for turning.

Clip the corners and trim thread tails. Turn out and top stitch around the whole calendar. 

Decide how big of a loop you need for your wood doweling to slide through, pin, and stitch to create the loop.

Fold the top over and pin in place.

Topstitch to create a tunnel.

Insert dowel, add string, and hang!

Slide the dowel through. Tie string or twine on each end with a double knot. Hang up and fill it with lots of little treasures.

You're done! Yay!!! Now, what do you fill it up with?

Filling it up

What are you going to fill the pockets with? Who is going to use the advent calendar? Little ones or big ones? I've listed some ideas below of what to put inside for all ages. Wrapping each item would make it extra fun and keep wandering eyes from peaking.

• Chapstick or lipgloss

• Fruit snacks

• Small fruits, a tiny orange

• Movie theater ticket

• Handmade coupons

• Small packs of beef jerky

• Cash

• $5 gift card

• Hair elastics or barrettes

• Small lego sets

• Candy

• Toy cars

• Earbuds

• USB stick

• SD card

• Crayons

• Package of nuts

• Hot cocoa packet

• Socks

• Soft gloves

• Squishy toys

• Stress ball

  These are just a few ideas, the sky is the limit on fun little treasures. Just think of anything that will fit in the palm of a hand.

Well, I'm off to buy some items to fill our calendar with. If you think of other ideas, please share those in the comments below. The more ideas, the merrier! Are you going to make an advent calendar? Or make one as a gift? Let me know in the comments below.

Merry Christmas,

Annette

How to Sew a Custom Handbag

I made this cute handbag as a fun little distraction during quarantine. I planned on using it sooner than later, but we all know how that turned out. Ha! Days turned into weeks and it's all a blur from there. 

I had some marine vinyl leftover from another project and I came up with this little purse. 

Want to make a cute little handbag for your next shopping trip?

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 yard of marine vinyl or other faux leather-type fabric

• 1/2 yard of cotton fabric for lining

• Thread

• Sewing machine and notions

• Microtex needle

• Scrap paper for making a pattern

• Ruler and pencil

• Interfacing if needed ( I didn't use any. Gasp, I know)

• Purse feet (optional)

Cut 2 outer, 2 inner, 2 interfacing pieces.

Decide on your sizing

• Start out by ironing any wrinkles in your lining fabric. 

• Grab some paper or cardstock, freezer paper is my go-to because it's inexpensive and wide.

• Figure out how big you want your bag to be. 

• My pattern size is 9" tall x 14" wide.

• Mark 2" square cutouts on the bottom of the pattern. Cut out the paper pattern.

Once your pattern is made and cut out, it's time to trace onto the fabric. Cut out 2 pieces of vinyl and 2 pieces of lining fabric. Iron on or sew in the interfacing to the lining.

Next, cut 2 strips of the marine vinyl 3" wide by 18" long. These will be your purse straps. 

If you'd like to add a pocket, make that now. Decide on the size you want and cut a piece of fabric twice as long. You will fold the fabric in half RTS (right sides together) and sew all around leaving a 3" gap for turning out.

Press the pocket flat after you turn it out. I stuck my phone on top to figure out how wide I wanted my pocket widths to be. They aren't exactly the same width. Draw a line where you want the pockets to separate with chalk or a water-soluble pen.

Pin in place and stitch onto one lining piece. Sew in a "U" shape, do not sew the top you want it to stay open so your items can go inside. Reinforce the openings by backstitching a few times. Press.

Pin sides and bottoms together. Leaving tops open.

Using clips, clip the vinyl pieces, right sides together and pin the lining pieces RST. Sew the sides and bottoms using 1/2" seam allowance. Be sure to leave a 3" gap in the lining for turning out. Press the lining seams open. You shouldn't iron the vinyl, it may melt. Just finger-press those seams. Set both pieces aside.

Let's make the handles

Grab the 2 long strips of vinyl and all your clips. You do not want to use pins because they create permanent holes. Yikes!!

If you don't have fabric clips, use double-sided tape, chip clips, hair clips, your child’s teeth, or anything you think that will be strong enough.

• Fold in half and carefully fold those sides into the middle. It takes some finagling, but you got this! Don't let the vinyl beat you. LOL!!

• Clip along the end once you have it molded into place.

• Sew the open edge first, then the folded edge.

Scroll through the photos to see how to create your handles. I use this method for all of my purse handles.


Grab the purse's outer and inner pieces, you're going to box the corners before sewing everything together.

Boxing the corners is easy, pinch the seams together and sew 1/2" away from the edge. Do this with both lining and outer bag corners.

Your seams and corners should match nicely like the photos above. If they don't match perfectly, no biggie. You'll be the only one who knows and I'm not telling anyone. ;)

*If you have a set of purse feet lying around, you can add those following the feet instructions. I didn't have any, so I didn’t add feet to this purse. They do make a nice addition though. Next time.

Next, you're going to stitch the handles to the bag to keep them in place. Mark how far you want them from the edge. I positioned mine about 2" from the side seams. Make sure they are flipped the correct way and not twisted.

Base stitch them to the bag with a 1/4" seam. This is just to keep them from moving while you sew the bag pieces together.

After the handles are stitched in place, grab the lining piece. Keep the outer bag piece flipped inside out. Turn the lining inside out as well. Both pieces should be facing right sides together. This is important, check twice. ;) You should see the ugly sides of the fabric for both pieces.

Using clips, attach the lining to the outer matching the side seams.

Sew around the top with 1/2" seam.

After you sew the lining to the outer, reach inside and flip the bag out. This takes a little more patience because the vinyl doesn't want to give. Just tell it who's boss and that it'll be happier once it comes to the bright side. It works, I promise!!

Bagging Out

1. Find the lining hole.

2. Reach through the hole and pull the bag through the lining.

3. Pull. Yank, lightly. Pull some more to get the vinyl out.

After you pull out the lining, push it back in and make sure everything fits nicely. Poke out all the corners. 

Look over the handbag and nothing is wonky, and there aren’t any seams with holes, pull the lining out and sew the opening closed. You can do this by hand or machine.

Sew the opening closed.

Stuff the lining back into the bag, topstitch around the whole top, and you're done! Yay!!

I decided to keep the lining showing for an added pop. However, the lining doesn't sit in the bag perfectly after doing this. If you decide you like this look, add 1" in length to your lining pieces. This was a spur-of-the-moment sewing project which are my favorite because I can experiment. I like the bag size for a day out. However, I would make it 2-3" deeper if I used it as an everyday purse.

Oh, and I also added a little tie to the bag as well. If you have enough extra fabric, you can make one too. The white vinyl was just too plain and boring for my taste. 

Cut a strip about 14" long by 5" wide. Fold in half and cut the short ends at an angle, if you'd like. Stitch the open ends, leaving a 2" gap for turning.

Clip your corners, turn out, and press. Stitch the opening closed and tie it onto your bag handle. Now you have a cute accent piece on your purse.

Where are you going to strut your new bag first? The mailbox? The grocery store? The living room? The possibilities are endless. Haha!

Oh, quarantine...

I think I want to try making this bag again but with darker vinyl. The white is fine because it'll wipe clean. But, I'm thinking bright yellow or blue for summer would be fun. Let me know if you make this bag. Remember, you can alter the sizing to your liking- make it taller, wider, shorter, etc. Sewing is the best, isn't it? 

Thanks for sticking around for this tutorial! 

Virtual high fives and hugs,

Annette

Easy Tips for Storing Fabric

Fabric, glorious fabric. We stash yards and pieces here, there, and everywhere.

Are your closets bursting with bags or stacks of fabric? Maybe they are still in the shopping bags from the store.  Or, you have everything nicely folded and organized in plastic bins. 

Take a second and think about your fabric. Is it hidden and out of site? Is it rolled up in the linen closet, boxed in the garage, or maybe you have all your ducks in a row and it looks as pretty as a peach?

Heck, maybe you're not a fabric hoarder and none of this pertains to you. 

Welp! I'm a fabric lover. I love feeling it, buying it, and then trying to decide what to make with it. Hi, my name's Annette and I'm a fabric addict/ hoarder/ stasher.

Cue the audience: "Hi, Annette."

Photo by Erica Lancaster

Stash-busting projects are always my go-to for gift-giving. Use what you already have on hand. All that fabric took precious time to shop for. Use it, if you can. If you can't use 40 yards of fabric on one gift, then make sure it is accessible to you and stored properly.

Do you prewash your fabric? I'm guilty of not doing this. I'm ashamed to admit it too. There's nothing worse than diving into a sewing project and spending time and energy making something, only to find that it doesn't fit after it got washed. 

So, I have started washing my garment fabrics right when I buy them. As soon as I get the fabric home, I launder it. That way, everything gets preshrunk, clean, and ready to be transformed! I do not prewash cotton fabric if I'm making non-garment items, I prefer the stiffness of the fabric while sewing. I should probably wash everything, but.... hey, I'm not perfect. 

photo by Erica Lancaster

“I collect vintage machines that I find beauty in. I’m a hoarder of all things sewing. ”

— Me

photo by Erica Lancaster

I'll save my collection of vintage sewing machines for another post though. 

I am lucky enough to have a whole sewing space. It's not a room, just space. I share my sewing life with workout machines, game consoles, and the computer. The computer is okay to stay though, I use it daily. Some day I'll have a huge She-shed (or bedroom) and it will be decked out in all things sewing. One can dream, right?

Let's get back on topic.

After my fabric is washed and dried, I'll hit it with the iron. No, not literally. Get rid of those pesky wrinkles and you'll have an easier time folding. 

I buy 2 yards or more when shopping for garment fabric. 2 yards is a good amount to make a skirt or most tops like my Rita Blouse. The fabric is usually 60" wide as well. Fold it together lengthwise (hot dog), then again so you have a really long and narrow piece. Now, this depends on where you'll be storing your fabric so my particular method, might not work for you.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Take a wide quilting ruler that is 5" wide and use as a template. I've seen some people use comic book dividers, narrower rulers, etc. Use what you have on hand or make your own object out of cardboard. I then "roll" my fabric over the ruler and get the size I want. I store my fabric on IKEA shelves in 2 stacks. I can see everything I have.

I often find random fabric from the remnant section at my craft store. Friends and family who know I sew, give me bags of fabric and notions as well. I wash those pieces and fold what I want, donate what I don't want.

I'm constantly going through my fabric stash to donate as well. Things go out of style. You might be over that fairy cotton print you planned on making something for little Suzie with- who is now 30. Life is a cycle and change is good. Donate what you don't want. It'll make room for new pretties.

I keep my smaller pieces in baskets. I also keep pieces that are leftover from previous sewing projects. This helps remind me:

A.  I've already sewn with this fabric, so I must like that particular fabric. 

B. This is an odd piece, so don't try and make a shirt with it. Use only for small projects.

Fabric scraps go in my big glass jar. These are where the tiny pieces the size of my hand go to die. Anything smaller, I toss in a bag to donate.

Leave a comment down below if you know of places that take scraps of fabric. H&M does, but that's the only place I'm aware of.

I organize other fabrics that I don't reach for on the daily, in a more discreet way. I do have an Etsy shop and sell handmade items as well. I used to make custom baby items, so I have minky, fleece, and flannel for that. I keep those fabrics folded nicely, but hidden. They take up a few drawers that I can pull out and find what I need quickly. 

I also keep felt pieces in a drawer, less organized but it works.

If you don't have a designated sewing space, and you use a temporary space to sew in. Store your fabric in clear bins and stack it in a nearby closet. You will see everything you have and it will be convenient to grab. Make sure they are folded neatly so you can tell what everything is.

I store all my items that are ready to sell in clear bins for my shop. It keeps smells out of the fabric and I can see my inventory.

If you'd like, take it one step further and organize fabric by type. Store knits together, quilting cotton, etc. Or store by color. Whatever makes it easier for you and gets you sewing will take loads of stress off your shoulders. Sewing is supposed to be fun! And fabric storage should be too. ;)

Leave a comment on how you plan on storing your fabric. And, where you donate scrap fabric. We all have fabric we could donate.

XO,

Annette