Pattern Weights

 

A couple good friends of mine from my sewing group back in Winnipeg got me hooked onto pattern weights.  While I prefer pinning a pattern to the fabric to make sure I get an accurate cut (especially in finicky areas), pattern weights are fantastic for tracing patterns.  But every time I saw them in the stores, I baulked at the price.  $13 for 4?  No thanks.

And then I saw The Petit Sewists tutorial on how to make up your own, and I was sold!  I picked up a package of 3/4" washers (inside diameter, they measure 2 inches across) within my first couple weeks in Yukon, I was that eager to make them.  Of course, then they sat on my desk for about 6 weeks...

Yes, I'm still using plastic bags as tracing paper. Shush.

As suggested in the tutorial, I stacked the washer 3 high before gluing and wrapping them up with some scrap quilting cotton I'd kept from an art project.  I think it's sufficient for weights, but 4 high would've been even better.  Still, I got 8 weights out of it, for $8, much more economical than $13 for 4.  And mine are infinitely cuter!

After finding The Petit Sewists tutorial, I discovered that this isn't exactly a new concept, and people more brilliant than me have been doing this for years!  And they don't all use this method, either.  Here's a few of my favourite links for pretty washer pattern weights:

• SewChic made single layer washer weights, but boy did she get a lot! This would be great for when you need a little bit of weight, or stack them for more if needed.  And how pretty are her fabric choices! I just wish I knew how she got her fabric edges so clean.
• Stitchin and Bitchin and A Spoonful of Sugar both created cute yoyo style weights. I love the button detail!
• Sugar Tart Crafts and Sascha Romeo used ribbon instead of fabric, and boy do those look cleaner than mine. Shucks, why didn't I do that?!
• But actually, my all time favourite and current target of my envy is the yarn-wrapped washers made by Walker Whimsy. Oo la la, look at the colours and that soft fuzziness.  I know what my next set will look like!
• And just for a bit of fun and organization, Junie Moon has come up with an adorable way to keep all of your pretty little weights together.

If you have, or plan to, make pattern weights too, please let me know!  I'd love to see how yours turned out.  Happy creating, all!

My New Sewing Space

After 2 months, I've finally got my sewing space set up!  I can't tell you how much of a relief this is, because for a while there, I thought I'd have to give up sewing until I moved to a larger space (and that won't be for a long while).

For those who don't know, I'm renting a room in someone's house.  My roommate is awesome, but there's no room anywhere else for me to store stuff, much less set up a sewing space.  So I had to convert my bedroom into a very organized working space.  You can see how I've organized the space below, including the arrangement, the storage I've come up with (so far), and the way's that I can convert it to a sewing area.  (Click to see full size if you can't read the writing.)

I'm so excited to get back to sewing!  I love my new knitting hobby, but sewing will always be my first love.

This will, of course, be a dynamic space.  I'll always be on the look out for ways to improve the space and make this easier.  I admit, I'm a messy person in general; keeping this space organized is going to be a challenge.  So far though, everything has a space (even if it's in the big miscellaneous basket), and that's half the battle right there.

Are any of your sewing or crafting spaces shared with other essential (or non-essential) parts of your home?  What kind of creative storage solutions have you come up with?  And more importantly, how do you keep your space tidy?!

Sewing Nook Progress

I was a little busy this weekend.

Settling into my apartment has been a really slow process, slower than I've experienced in the past. Granted, I'm usually just moving into a room in someone else's place, or moving into an apartment with absolutely nothing, so unpacking is generally pretty quick.

This time, I've moved with a lot of stuff, including my sewing supplies, so it's taking a bit longer.

But I did get part of my sewing nook done, this weekend! I've been itching to paint my chipped black desk and ugly fake-wood (free) bookshelves a cream colour, and this Friday I picked up the paint.

This is how they looked before:

And this is how they look now:

The sewing desk is a tiny piece of heaven in my humble little home. I adore the cream coloured desk, and the lamp and cork board I picked up today at Walmart finishes it off nicely. It's so handy to have the pattern instructions right in front of me when I'm sewing!

The space still needs some work though. More sewing storage is needed in/on/around the desk. Plus I have a tonne of books stored at my parents place, so the book shelves will change. Am considering moving my sewing patterns and books to these shelves (from another set I have next to the desk) to keep all my sewing stuff on the half of the living room I dedicated to my sewing space. I also need to find a more permanent place for my ironing board, because it's sort of in the way sitting in front of the couch like it is.

Still need to deal with my fabric storage, which will (mostly, hopefully) be kept in these fish crates my Uncle was about to toss out:

No, they don't smell like fish. Still trying to decide if I want to paint them. After seeing the book shelves and desk, I think the answer to that should be yes, eh?