8 Ways To Inflation Proof Your Sewing

I decided to write this because it’s been something that’s been on my mind for quite some time. I’m always looking for ways to save some money. But I also want to be able to continue to do what I love. So in this article, I’m going to give you 8 ways to inflation proof your sewing. In this article I’m expanding on my video in which I give you 5 ways to inflation proof your sewing (the video will be uploaded over the weekend).

Tip #1

Sew your wardrobe essentials.

In this way, you can see what you already have and fill in those wardrobe gaps you might have. Whatever those essentials are is up to you. After all, it’s your wardrobe.

Tip #2

Use what you’ve got.

By using what you already have, nothing should go to waste.

plan projects based on the fabric you have
use those notions you have, which we sometimes forget about (zippers, buttons, elastic, etc)

Tip #3

What can you make with the patterns you have?

I have bought a few patterns lately, but not many. I have been more determined to use the vast collection of sewing patterns I currently own. And as we all know, many older patterns aren’t out of style. In fact, so many patterns have been repackaged and renumbered lately!

Tip #4

Sew wardrobe-builder pieces

It’s possible to focus your sewing on those pieces that you can get the most use out of. That can be things like:

T shirts/tops
Jeans/dress pants
Dresses/skirts
Jackets/blazers

I don’t think you can have too many basics because those are the pieces that can go from day to night or casual to dressy.

Tip #5

Think outside the box

Think of what you want to wear and create a unique wardrobe for yourself. Since you are already creative, use that to cultivate your own style. Remember, you don’t have to be like anyone else. Just be you!

Tip #6

Thrift stores

While a lot of people think of thrift stores for sewing patterns, I have shopped them a little differently. These are great places to get large sheets that can be used as fabric for making a muslin or mock-up. I have also bought men’s shirts for a few dollars that I used strictly for the buttons.

Tip #7

Organize

One of the ways many of us waste money is that we are buying things we already have because we can’t find something. If you can organize your supplies, that can save you from repurchasing those notions, etc that you need for a project.

Hanging jewelry organizer

And the last tip in my list of 8 ways to inflation proof your sewing is…

Tip #8

Make a list

Personally, I use a whiteboard on the wall of my sewing room to jot down things like thread colors (by manufacturer and color number) I’m running out of. Or if you don’t have that, a simple piece of paper will do just as well. It’s also a good idea to keep that list on your phone as well. If you find ourself at the store and want to get those list items, having it on your phone is a great idea.

Small white board

So those are my ways to save some money while still doing the thing I love to do. Many of these tips will also work for other types of crafting, or just life in general. Let me know in the comments if you have other ways of saving.

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The Perfect Pull On Jeans

First let me say, Minerva Fabrics gave me the material for this. The material is a jeggings fabric that is soft and stretchy. Although I was concerned that the fabric had too much stretch, it ended up being perfect for these jeans. They are the perfect pull on jeans for comfort and just a fun thing to wear. Here is the post I wrote on the Minerva site.

There are real pockets in the back and faux pockets in the front of the jeans. This is a quick project to put together as well.

Construction Process for the Perfect Pull On Jeans

As far as actually sewing these, a serger with a 4-thread overlock stitch is probably the best and fastest. That gives the stretch and the strength needed for these pants. Otherwise, a zigzag stitch is good.

I did use a twin needle for the hems.

Because the waistband calls for 1″ elastic, they are very comfortable to wear. I used 3/4″ elastic for this particular pair. I used what I was able to find easily and they still sit comfortably at the waist. So I would not recommend using anything less that 3/4″ wide.

If you notice in the photo above, there was a flaw in the fabric. There was a white line on the back of the leg (something from the manufacturing of the fabric). While I had enough to re-cut another, I decided to leave it as is and use the remaining fabric to possibly make a sweater or something.

I have made this pattern before (here) using a stretch woven material, which is actually the recommended fabric.

The elastic for the waistband is two pieces. There is a front and back piece . Getting a good fit is much easier this way. And you don’t have to worry about the elastic twisting in a casing.

Although this is an older pattern, it is still available. I definitely think this is one worth having. The pattern was made without alterations. I was able to get a good fitting pair of jeans by choosing the right size.

Until next time…

McCall’s 8244 Top

This is another project I made for my monthly Minerva make. While I didn’t get the fabric from them, I was gifted the pattern from Minerva. This is part of the #SewnWithMcCalls Minerva Challenge. I’ll add details for that challenge down below. I decided to make this McCall’s 8244 top. The only change I made to this was to leave the hood off of the long-sleeve top.

The Plan

Because this is a color blocked top, I wanted to make sure I kept everything organized the way I wanted.

The first thing I did was to make a sketch of where I wanted the fabrics to be. Part was based on how I wanted it to look, and part was based on the amount of fabric I had available. All of the pattern pieces are cut out on a single layer (right side of fabric faces up). One of the easiest and fastest ways of cutting out all of the pieces is to use a rotary cutter.

Sewing The McCall’s 8244 Top

Although the pattern calls for a 5/8″ seam allowance (standard for the Big 4), I used 1/2″ for the most part. I wanted to make sure that the top had enough room. There was no way I was going to attempt to do an FBA on these pieces. Thankfully, everything worked out really well.

Things worked out so well that this came together in a couple of hours. I sewed everything on the serger except the hems. Trimming the hems with applique scissors or curved scissors is really helpful to reduce bulk. Twin needle for the win to do all the hemming. I used scrap fabric for all the pieces in this.

I actually have leggings that match the paint splatter fabric at the bottom, so that could be another look for this top. This was actually more fun and less stressful than I thought it would be.

Minerva Makes and Challenge

Here are some previous Minerva makes I’ve made recently.

As far as the #SewnWithMcCalls Minerva challenge, anyone can enter if you have used a McCall’s pattern. You can check out their site to learn about the challenge rules, etc. And you can also get a free dress pattern (PDF).

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