Repurposing old clothes as pouches

You know I like a pouch or two, and you’ve probably worked out that I don’t really like to throw things away if they still have another use in them. Today I’m sharing a couple of recent makes which combines both of those, and I’m very happy with the outcomes, and hopefully you’ll be persuaded to try projects with clothes you have loved too.

T-shirt to project bag

I really loved this Joules t-shirt and was happy to rediscover it in my wardrobe this summer, but really it was long past its best to wear - even for gardening, and so it was retired briefly. But I kept seeing it in the corner of my craft room, and I knew that if I didn’t cut it up soon then it might very well make its way back into my wardrobe.

So I had a look through the rest of my scraps, and in particular the old clothes that I’d already cut up before we moved and found the remnants of an old brightly coloured Phase 8 tunic which made the perfect pairing. Once again I loosely followed the instructions for the vinyl fronted pouches, but without the vinyl front and supersized.

I wanted to keep the embroidered Joules logo, and so cut the front of my new project bag from the back of the t-shirt. As I was sewing I realised that I also wanted to see snippets of the fabric I’d chosen for the lining, which if I’m honest looks better as this pouch rather than with the brown trousers I regularly used to pair it with for the office!

That meant I needed to add a strip of the lining fabric to the back section of the project bag to be, so that when I turned the surplus fabric over to encapsulate the rough edges it would be on display. Mission accomplished, and a few decorative splashes of zigzag additions to bolster some of the seams and I was done.

I told you the lining was bright, didn’t I? I’ve immediately put this project bag to use and its currently storing a selection of fabrics for a future make I’m contemplating - in fact it came with me to my patchwork group like this, and after lots of playing around testing out the placements of fabric it came home looking pretty much the same, but with the added ideas and advice from more experienced quilters than me.

I’ve a feeling this will be a small make for the new year unless I have a burst of inspiration, time and inclination!

Geometrical yo-yo storage

The second pouch is one that I’ve made this week to solve a specific problem (not really a problem, but it’s definitely solved). The material I’ve used was once a vest top, and unusually for me is more coordinating than contrasting, well on the outside anyway.

I wasn’t sure how this fabric would sew as it’s quite stretchy, so instead of using another t-shirt I had in mind I opted for this contrasting batik fabric which I’m sure I bought back at one of the larger shows I went to in London and was well due a sewing outing.

The problem it needed to solve was to provide a home for my giant yo-yo maker (well it’s the biggest one I have), which as you can see was struggling to fit into one of the pouches from the recent batch I’d made.

And it does - phew. The maths had me doubting myself at one or more points, but my reasoning for adjusting the original pattern instructions worked out ok.

I even added some of the rolled hem detailing to the bottom of the pouch as a reminder of its previous purpose. And I smiled to myself as I put the completed pouch back in its new home, wondering if my choices has been influenced at all by the wicker basket this time round…

But what’s even better is that I’ve still some of this fabric left, and I have the trimmings which are now very happily wound together and sitting in my waste weaving pile, no doubt they’ll show up in another project one day!

Having a proud sewing moment

After each of our sewing group meetings there’s usually a photo or two shared on our Facebook group to showcase some of the projects undertaken at that meeting. It’s a great way to keep the group visible to all of our members, and to perhaps encourage more people to come along.

After the last meeting I spotted this photo of my table, and then I looked more closely and realised that I’d made pretty much everything that’s on show in this photo. So that’s my proud moment!

It’s a small thing really but it’s actually quite a big thing for me as I never really thought I’d get this ‘into’ sewing. I mean I’d sewn before, and was happy using a machine but it probably wouldn’t have been my ‘go to’ craft but in the two years we’ve been here in Nottinghamshire, that’s changed. Partly I think because the sewing group I first went to was one of the most welcoming craft groups I went to, and so I went back and have kept going back. I’ve also been to knitting groups and a mixed craft group once, and haven’t been back - so that tells you everything you need to know about them, doesn’t it?!

But anyway, back to that photo and my sewing projects:

1. The blue pouch (top left), black patterned pouch (bottom left) and gold pouch (bottom right) are recent makes on my new ‘take to’ machine.

2. The patchwork stars are the centre blocks in my next Quilt of the Month which I’m still working on and will share soon.

3. The dress I made, which I even wear out in public (and it hasn’t fallen to bits at all!)

4. It’s the corner of another pouch which is just showing in the bottom right corner - I’ll be sharing that one here soon(ish) too.

5. I made this bag back in 2016, when I really didn’t sew much at all. It was a collaborative post with the company providing the fabric, and I still use it today - and that hasn’t fallen to bits either, I should have more confidence in myself!

So yes, I’m having a proud sewing moment over here, it’s a good reminder of what I can do. And will hopefully spur me on to complete more of the projects on my “to sew” list!

A new 'take to' sewing machine and more pouches

I mentioned back in July that I’d got myself a new ‘take to’ sewing machine, which may seem strange given that at the start of the year I’d treated myself to a new Bernina. But the Bernina is too heavy to move very often, so that rules it out to ‘take to’ twice monthly sewing group meetings, and any ad hoc workshops.

My plan had been to use my very old Toyota sewing machine for this, but thankfully I tried it before I took it anywhere. I knew its plastic was yellowed, and that it hadn’t been used in a very long while so I thought I’d re-familiarise myself with its controls and so on before taking it out.

Just as well I did, as it wasn’t happy about being neglected for so long.

It worked - and had recently been PAT tested - but it didn’t work at the same time. There was power, I could wind bobbins, but the actual sewing bit - nope. Just up and down, not up and down and along, which is what you need. So that scuppered that plan.

Given that I’m now au-fait with buying sewing machines - in truth I have found a good and trusted dealership - I thought I should invest in a ‘take to’ sewing machine. One that sews properly, doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but does enough and is light enough to ‘take to’ sewing meetings and workshops. So off I went with a budget in mind.

Shock, horror. I was persuaded to spend less than my budget (which I’d already played down) by the dealership. And so I took that advice, and as I knew this one would be out and about I also bought a bag to carry it in while I was there. This new machine has now been to four sewing group meetings, it’s been to the Monday evening sessions and the Saturday morning ones (which I used to skip) and we’ve had a grand old time getting to know each other.

Getting to know my ‘take to’ Singer

I wanted to make some small and already known items to get to know my Singer, and as luck would have it I’d already run out of that stash of pouches I’d made the year before. I don’t know where they go exactly, though some have made it out of my sewing room into travel bags and others have found themselves full of sewing paraphernalia.

So it was time to make some more.

It’s taken about three sewing sessions to make my new pile of pouches, that’s alongside the chat, the tea and biscuits and time spent admiring other people’s projects, but let me show you my latest stack of window fronted pouches.

THIS ONE WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT TO USE TEMPORARILY

AND THIS ONE WAS MADE WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND

As well as making a new sized pouch for my scissors and rotary cutter, I made a couple to match my sewing machine bag and the velvet box pouch which I made for the foot pedal. With these I’ll look most coordinated when I venture out!

I’ve a couple more projects planned specifically for my ‘take to’ machine’s sewing bag - mainly so I don’t forget the essentials when I go (as I have already!) and I’ll share more of those when I actually make some progress. So far I’ve gathered the materials I need, and even eaten a tube of Pringles in preparation, but I need to find some time to plan it out properly before I start. And then hopefully there’ll be no stopping me!

I also need to look for my next ‘take to’ project, or decide if I have projects just for the ‘take to’ machine or move current projects between the two machines. I guess that will come with time, and may even depend on what I’m sewing and how far I’ve got, but it’s nothing insurmountable is it?