Snuggles Quilts

Snuggles Quilts

MENU

Upcycling in the Sewing Room

What is upcycling? Upcycling is also known as creative re-use of things. You can just re-use them as they are for another purpose or you can transform them into a new useful item. I like to upcycle  because it saves money, is fun and has the added benefit of not adding to the landfill! So, this week, I’ll talk about upcycling items to use in the sewing room and also some items that can be used in the sewing room that weren’t necessarily designed for it. Let’s get to it!

Upcycling Items

The first item I “rescued” was this old coffee mug holder. Since all our mugs are in a cabinet, I decided to use this one for my sewing room. I use it to hang my scissors and rotary cutters. It’s parked at the corner of my cutting mat so I can reach these supplies quickly.

Next up … what did I do with this? 

Instead of adding it to my recycling bin, I use it to store my fusible web! 

I used to fold my Heat n’ Bond but then I had to deal with pesky fold marks which sometimes caused damage to the glue side of the fusible. Now, I roll it and slip it into the cardboard tube! No more fold marks and it’s easy to slip into a drawer for storage.

Empty prescription bottle? Use it to store bobbins! 

I use it just to store a random assortment of bobbins. You can also use a bottle for each color of pre-wound bobbins that you use often for your projects. This keeps them sorted and also helps to keep them from unraveling. 

Here’s another unique way to store bobbins… it’s actually pretty funny! If you have some of those old pedicure toe separators lying around, you can use them to store bobbins.

The bobbins fit in the toe spaces and it also serves the purpose of securing the thread so the bobbins don’t unravel. Also, the far right photo shows that these are easily stackable in a drawer by your sewing machine.

This next one is really unique! If you are a golfer, or live with one, you find a lot of golf tees floating around your house. I know I do! You can upcycle these by using them to pair a bobbin with a spool of thread. That way you can keep the spool of thread and the bobbin with the same color thread together.

Unusual Items to Put to Use

Now onto some items that you can purchase at the store to put to work in your sewing room. Obviously these items weren’t manufactured with the sewing room in mind, but I’ve found a spot for them!

Ergonomics is a big thing to consider when you are sewing, especially for long periods of time. Here’s a way to tilt your sewing machine to add to your comfort when sewing.

Yes, that’s a door stop! Grab a pair from your local hardware store to do this:

Since I have done this, it has relieved some back and neck strain since the machine is angled toward me. No more hunching over to see what I am stitching.

Another item that is not made for the sewing room but comes in handy is that roll of blue painter’s tape. I use it to mark the cutting line on my ruler so it’s easy to find my measurement, especially when I am cutting a large amount of strips the same width. And, it leaves no sticky residue on your ruler. You can re-position a piece of tape several times if needed.

Finally, if you are always hunting for those scissors when you are sewing, try making a scissors necklace! You can find the ball chains (left photo) in the craft store, thread them through your scissor handle and there you go. Instant scissor necklace.

So, that’s it for this week. Share with me in the comments below your favorite item that you have upcycled to use in your sewing room. You will be entered into a drawing for my new pattern, Strips & Stars:

The drawing will be on Monday, October 31st. Good luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Jen W.!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

The Joys of Improvising

Hi everyone!

This will not be a typical blog post because my computer crashed this week and I have to use my iPad to write this. Let me tell you… it took me a while to even figure out how to do it!

Since we’re talking about improvising this week, I decided to review how to improvise in the sewing room. Specifically…. using everyday household items in the sewing room. Share your improvising in the comments and win a pattern of your choice from my shop! So let’s get started!

Everyday Item #1: How to store those random bobbins if you don’t have a bobbin holder? Use an empty prescription bottle!

You can even use it for storage of sewing machine needles ready for disposal. Once it’s full, you can toss it and not get poked by needles through the garbage bag!

Everyday Item #2: No cone spindle for your large spool of thread? You can use a large canning jar.

If you don’t have a cover with an opening like my jar has, create your own with some cardboard. You do need a cover on the jar so the large spool stays put in the jar.

Clever, huh?

Everyday Item #3: Do you lose your scissors when you are stitching? I know I do. Go to the craft store and buy the chain pictured below and… instant scissors necklace. You can wear your scissors around your neck so they are there whenever you need them!

Everyday Item #4: Are you looking for a handy way to store your rulers? Use a hanger meant for belts!

To hang the rulers, thread a large jump ring (find at craft stores) through the hole in the ruler. Then hang it on a hook on the belt hanger!

You can hang this in a closet or from a hook by your cutting area.

Everyday Item #5: Finally, if you don’t have a pressing stick made for quilting, use a cuticle stick easily found in the cosmetics section of any store.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you picked up some useful tips. Share some of your unusual uses for everyday household items you use in the sewing room in the comments and be entered in this week’s drawing for one of my patterns!

The drawing will be on Monday, July 19th. Hopefully next week, I’ll have a working computer!

Happy Quilting! Deanne

Upcycling Everyday Items for Sewing Room Use – Part 2

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed my upcycling and recycling of everyday items in the sewing room in last week’s blog post. As promised, I have more for you this week! I hope you continue to share with me the items you put to good use in your sewing room. There were some pretty good things shared last week in the comments. Remember, the drawing for two of my patterns will take place on Monday, December 28th. I’ll be choosing the winner from the comments of both this week’s and last week’s blog post…. you still have time to enter!

So here we go ….

Item #1

In the comments last week, someone said they use empty prescription bottles to store sewing needles or to dispose of used or broken needles. Great ideas! Here’s how I use my bottles:

These prescription bottles are a great storage solution for bobbins! And since the bobbins are stacked in the bottle and can’t move around much, there’s no unraveling of the thread. You can also pre-wind several bobbins for a project you are working on and store them in the bottle for easy access as you are stitching. No stopping to wind a bobbin!

Item #2

Sticking with bobbin storage, if you do not have access to prescription bottles, I have another fun solution. Toe separators! 

Yes, you read that right! I picked up a few extra of these pedicure supplies at the drugstore and put them to good use in my sewing room:

As you can see, the bobbins fit nicely into the separators. And because these are made of a soft material, they can fit any type of bobbin and secure them nicely. The second photo shows how they can be stacked to fit neatly in a sewing box or drawer.

Item #3

If you are a golfer (or know one!) and you have a lot of extra tees laying around, you can do this:

This is a great way to keep a bobbin of thread paired up with the spool of matching thread for quick access. 

Addie approves of these last two items!

Item #4

Moving on from bobbin storage. Let’s look at something that makes sewing a bit more comfortable. What can you do with this?

You can adjust your machine for optimum ergonomics while sewing with a pair of door stops from your local hardware store. These will slope your machine at the degree you want, depending on how far you push them under.

This has actually relieved some of my neck and back strain that comes from hunching over the machine. Now I can see what I am stitching better because it’s angled towards me and I do not have to hunch over to see my seam.

Item #5

Here’s another item that I keep in my sewing drawer:

I use this to mark the line on my ruler for cutting strips. This is really helpful when I have a lot of strips or pieces of the same size to cut. It helps me find the mark on the ruler faster and cut accurately.

So that’s 5 more of my upcycling or recycling ideas. Trust me, I have many, many more of these ideas and I will share them in upcoming blog posts in 2021. Next week’s blog will be on finishing the 2020 BOM! 

Like I said above, share some of your tips in the comments and be entered in my drawing for two of my patterns: Marbles & Jacks lap quilt pattern and Loop-d-Loop table runner pattern!

The drawing will be on Monday, December 28th so you still have a week to enter! **We have a winner! Congrats, Donna Schulz!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Upcycling Everyday Items for Sewing Room Use

I like to find interesting uses for everyday items not only in the sewing room, but in every room around my house. I guess it’s in my nature. I hate to throw things away knowing they will just end up in the landfill. That’s why I like to find other uses for items that have outlived their original usefulness. I’m sure many of you have done this too. A lot of times these everyday items are to help me with organization and storage in my sewing room.

Share with me the everyday items you have put to good use in your sewing room and you will be entered in my blog drawing! So, let’s have some fun here…..

Item #1

Galvanized Peg Board. These are made for the garage, but who says we can’t use them in our sewing room?

These peg boards are great if you have a dedicated sewing room. Affix it to the wall, buy some hooks and load it up!

I even added an optional basket to the top to hold my task light! 

If you do not have a dedicated room for sewing but you can find a storage closet to use, put the peg board in there to keep the rulers stored until you need them. Or, for a less permanent storage solution, we move on to …..

Item #2

Item #2 is actually two things. A large binder ring and a hanger made for ties or scarves. You can use these to hang rulers and then hang them in a closet to store them. Thread the large binder ring through the hole on the ruler, then hang it from the ring on the hanger.

Item #3

Do scissors and rotary cutters float all around your sewing area? I used to hunt around for mine until I came up with a solution. I had this old coffee mug stand in my kitchen that I was not using anymore. So, I tried it out as a way to corral my cutting tools.

And there you go! All your cutting tools at your finger tips.

Item #4

I had some of these old plastic sign holders that I used to use in my Quilt Market Booth.

I do not use them in the booth anymore for signs, so of course I needed to find a new use. I now use them, with the help of large binder clips, to hold a pattern next to my machine for easy reference.

If you do not have any of these lying around the house, they are fairly cheap at the office supply store. You can even use it (or a smaller version) in the kitchen to hold recipes.

Item #5

Don’t throw these away! These can be used for sewing supply storage!

What can you use an empty paper towel roll for? Use it to store your fusible web or interfacing. Instead of folding those things up and shoving them in a drawer to get all creased and crumpled, roll them up and secure them in the empty paper towel roll for storage.

Those are just 5 of my everyday items I use in my sewing room. I will have more next week. Like I said above, share some of your tips in the comments and be entered in my drawing for two of my patterns: Marbles & Jacks lap quilt pattern and Loop-d-Loop table runner pattern!

The drawing will be on Monday, December 28th so you will have two weeks to enter! **We have a winner! Congrats, Donna Schulz!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne