Organizing Sewing Supplies

Sewing requires a lot of little tools: the pins, needles and pincushions, thread, scissors, tape measures, buttons, seam ripper, thimble . . . How to keep them all organized? Fabric stores are full of organizing helps and special containers for every sort of sewing gear, but I hate to spend money on storage--especially with my poor track record for keeping things in their own specific box!

I have a bad habit of scattering my sewing supplies and projects all through the house. I will admit right now that when it comes to "organized", I am the last person who should talk, but I do try to simplify my system and stick to it. Here is what works to contain the sewing supplies that find their way to my room: a three-tiered tray.

I bought this tray on Ebay, but I picked up another one secondhand for only a few dollars. Little things, like the seam ripper, wrist-pincushion, and embroidery scissors, sit on the top tier, while thread fills up the second tier. The lowest level holds scissors, a tape measure, a handmade felted rose pincushion, and a solitary, saucer-less teacup filled with assorted buttons and a few dulled sewing machine needles I use when sewing paper.

If you have no specific sewing area, limited space, or no cabinets to keep your sewing paraphernalia out of sight, a pretty tiered tray may be just the thing to hold your sewing supplies. It's pretty enough to be stored on an open shelf, can be easily carried to or from your sewing area, and gives you multiple levels to organize your supplies.

What's the Deal With Sizes?

Ever noticed how sizing varies from company to company? If you're a new seamstress you may be surprised when you realize that the sizing of sewing patterns is radically different than that of off-the-rack clothing!

I've had at least one seamstress ask me about the size charts I use for my patterns, confused because by my charts she was several sizes larger than she was in off-the-rack clothing.

I use the US Standard Clothing Size in designing my patterns, which means that you will probably be a larger size in my patterns than you are in off-the-rack clothing.

To illustrate the differences between sewing pattern sizing and off-the-rack sizing, let me compare a size 12 in off-the-rack size, standard clothing size, and--for the fun of it--the measurements given for a size 12 on a pattern from the 40s.

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Off-the-rack|Standard Clothing Size|1940s Pattern
Bust: 38.5 34 30

Waist: 29.5 26.5 25

Hips: 40 36 33

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As you can see, there's a huge difference in the measurements that claim to be "size 12"--a 2008 off-the-rack size 12 is roughly equivalent to a size 20 pattern in the 1940s!

A word about ease: Most big pattern companies--not my patterns!--add so much ease to their patterns that I often make my garments 2 or 3 sizes smaller than my measurements say. I recommend looking at the "actual garment size" (usually printed on the pattern piece) and choosing your size according to that. You do need some ease, but you may not be happy with the fit of your garment with the large amounts of ease most pattern allow!

The bottom line: Don't judge a garment or pattern by its "size"--the measurements are what really count!

Free (or practically free) lace!

Going along with my last post on free (or practically free) buttons, I'd like to suggest visiting thrift stores with lace and other trimmings in mind. Lace--especially "real looking" lace-- is often extremely expensive. Lace off of thrift store garments can be an affordable alternative.

The picture shows my latest free lace find--over two yards of wide, double-edged vintage lace from the neckline of an orange polyester evening gown that someone chopped off at the knees. (When I told some of my friends about the dress, describing it as an "awful orange"--meaning a color that would never flatter me--an orange-lover well-I-never'ed, so I have omitted any excess adjectives, positive or negative!)

Here is another Thrift Store Directory to help you find stores in your area.

Have you ever picked up your knitting or crocheting project, only to spend the first few minutes figuring out which row of the pattern you're on? These bracelets, which work like an abacus, are a handy--and pretty--way to keep track of your rows. (I'm currently on row 126 of 154 on my pink shawl.)

You'll need:

• 9 large beads (to count 10s)


• 9 medium beads (to count 1s)


• assorted small beads to space out the counting beads and make the marking loops (I used green beads for the loops, and two sizes of pearl beads for the spacers)


• clasp


• clear beading thread


• stretchy beading cord

Using some of your smaller beads and the stretchy beading cord, make two marking loops; one for the 10s and one for the 1s. Make sure the loop is large enough the beads can pass through easily, but not so large that they'll slip through accidentally and throw your counting off. Tie the loops with very secure knots.
Attach the clear beading thread to one half of the clasp using a half hitch. Make sure the two ends of the beading thread are of even lengths.
Begin stringing the counting beads, separated by the small beads, onto the two threads. You will need more spacing beads between the 1 beads than between the 10 beads. Try to space them so that the two strands are of even lengths. Don't forget to slip a marking loop onto each strand!
If you have used all of the counting beads but the bracelet is too short for your wrist, string more beads onto both threads at once until it's the right length.
Tie the threads securely to the other half of the clasp. Pass the threads back through several beads before you cut the ends off.
There you have it--never loose your place in a pattern again!

Pink Alpaca Knitted Lace Shawl

I try to make sure that I always have some kind of bring-along project started: knitting, embroidering, crocheting, tatting...

This fall, just before a long car trip, I found myself without a project. Mom's stash came to the rescue!
She had on hand three skeins of Alpaca Cloud yarn (in "peppermint heather") and the Rona Lace Shawl pattern. I like the pattern--it's not too simple, and yet not frustratingly hard. I've been working on the shawl on and off for the last two months, and soon it will be finished--I'm looking forward to seeing what it will look like once I take it off the circular needles and block it.

Free (or practically free) buttons!

The price of sewing notions can easily make up half of the cost of a dress. Buttons are especially pricey. What to do when you're a seamstress on a budget?

If you have thrift stores in your area, you might want to consider going to them with buttons in mind. I have gotten a dozen shell buttons (which would cost $6-$8 new) off of a dress that cost under $5--that's not counting the nice rayon fabric to re-make into a new skirt or dress! Thrift stores with "free" sections are the best--even hopelessly stained outfits can contribute their buttons before joining the rag bag (as the buttons on the sweater, above).

Check out the Thrift Store Directory to see if there are any stores near your home!

Creating a Wedding Dress

When my brother got engaged last spring, his fiancee asked me to make the wedding dress. She gave me a picture she and her sisters had drawn of what it should look like. With the drawing, a very basic princess seam dress pattern and an old blue sheet, we started work one afternoon.

After some reckless cutting of fabric and basting of seams, I had Audra put the mock-up on inside out while I re-pinned the seams, taking in and letting out, basting and re-basting. That first afternoon we got the whole mock-up fitted and decided on the width and positioning of the four triangular skirt insets. Since all of the fitting and figuring was done, the dress went together very quickly once we got the fabric.

Dotted: usual cutting & grain line

Solid: modified cutting & grain line

Cheri asked me about the sleeves on the dress. I cut them out freehand, matching the length of the top of the sleeve to the size of the dress armhole. (And yes, I made a trial sleeve--or two--before I cut into the real fabric!) Audra wanted a flared, yet not butterfly, sleeve. To achieve the desired flutter without extra fullness at the top and middle of the sleeve, I curved the sides of the pattern out, and then cut the piece out on the bias so that it wouldn't bind and would have a nice drape. Very narrow hems, slightly stretched as I sewed, finished the sleeves off with a gentle ripple.

The main fabric was an ivory colored polyester damask, while the sleeves were a slightly textured semi-sheer polyester. The whole dress was lined with unbleached cotton that was finished with French seams on the inside.