Listen, I genuinely enjoy sewing as much as anyone does, but I am not the type of person who is all “Let me take five hours to fold this fabric perfectly in every crease possible”. I am more of “let’s see if this glue stick holds”. If you’re like me, a sewing enthusiast but averse to needless work, then these are going to spare you plenty of your time and annoyance.
Let’s not postpone the discussion any longer and hop straight to my lazy but effective sewing hacks, because let us face it, there is really no time in being too accurate, right?
Washable Markers: My New Best Friend.
Forget those fancy disappearing markers that vanish when one needs them the most. My solution? Crayola washable markers. They’re cheap, they don’t disappear in the middle of your project, and… this is the best part, one almost always can buy a pack of 12 for the price of one of those “specialized” fabric marker. Also, I like to make things color-coded because I’m fancy like that. (And by “fancy,” I mean lazy.)
Ziploc bags: Because folding patterns is for masochists.
You know those moments when you try to put away the sewing patterns into those miserable envelopes that were sad in the first place? Yeah, that’s not happening. So, I take gallon Ziploc bags, put the pattern inside with the necessary information and instructions – and here you go. No more puzzles with which crooked bend makes the pattern go in. Also: You can throw a few fabric remnants in there which means the next time you decide to tackle that particular project, you don’t go insane looking for all materials.
Glue Stick Magic
Okay, I have to confess: On some occasions, I stick my fabric. Yep. I spoke it aloud. Gather some good ol’ fashion office glue (the washable non-toxic type – do not go overboard) and use it to fix those difficult pieces of fabric like bias binding. It adheres everything just enough for you to sew over it. No pins, no fuss, there you are.
Fabric Rolling: The ‘Pretend You’re Organized’ Trick
Have you ever seen how some houses have a huge spare room simply to store fabric? No, I haven’t either. As for my small fabric scraps, I curl them over and shove them into wire-basket drawers like a professionally (cough lazily) done organizer. Well, mostly that’s to avoid a huge pile of fabric on the floor, but now I’ve actually got a glimpse of what I have without having to go through my stash. Winning!
Mini Yogurt Container Trash Cans (So Fancy)
I am one of those people who will go for easy way out when it comes to cleaning up. Enter: the 2 pint yogurt container. Yes, that same container which you were going to throw away is now twisted into a pretty little mini trash can for thread snips, serger tails and all those metric scraps that end up strewn across your sewing area. Now your sewing table remains neat, and you are feeling like you got hatched out of a cabbage. Thrice win.
It’s Not Just For Cats: Using Cat Litter Pan Areas For Anything
What I like about mini cat litter pans is that they also help you hold your entire sewing project. By the way, fabric sheets, patterns, etc. No, seriously. Walmart also happened to have them dustemicks and they are stackable! Now I have like, a few projects at a time and they are all stored in their little plastic trays. It’s pretty much the sewing version of planning and preparation for meals, just leave out the kale.
Pattern Molding: No More Half-Measures
For some reason, I was unhappy with the mess that my patterns gradually turned into destroyed papers, so I squished them and crammed them into any available space. A little ironing does wonders to the patterns, and they remain foldable as per the instructions. I do actually, for the most part, iron my patterns on low heat to get the folds out and return them to the envelope. Well, almost. More often than not they do end up in a Ziploc bag, but hey, I am halfway there.
Pants Hangers: Not Only for Pants
I’ve come across a new way of maintaining my patterns in a flattened out form. Are you ready for this? These are plastic pants hangers. Yep, those that are freely available whenever you purchase clothing. I take these and hang my patterns in my closet, and everything remains flat with no creases. Even, in case of smaller pattern pieces, there is a hole punched in a Ziploc bag that is then hanged on a hook. Why bother with a filing cabinet at all when a closet is available?
Two Bags: One contains Fabric and One contains Garbage
I am a simple person, and as such, I do not like clutter, so I keep 2 bags around my sewing station – one for fabric scraps that can still be used, and the other for real trash. Its brilliant, right? I mean there’s order, and beyond that, I feel as if I’m going green, one serger tail at a time. I mean, threads deserve better than to just be thrown in the garbage for crying out loud, does it not?
Rotary Cutters & Weights: The Dream of the Lazy
Who has time to pin the fabric down before commencing the cutting? Certainly not me. I have to say a rotary cutter and weights make me feel as if I am invading the fabric instead of cutting through it, and I do this quicker than I can scroll on Instagram.
It allows to complete the activity faster, and my fabric does not shift around as much as before. It is like speed sewing but only what needs to be cut.
The Upshot
That’s it; these are my top 10 lazy (oops!) efficient sewing hacks that will make your life a bit smoother. If you are tired of working the hard way, pull these off. I will assure you that after you start sewing like this, you will never want to go back to the old ways. That is, unless, working on a project I cannot locate my glue stick with all ten fingers. (It is likely somewhere underneath the fabric pile.)
