Much like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland I often feel like I am rushing from one project to the next with little time to enjoy the sewing I love so much. Which of course is a huge irony since the sewing and quilting industry is my lifeblood.. That said I decided that 2017 was the year I was going to find more time for personal sewing so have been working my way through a long list of time saving and time finding hacks so I have more time in front of the sewing machine. So far I have made it to number 3 and as able with be sharing them with you….. what worked and what was pure rubbish ( for me… your mileage might vary)
- Of course the easiest one is to not fall down the rabbit hole that is Facebook and Pinterest – enough said. ( A timer helps!)
- Next was to speed up things in the kitchen – This is where the Instant Pot came into play. Love it and will be sharing more recipes over time. For now..make some Instant Pot Mac & Cheese..it is AMAZING!
Now I am working on making my sewing studio more user friendly (ahem – clean) and finding ways to accomplish more in short bursts of time.
That is where scrapbooking totes come in. These things are a dream for organizing, storing and transporting projects in the sewing room. They are easily available at most major craft stores and they store very well ” book style” on any shelf. The brand for mine are the Iris 12×12 size… you can find a 6 pack of them on prime for a sweet price.
Right now I am working on a new apron. This should be an easy sew but of late finding the time has been rough so I put the pattern in the box along with the fabric after I washed it. Then bit by bit I have been doing each step, moving closer to my goal of actually having an apron to wear! 
First was finding 15 mins to cut out the pattern… then back in the box
Next it was cutting the red linen… then back in the box… I think you are getting the point. Slow but sure I am getting it done.
How about you, how do you find time to sew in your busy life?
Ps… Interested in the apron? Here is a great little video about it and if you need a pattern I can hook you up!!
I use similar totes to organize sewing projects and it works very well for me. This method also makes it easy to transport what I have accumulated for a particular project to my LQS when I need to add a few more fabric pieces for a particular quilt. They are also great for taking materials and supplies to quilting/sewing classes. I use my handy dandy label maker to add the project name on the edge so I can easily find the project I am looking for on the shelf in the closet; it is also easy to remove and relabel when I finish a project.
Mine are by ArtBin. I use the Super Satchel 1-compartment size for quilt projects; it has a great handle that makes for easy transporting and handling. There is also a variety of the Super Satchel that comes with removable dividers; I have not used that one but it looks like it would work well for sewing supplies. I use the Double Deep size for storing fat quarters and charm packs; it comes with removable dividers that makes organizing by color, theme, or fabric line a breeze.
I have a very small sewing room with weird angles and it is a challenge to keep it organized and ready to work in. One thing that has worked well for me is using the wall space as much as possible. For example, I use Command Hooks to hang rulers and keep them within reach of the cutting surface. I also hung a small design wall (flannel covered insulation piece in a 24″x36″ open back frame) above my sewing machine and can pin supplies, instructions, tools, and pattern pieces to it for easy access. It also works well for in-progress blocks and/or pieces or for auditioning fabric for a project.