Tag: beginners sewing

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Clever & creative ideas to easily reuse your old towels

As a busy mother of 3 kids, there are times when I look around our family home and am shocked by the amount of stuff we have. Piles and piles of books, clothes splayed out on the kids’ bedroom floors, overflowing, disorganised cupboards… urgh.

That’s when I get all ranty and demand we start clearing out and organising some of our possessions.

But when I say “clearing out” I don’t mean throwing out. To our family, it means finding new life or new homes for our unwanted things.

As someone who loves sewing, I tend to squirrel away bits and pieces of unwanted textiles during our “clearing out” phases that I can upcycle sometime, somehow. (That’s one of the advantages of being able to sew, right?)

So, while “clearing out” recently I discovered that my collection of rescued old ratty towels was larger than I remembered it being 🙈. I decided I needed to find myself some DIY projects to make a couple of useful things out of them.

Which lead to me scouring the internet for ideas for myself. And then of course I had to share some of my favourite finds with you here!

And since I am all about simple sewing projects that are low-stress and no fuss, I’m know you’ll find something perfect for you and your old towels, no matter how advanced (or not) your sewing skills are!

Take a look for yourself and give your old towels a new lease on life with these fun upcycling sewing projects!

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Upcycling sewing project: How to turn your old towels into drawstring bags!

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself at the sewing machine when my kids need something. Sure, of course I enjoy sewing simply for the fun of it or because I discovered some amazing fabric I couldn’t bear to leave behind at the fabric store and I wanted something just for ME.

But there are frequent times when necessity really is the push behind creating a sewing pattern.

Like recently, when my kids were packing to go away camping and we realised that they each needed a bag to stuff in their plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery and tea towels. Something that could get banged around and dirty, but keep the contents inside clean, could fit in a suitcase with all their other gear, and still be suitable to go through the washing machine at the end of their outdoor adventure.

And that is where my idea for sewing drawstring bags came from.

I had been saving a stack of old, thinning, fraying bathroom towels for a handy upcycling project and a drawstring bag was perfect!

This sewing project will only take you about ½ an hour requires nothing but sewing straight lines! Which makes it perfect for all levels of sewing fans, even nervous newbies!

(If you’re on the lookout for more simple sewing fun, take a look at my other straight lines sewing projects .

Ready to put your old towels to good use too? Environmentally-friendly AND easy? Yes please! I have got the perfect, easy-to-follow sewing tutorial for you!

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How to sew a pocket tissue holder in 15 minutes!

Do you have the feeling that life just seems to be getting busier? Like, who’s got time to remember to pack every single thing for the family when leaving the house, let alone for yourself?!? And never mind not having a lot of time for your own hobbies (for me, that’s sewing!) like you used to…

I get it! As a permanent servant mum of 3 kids, I am constantly looking for ways to streamline and simplify our family needs, so when it’s time to do anything at home, on the go, or on holidays I know what we need, that it’s going to be practical and that we can find it easily.

Do you know what every family needs every single day? Tissues!

Do you know a cute way to always have tissues at the ready and not in the black hole of your car or handbag? A sturdy, compact, fabric tissue holder!

Get ready to be amazed by how easy and quick it is to sew your own pocket-sized tissue holder! Even if you’re new to sewing, this project is perfect for building your confidence and you won’t need any fancy equipment.

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Unlocking Sewing Success: Why Tracking your Sewing Projects is so Valuable

Does the phrase “Dear Diary…” bring back any teen memories for you? Those youthful moments of recording your wishes, worries, dreams, and memorable experiences? 🥰

Keeping a journal isn’t just for teenagers anymore and there isn’t only one right way to write out your plans, gratitude and hopes.

Just search around online and be prepared to be overwhelmed. 😳 You’ll find all sorts of ideas from bullet journals, gratitude journals, dream diaries, travel diaries and more.

But what does this have to do with sewing? 🤔

Do you ever find yourself knee-deep in a whirlwind of exciting projects and ideas, always buzzing with inspiration and itching to create something awesome?

Well, my creative friend, I have a little secret that can help you make the most out of your creative journey: keeping a sewing journal.

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Fun Spring Projects to Make: Simple Sewing Tutorials Round-Up

It’s an undeniable fact: Spring is the best season of the year!

Nothing says warmer weather and sunshine like bright colours, a garden full of flowers, bees humming, pottering around in the garden, the taste of strawberries **drool**, Spring cleaning and some refreshing updates of home décor.

After cleaning through my own fabric mountain stash, I decided to go researching for some fun Spring sewing patterns to put to use some of the fabric bits and pieces that have been saved with good intentions (and long forgotten).

In this blog post you’ll see some of the favourite ideas I’ve collected as a great way of adding some colour and whimsy to your home and make sweet gift ideas for others too!

These sewing tutorials are a mix of fun décor and useful projects and all can be created fairly easily. No need to spend days labouring over these cute Spring sewing projects!

Check out the tutorials to see for yourself how simple and sweet these Spring sewing projects are!

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Easy Easter Sewing Projects to Brighten Your Home This Spring

What better time to pull out the sewing machine to create some colourful happy vibes around your family home than Easter! And my, are there a LOT of Easter sewing projects out there to choose from!

For us Northern Hemisphere types, Easter also means Spring has started! Which means even more reason to create some bright and fun colours to surround ourselves with and shake off the grey of another long winter!

I’m not actually even from the north side of the planet (I am Australian💪), so I’m always on the lookout for every new glimpse of colour and sunlight after the German winter.

So, I’ve done some research to narrow down your Easter sewing overwhelm choices to put together this brilliant blog post filled with 10 fabulous Easter sewing projects to make. Whether you’re a sewing beginner or an expert quilter, you’ll find some sewing gems in here!

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Sewing Made Simple: What Sewing Beginners Should Know Before Starting

One of the best things about sewing is that you never stop learning! But everybody has to start that learning somewhere, right? What are the most important things that every sewing beginner should know? What tips and tricks can help to soothe sewing nerves and set you up for sewing success? What sewing tools do you really need to have at home? And what are some of the common sewing mistakes you can avoid?

Sewing is supposed to be fun, not overly-stressful! But like any new skill, it’s good to have some basic know-how before diving in.

Not everyone is able to attend a sewing class in person, so having basic sewing tips and terminology within easy reach can be a lifesaver when you are just starting out!

In this blog post you’ll discover links to loads of pages with easy-to-understand sewing information that you’ll refer back to over and over again. Hint: save this post so you can get back to it every time you need more sewing support. I’ve got your back! 😉

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Avoid a sewing disaster! How to easily clean & oil your sewing machine at home

If you own a sewing machine and hate the idea of it, or any of your precious sewing projects getting damaged, there’s a really simple way for you to not get stuck halfway through your creative joy: cleaning and oiling your sewing machine!

It is easy to do, quick to finish and clean up, and your sewing machine will love you for it! 😍

In this post I’ll walk you through how to give your sewing machine some regular care and attention. Read on to find out how (and how I found out the hard way why maintaining your machine is so important!)

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13 Smart & Simple Sewing Machine Hacks You’ll Love

If you know anything about me at all, you’d know that sewing is a passion of mine. I think that being able to sew is an awesome skill to have and a brilliant hobby for anybody to fall in love with. 🥰

Which is why I can’t stop talking about it!

But you may not already know this: I do remember (not so long ago) when I was a complete sewing newbie. I hadn’t even touched a sewing machine until I’d already had 3 kids of my own.

And I remember being VERY nervous the first few times I sat down to sew. I mean, what if I pressed something wrong? What if I broke something? What if my fabric went sailing sideways out of the machine and I just ruined everything?!?

Because I think that sewing is so fantastic and I want to help you to feel more confident when you sit down at your own sewing machine (without fear of pressing the wrong thing!), in this post I am sharing a bundle of helpful sewing tips and hacks that you may never have heard before.

Are you ready to enjoy your sewing time with more confidence and less stress? Then take a few minutes to read through this list of sewing tricks before you take hold of your sewing machine!

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10 Terrific Last Minute Gift Ideas to Sew Fast

There’s nothing quite like an upcoming holiday or special occasion to make me get my butt into gear and plan some interesting DIY gift ideas. And if you are anything like me, sometimes those gift ideas are going to be of the “last minute gifts” kind. 🙈

Luckily, I have been searching for a while now and compiling sewing projects that make perfect handmade gifts. Yes, even for those of you who leave your sewing projects to the last minute!

In this blog post you’ll find 10 terrific DIY gift ideas that can be made in a dash, some of them even in 10 minutes! (And then there’s a bonus list of even MORE great DIY gifts you can sew at the bottom of this page 👇).

Whether you are looking to make lovely gifts for family, friends (or even yourself 😉) you’re sure to find the perfect one here.

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