Hello and welcome to another week of Must Have Craft Tips – hosted by Michele from The Scrap Shoppe, Allison from A Glimpse Inside, Kara from Mine for the Making and me (Bev from Flamingo Toes)!
Every week we bring a different fun tip or trick and this month we are all about Sewing tips!
This week I’m sharing Seven Great Sewing Time Savers – these are great ways to speed up your sewing projects and make everything easier. Something I can definitely use more of!
So let’s dive right in!
Time Saver #1: Use craft supplies in fun new ways! When I’m sewing multiple rows on something, or even just something with a wide width, rather than having to stop often and measure my seam allowance, I have a fun way to keep track! I add a strip of washi tape right onto my machine to mark where to line up the edge of my fabric. It can be moved easily and it’s cute too! You can check out the whole Burlap and Lace Table Runner here to see what the finished project looks like!
Time Saver #2: One of the things I struggle with is organization! But if you keep your space tidy, it speeds up the entire process because you’re not spending 20 minutes looking for that kelly green bobbin you filled 2 months ago. Here’s a great bobbin storage idea for always finding the one you need quickly!
Time Saver #3: Along those same lines is Tip #3 – Keep your Most Used Sewing Tools Handy. It’s so easy for a sewing table to get buried under multiple projects, supplies and more. If you have a spot like this Sewing Machine Organizer, you won’t be hunting for your thread scissors or marking pens!
You can make some similar for your Ironing Board as well!
Time Saver #4: Invest in a rotary cutter and mat. So much of sewing is cutting out straight lines, squares, rectangles and more. Cutting these out will be so much easier and more accurate with a cutter and mat! You can even use a rotary cutter for cutting out apparel patterns. Once you get the hang of it you will find your cuts are more accurate than with scissors!
Time Saver #5: Have Binder Clips on hand! There are several fabrics that you don’t want to use pins on – vinyl, leather and even heavyweight fabrics. These are perfect for using binder clips. They don’t pierce the fabric but they hold everything in place. And they give you an excuse to buy cute office supplies too! (Tutorial for Leather Fold Over Clutch)
Time Saver #6: Keep your supplies for a project together. If you gather up all the thread, zippers, notions and fabric before you get started, it will make it so much easier to finish the project. Especially if the project is put in the To Be Finished pile. Fabric Baskets are so quick to sew up and are great for keeping the supplies together and organized!
Time Saver #7 : Use Resources for Learning More! It sounds silly to say it – but there are soooo many amazing seamstresses out there and they have so many great ideas for improving your sewing. Dive into to sewing groups online, pick up new sewing books at the library, and spend time on Pinterest checking out ideas. (Yep. I just gave you permission to spend time on Pinterest.) There are tons of genius tips and hacks out there and Pinterest is a great place to find them and keep track of them! I’ve started a Sewing Tips and Tricks board if you want to see some of the ideas I’ve collected there.
So we’d love to know – what are your favorite Sewing Timesavers?? Leave all your tips in the comments!
These ” Must have craft tips ” are absolutely wonderful. Thank You very very much. Gillian ( U.K )
i am always picking up a new tip, pattern, craft idea from Flaming every week. I have been sewing, crocheting and crafting for fifty years and you are always teaching me something. This is really a great website for old and new.
Thanks for your energy and real interest in putting useful information out here for us all.
I love your website Bev. You are so clever and the links you have are so interesting. I am a beginner sewer starting to sew again since I have retired. I subscribe to several sewing sites and love all the creative ideas out there.
Great tips!!! Thank you!!! I’m reminded of some cute organizing projects on my “to do” list!
Can you tell me what sewing groups you enjoy and recommend? Are these on Facebook or forum style?
What a great tip sheet. A few I already do but I certainly learned some new tips. Thank you.
So many good ideas, and what cute little homemade caddies for holding your supplies! Thanks for sharing this at the Family Joy Linkup!
Great tips! I’ve been meaning to make a sewing machine organizer for a while, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Hopefully, I will soon!
I love all these tips. Especially those cute tidies.
Hi, I have to comment on your Elna sewing machine. I have the same machine, it was my Grandma’s and it still sews like a dream! Awesome to see another one and your craft ideas are wonderful. Happy sewing!