Sewing a dress or bag can usually cost more than if you bought it at the store. But, it doesn't have to be that way. Sewing can be budget friendly and I've compiled this guide to help you.
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Hobbies are good to have. They give our hands something to do and can keep our minds active. Some hobbies can empty your wallet, while others only cost pennies. Sewing can be an expensive hobby. There are so many gadgets and fabrics, and machines, Oh my! But, it can be inexpensive too. I'm here to tell you, you don't need to empty your bank account to sew or advance your skills. 
You might think you need that ultra-fancy dress form from a New York store. You don't. You won't need a fancy sewing machine that sings to you either. Let's take a deep dive into the world of sewing on a budget. 

When I first started sewing, the craft stores weren't half of what they are now. They offered one rotary cutter, a few boxes of pins, and 1/3 of the fabric selection they have now. Times have changed and the variety has grown tremendously! Hooray! Sales are more prominent now along with budget sewing items. You can get everything you need to create your masterpieces, without breaking the bank! Do you really need 6 different pairs of scissors? Not really. Think needs vs. wants. Ask yourself what a minimalist would do, and you'll be good. ;)


Grab some coffee and a snack, this is a long one.
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• Where to find fabric
• Patterns on the cheap
• Learn to sew for free
• Shop inexpensive notions (threads, scissors, pins, buttons, zippers)
• Where to get a sewing machine

First, I'll share some back story about my own bra journey. I wear a weird size. I can't walk into Target, Wal-Mart, or Macy's and just buy a bra. I have a small ribcage and large... um... blessings. So, I order bras online and pay a ridiculous amount for them. They aren't made any better than what you can find at Target, etc. But, they carry more unique sizes, so I go with that route. I made my first bra last year and it was mind-blowing! It was also extremely easy, cost-efficient, and even fun (once I got the fit down).

So, a few weeks ago, I was walking through Dollar General and grabbed a large bra. I said to myself, I bet I could alter this band size to make it smaller. I held the foam cup up to me and it seemed to be the right cup size. I gave the cashier my $7.00 and drove home. When I got home, I tried it on and had my husband help mark where I would cut the band, to fit my back. I thought Eureka! This is the coolest bra hack ever and I need to share it!!

​Side note: I don't think this will work as easily if you need to increase the bra size. This is more of a cut and slash downsizing bra project. I wear a small band, large cup. If you have a small cup, it may be more difficult to do this bra hack. 

I made this cute handbag as a fun little distraction during quarantine. I planned on using it sooner than later, but we all know how that turned out. Ha! Days turned into weeks and it's all a blur from there. 

I had some marine vinyl leftover from another project and I came up with this little purse. 

Want to make a cute little handbag for your next shopping trip?

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 yard of marine vinyl or other faux leather type fabric
• 1/2 yard of cotton fabric for lining
• Thread
• Sewing machine and notions
• Microtex needle
• Scrap paper for making a pattern
• Ruler and pencil
• Interfacing if needed ( I didn't use any. Gasp, I know)
• Purse feet (optional)

Now that the holiday hustle is over, life can get back to normal. Whatever "normal" is, right?

Happy New Year!!
Do you make New Year's resolutions? I do easy ones. I tell myself I'll make dinner 5 nights a week, exercise more, give one room a make-over (the main bathroom), simple and doable things. And of course, I fall off the wagon 2 months in. LOL Ahh... life.

Anywho, what fun things did you give and receive for the holidays??
Perhaps you or a loved one received an Apple watch? If so, I have the perfect tutorial you need to scrunchify that watchband. Scrunchify is a technical term btw. ;)

Before we dive in I want to say this is a perfect scrap buster project. Yay for those! You just need a strip of fabric, no stabilizer needed. This is meant to be floppy. 
As far as fabric choices, choose something with a small print or a solid. I have made them with knit, quilting cotton, shirting, and they all seem to work great. So, be creative and have fun!