Organizing Your Sewing- Storage

I have a fantasy that in an alternate universe I'll have all the sewing materials I want right at my hand and that everything will be super organized. All my fabric will be hung up, my projects in a display cabinet, different sizes of shears in a line together...you get the idea.

Unfortunately, I have a low budget. Wait, let me rephrase that: I have practically no budget at all, so I have to work with what I've got.

I'm sure many of you are in the same situation as me, so let's work together to make our sewing super organized!

The focus of this post will be storage-because as these will be an ongoing collection of posts, and you might as well have all your stuff out of the way before you start organizing the rest of your toolbox etc.

So, if you want to have suitable storage for your sewing, you need to have some ( I guess you call it equipment?!) form of storage.

This could be:

- Reasonably large plastic containers from your supermarket. When I say containers I mean that they're like boxes, pretty big. These can come in a variety of sizes and if you have lots of material or other sewing equipment these are really good.

- Baskets. These are really pretty and can be stacked up and hold a lot of fabrics ( I have a few myself). Disadvantage: Moths and other bugs can get in and eat your fabric! This means that if having a basket you will have to put your fabric or whatevers in it to protect it.

- Tins. Okay, so these are mostly for small things ( such as ribbons, wool, scraps ) but really come in handy! An old biscuit tin that has been washed out will do perfectly!

- Bags. If really in need, you could get some strong plastic bags and store you stacked fabric and things in there.

- Sewing basket. If you have a GIGANTIC sewing basket, or not many sewing supplies, you could store things in there. If you haven't got a large one, I suggest you go to your sewing store or Lincraft, as I am sure they will have some good sizes.

Step 2~Stacking and Folding Fabric!

If you're like me, and have lots of fabric ( this is not all of my fabric pictured of course! ), this wil take a while! It's quite simple really. Follow directions below!

1. Iron all fabric if you wish.
2. Starting with one piece, fold to a size you like or fits your container. 40cm by 40cm I find is a really good size.
- Make sure all sides join up with another and are even.
3. Continue this method, making sure all fabric are roughly the same size folded as the previous one. Stack your fabric up and you're finished!
    If you wish, you can colour code your stacked fabric to be even more organized!

If you have misshaped fabric, such as a triangle, try to make a square or rectangle as best as you can.

For everything else, such as ribbons etc, place in an appropriate place. Unfinished projects in a box, donated fabrics in another, ribbon in a tin, endless organization. Believe me, this method works!

Store any other things you find randomly, pack away, and you're done!

 Keep checking Thread Thrills for more updates on Organizing Your Sewing! Coming soon!

How To Thread A Bobbin-Video Tutorial!

Hi Guys!

Here is the second video I've made: How to Thread A Bobbin! It's not as informative as my other video ' How to Thread The Sewing Machine ( eg, it doesn't have voice over or as many titles) but it's pretty understandable, I think.

So I hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks to Freya who was the demonstrator and Riddhi ( http://livingmylife-riddhi.blogspot.com.au/ ) who was hanging around in the background!

Feel free to check this video at anytime! If there's something you don't understand, or want to clear up, leave a comment on this post!

Video Tutorial- How to Thread The Sewing Machine

Finally, finally, I have put up my video tutorial! We created these iMovies in textiles class and this is mine. It is operated by Riddhi [ http://livingmylife-riddhi.blogspot.com.au/ ] and film and audio is done by me. My voice sounds really weird in it though so please don't laugh! :-)

So, please sit back, relax and enjoy the show! You can refer back to this video if you forget how to do it.

Please note the 'go fishing' part, is a term where you continuously bring the hand wheel forward until the thread from the bobbing pulls though to where the other thread is.

My next video is How to Thread A Bobbin! Coming soon!

How To Thread A Sewing Machine- Delay due to technical diffuculties

Unfortunately there has been another delay of the video tutorial ' How To Thread A Sewing Machine'. This time it's due to major technical difficulties which should be over soon.

So now the tutorial will most likely be available within the next 2 weeks.

Sorry for the delay!

New Collection of Posts- Organizing Your Sewing

Hi Guys,

I thought I would start a collection of advice about keeping your sewing materials in order. This is quite important because half-finished projects could be lost under that towering pile of fabric. It is also quite dangerous to have pins lying around, which I will talk about later on.

So that's going to be a new collection of posts to look forward to! Keep checking Thread Thrills for updates!

Sorry for the Delay- Winner of My Favourite Sewing Project Announced!

Hey Guys!

I am really sorry I haven't posted much in a long time, I have been really busy with school work!

So, there are a few things I need to catch up on! Most importantly...

The Winner of My Favourite Sewing Project!

Ok, so I had not many entries but as this is the first time this competition has been introduced, this is to be expected.

Anyway, the winner is....

ROSALIE!! ( aka Rosie )

Rosalie, a sewing pal of mine, has made this Arno Cat all sewn by hand. Wowee! Good work Rosalie!

An interview will be coming up next with Rosalie about her piece of work, so keep checking Thread Thrills for more updates on our winner of the month!

Our next My Favourite Sewing Project has begun and entries close on the 30th of May!

So get sewing now!

Also I'm thinking of adding themes to this competition; eg. You have to make something with the theme of animals or space or something.

Let me know what you think in the comments or send me an email at etskps@gmail.com

So that's about all for now guys, I'll try to keep more posts coming! Any questions you need to ask or if you need help on a project, don't be afraid to ask! Just drop a line and photo in the comments1

Bye for now!

Easter is coming!

Hey Guys! Easter is coming and Easter is a festive theme for Thread Thrills! Over the next few weeks, even after Easter has ended, I will be posting some Easter related projects eg bunnies, etc.

So get out those cotton wool balls and all Easter related sewing items!

I invite you to post your favourite Easter projects in the comments below! Here are a few ideas to get you thinking!

Posts coming soon

Hi Guys,

I know I haven't done a new post for awhile, my apologies. I have been getting together lots of posts and also I have ran out of stuffing. Here is a list of the next posts that are coming really soon:

- Video Tutorial- How to Set Up The Sewing Machine Part 1
- My Little Book
- A Different Kind Of Hair tie: The Scrunchie
- Bean Bag Bookends
- Winner Of My Favourite Sewing Project

And more!

Thank you guys for your patience:-)

How to make an Apron- Part 1

It is completely necessary to make an apron at least once in your sewing years. They are really basic to make and are cute when cooking. Speaking of cooking, go visit my friend, who is a fabulous sewer, Suzzy!
http://suzzy-craftandcooking.blogspot.com.au/

What you need:

- Sewing machine [ must-have ]
- Sewing tool box, must include many, many pins!
- Fabric of your choice for the apron. Make sure it covers your front and is the length from about your collarbone to your thighs.
- Iron
- Thread that blends in well with your fabric [ for mine I used a type of yellow] and a relatively similar bobbin.
                                                                                                      Steps 2-3 below

How to make an apron- Cutting out the pattern

1. Iron your fabric if you haven't done so already.
2. Fold your fabric in half. Your fold should be facing towards you.
3. At the top right hand corner, NOT the fold, cut a round shape [ picture shown on the right ]. This is where your arm will come out, just beneath the shoulder. If you want, you can hold the fabric up against your body, in place, and trace the round part so it secures the best result. Make sure you cut through both sides of the fabric.
4. Unfold your apron. It should look like picture
3. Hold it up against you again and inspect the round sides. Should you make any adjustments?
5. Fold back half a centimeter from every outskirt, including the round parts. Repeat step. You may like to iron the folds down. This will make your apron smart and look very classy! In other words, you won't be able to see the frayed edges.
6. Pin together the folded edges.

Sewing your apron                                                                            Steps 1 to 4 below

 1. Set your stitch length dial to 2 and your stitch width dial to 0. This guide may vary on different sewing machine brands so just make sure you are using a small straight stitch.
2. Thread up your sewing machine [ see tutorial video ]
3. All your fabric should be on the left side of the machine. Also consistently through the whole sewing process, your stitches should be quite close to the inner edge of the fold.
4. Begin sewing at the bottom of your apron. It is best to start somewhere that is less visible because if you make an error, it will not draw attention. Make sure you do a reverse stitch.

Remember to stop sewing about half a centimeter [or wherever you are comfortable with] before your foot reaches your pins so you can take them out. Don't push too hard on the pedal, this will make you go fast and you could injure yourself and damage your apron. Slow and steady does it.

When you reach an edge where 2 folds meet, stop pushing on the pedal, and, using the flywheel, which is the large circle located on the right hand side of your machine and sew manually.This would consist of you bringing the flywheel towards you. Further directions are below if you have trouble with this .

How to manually sew the edge where 2 folds meet


1. Turn your flywheel in a forward motion, towards you. Release your hand.
2. Repeat step until you have reached the end of your fold.

During this time, your needle and presser foot should be down as usual. Please note I mean, foot, not pedal!

When it comes to sewing around the round parts, go slowly and on a slight angle, making sure your stitches match the roundness, not just a wonky line. When you do this you will have to rotate your fabric a lot.

Make sure when you start sewing and finis sewing, you do a reverse stitch a few time so that your stitches are secure.

At the end, this is what your apron should look like. All sewn around the edges.

This is the major part of how to make an apron. Part 2 is coming soon!

Competitions

Hi Everyone,

When entering the competitions via email, please tell me the title of the competition your information This will make it more easier for me to publish your work!

Thank you!

New Thread Thrills Competition-includes prizes!

Hi Guys,

Yes, it seems like competition season with all the new competitions I have been encouraging you all to do. But what is one aspect of a competition, what are you trying to win?  The answer is pretty obvious, you are trying to win a prize.

So far, all of the other Thread Thrills competitions give out prizes like, your work will be published on this blog. So, for a change, I am going to create a competition where the prizes will be some of my works, that you can win.

As I haven't thought of any new competitions yet, there will be a competition for who can think of the  best competition! Phew!

Please leave your entries in the comments.

Thanks guys!

Your Top Three- New Competition

Hi Guys,

Here is another, well sort of, competition called ' Your Top Three'.

Basically it entails you sending me an email [ etskps@gmail.com ] telling me your top three sewing projects that you love/think are really cool or want me to do a post on. These will be published on my blog and will run throughout the whole year.

This is a great way for you sewers to speak out about your favourite projects. It could also inspire you all to complete some more interesting or more adventuress projects.

So, people, get choosing your top three!

Rules:

- Please keep it to no more than 1 entry per week, otherwise your top three will not be shown.
- Have fun!
- When entering, please tell me the name of the competition in the email. This will make it easier for me! Thank you!

Competition

Hi Everyone,


I had an idea of a few competitions that all you sewer's could partake in. This would hopefully make my blog more engaging and so you can have lots of fun completing them. The only competition available so far is the one below.

1: My Favourite Sewing Project

This friendly competition would consist of, each and every month, you sewers submitting an image of a project you have completed. At the end of that month, when this competition closes, I will select my favourite project and post it onto my blog so all my blog readers can see the awesome work you have done!
If you are interested please submit your entries to my email etskps@gmail.com

Rules:

- Project must be completed by YOU, not by someone else, eg, you send me an image of a project from the internet. I will be able to tell as I am a trained detective!!!
- Entries must be in by the closing time [ I will tell you when submitting times closes ]
- Have fun when you are doing it! Don't stress! This is meant to be a fun competition!
- Please tell me the title of the competition when you send me your entry. Thank you!

Note: Entries close on Wednesday the 28th of April! As this is the first time we are doing this you can have some extra time to create your project!

Posts that are coming soon

Hi Guys,

I know I have promised posts a long time ago, like how to make an apron, and I hadn't got round to them as I haven't been to Lincraft recently. Now I can give you a definite list of what's coming next:

- Video tutorial: How to operate the sewing machine
- A Different Type of Hair Tie: The Scrunchie
- How to make an apron
- How to make a skirt

Of course other posts will be coming as well, during and after these posts.

Keep happy and keep sewing!

Apologies, Posts are coming soon!

Yes, I know I have not done posts for a while. But don't  worry, there are more coming soon! I have been busy with thinking of some new projects and...

- Making a video tutorial!

This video tutorial is on how to operate and set up your sewing machine. It will be coming in a few days or a few weeks, I really don't know.

So yes, Thread Thrills readers, we are moving into the Sewing with Sewing Machines stage!

This will unlock many more exciting and advanced projects, and ones that won't take as much time!

How to make a Pin Cushion 2

As you will know, I have already done a post on how to make a pin cushion. But this is not the only way.

The other day in textiles class we made a pin cushion ( pictured ) using the sewing machine. I am not sure how familiar you all are with the sewing machine, but making something using it is more quicker and secures the best result possible.

So I decided to do a post on how to make a pin cushion 2 to show you the other way and to hopefully make you more confident with your machine, if you have already done your driving test.

What you need:

- A long ribbon
- A large button
- Sewing tool box
- Fabric of your choice [ roughly 24cm by 14cm ]
- Sewing machine
- Lots of stuffing

How to make the pillow

1. Iron your fabric and cut out to correct sizing [ if you have not already done so ]
2. Fold in half, making sure the wrong side is facing out, so you can see it. You should not be able to see the right side
3. Pin in place, making sure your pins are 1.5 cms away from the edge [ seam allowance ]
4. If your machine is similar to the brand, JANOME, set your stitch to A and your stitch length to your choice, but make sure the stitches are small.
5. Line your edge up with the 1.5 mark This will ensure you have a 1.5 cm seam allowance.
6. Begin sewing on the side next to your fold, and go all the way around until you reach the last side, a few centimeters before the fold.
7. Turn your pillow right side out.
8. Stuff very carefully through the hole. Make sure you make your pillow very compact and tightly full with stuffing.
9. Stitch the gap closed with a ladder stitch or slip stitch.

How to do the finishing touches

1. Cut a long length of ribbon of choice.
2. With one end, place in the center of the pillow. This will be your right side.
3. In a clockwise direction, wrap your ribbon around the pillow. Stop once you get back to where you have started. Make sure your ribbon is wrapped tightly for the best effect.
4. You can stop here if you would like. If yes, go to step 6.
5. Fold the edge of the ribbon upwards and wrap around once more. Stop at the middle and pin the ribbon in place. Make sure your ribbon is wrapped tightly.
6. Place button in the center of the pillow, where your ribbons should meet. Hold down tightly.
7. Come up through the back of your pillow with needle and thread. The thread can be a contrasting colour.
8. Pull thread gently through one of the button holes. Go back down through the other one. Repeat step 6-7 times.
9. Remove pin.
10. Finished!

Please note: Your ribbon may come undone if you do not wrap it tightly enough or hold in place. If you want, at the end of step 5, sew the ribbon together with a slip stitch for more secure results.

Bean Bag Buddies

This book ' Bean Bag Buddies ' is an awesome book by Nicki Wheeler. It features over 50 fun designs of soft and cuddly toys that are creative and fun to make. I recommend only Intermediate sewers for this as some of the designs may require a machine and are quite tricky.

One of my personal favourite projects in this book is the Alien, it is so adorable!

Also I recommend this book only if you are willing to buy lots of polar fleece and other expensive materials.

This book is available at DYMOCKS for around $24.99.

Alien pictured below.

Star Trek Craft Book

I bought this book close to Christmas, planning to make some things for my brother. For those of you who don't know, I love Star Trek! When I came across this book [ by Angie Pederson ], I HAD to buy it.

There are so many great ideas in here. Medical Tricorder Purse, Padd Case, Spock Monkey, Tribbles... I'm getting carried away.

If you are a Star Trek lover, YOU MUST GET THIS BOOK!

Below are some pictures of some things you can learn to make.

Google Images

Stray Sock Sewing, Too!

Hello Everyone! I know I have not done a post in a long time, my apologies. I have been very busy with
school work lately.

I have had this book for quite a while, it was a gift from my aunt. The ideas in this book are excellent! This book is all about how to make sock toys. So many creative and fun projects! When I get round to it I will definitely do a post on these.

I'm not sure if you can buy it now, but it was purchased at DYMOCKS for $24.99, a great buy.


Below are some sock toys you can learn to make in Stray Sock Sewing, too.






Google Images

Felt

Today I am going to talk about FELT. Felt is used in sewing for all different projects. It can be used to make a hair tie, a toy, a pocket book, a feltie, etc.

There are different types of felt, such as described in the image below. Here are some: Hand dyed wool, recycled eco felt, 3mm Wool felt, tough felts, soft felts, craft felt, blended wool felt, 100% wool felt.

What type of felt should I get?

That is absolutely up to you. I suggest getting eco friendly felt to be a friend to the environment.
However some projects may require a specific type of felt, so I will let you know when that requirement must be in place for projects.

If you have not purchased felt before or would like some for an upcoming celebration of yours, buy or ask someone to buy a felt pack. They are good to start with and come with the basic colours. I have
one that is similar to the image below.

Where do I purchase felt?

Felt is available at craft shops and sewing shops.