Is your sewing machine looking a tad boring? If it's a newer sewing machine, the answer is probably yes. The newer ones lack style and color. If it's a vintage machine, the answer is probably no. It's already gorgeous and full of vintage flair! Either way, let's add some new life to your machine with a dust cover. They're easy to sew and you can make one for all of your machines.

Back in the early pandemic days, mask-making was a big thing in this house and my husband bought himself a Singer machine. I'm a Brother fan through and through but, he liked the Singer's grey color. Of course, it's been sitting for over a year, untouched, and needs a little makeover. It's going to get a new fabric cover! 

Let's make an easy sewing machine cover. You'll learn how to get the measurements and sew one up in an hour. Covers add fun to your sewing space and they keep your machine protected as well. Dust be gone! Speaking of dust begone, we just changed our AC filters. YIKES! They were long overdue. This is a friendly reminder to change your filters if you have an AC. ;) Go now, I'll wait. 

• 1/2 yard of fabric. Cotton, vinyl, canvas, denim, use whatever you want here.
• Matching thread
• Sewing notions: scissors, a marking tool, pins, etc.
• Ruler
• Serger for raw edges, or use a zigzag stitch if your machine has it
• Sewing machine

Grab some paper, a pen, and a ruler. You can use a tape measure but, the hard ruler makes it a little easier to get an exact measurement. 
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​Measure all the sides of your machine. 

Do you get the organizing bug after the holidays? I know I do. Remember Kon Mari? Yep, my closet and dresser clothes are still organized and folded with her method. It's been a couple of years and I need to revisit my dresser. But we'll save that for another day. Today I want to share with you how I organize my patterns. 

I have quite a few patterns for sewing although, not nearly as many as other sewists, I know. I have friends who have bins upon bins of sewing patterns. 

In my stash, I have PDF ones, traced off ones, patterns that have been adjusted and re-adjusted again, and of course regular pattern envelopes. I keep my shop patterns and self sewing patterns intermingled. However, they get separated by category. I'm not completely crazy. Ha!

Here's what you'll need:

1. Box of envelopes
2. Marker and washi tape
3. Clips (optional) 
4. Boxes or bins to fit the patterns inside

Fabric, glorious fabric. We stash yards and pieces here, there, and everywhere.

Closets bursting with bags or stacks of fabric? Maybe they are still in the shopping bags from the store.  Or, you have everything nicely folded and organized in plastic bins. 
Take a second and think about your fabric. Is it hidden out of site? Is it rolled up in the linen closet, boxed in the garage, or maybe you have all your ducks in a row and it looks as pretty as a peach.

Heck, maybe you're not a fabric hoarder and  none of this pertains to you. 

Eeep! I'm a fabric lover. I love feeling it, buying it and then trying to decide what to make with it. Hi, my name's Annette and I'm a fabric addict/ hoarder/ stasher.
​Cue the audience: "Hi, Annette."

Are you new to sewing and need to know where to start? Or are you  looking for more items to up your sewing game? This list is for you. 
Below is a compilation of sewing notions that are necessary and some that are nice to have. You don't need to break the bank when you're just starting out. You will need a sewing machine of course, but there is a large handful of other items you're going to want as well.

These are the tools you need to sew all the magical things. Cue sparkly unicorn music. 

The almighty seam ripper is a tool I reach for constantly. Sad, but true. So, get yourself an affordable one that you love. You'll be using is a lot.  

There are so many options to choose from when searching for a sewing machine. Some of my friends bought the $99 Singer on a Black Friday deal. You can find used ones on sites like OfferUp. I wouldn't go that route unless you have experience or a friend/ family member who can check the machine out for you. They might be missing parts or are broken. A trip to the shop costs upwards of $100. Big box stores, Amazon, and other online stores sell sewing machines.

I prefer Brother machines. I've had lots of luck with the ones I've purchased and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Most have automatic threaders, speed control, drop in bobbin and thread cutters. They cost a tad over the black Friday deal machines, but you get a few more bells and whistles. 
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The serger is used for finishing seams and sewing knit fabrics. 

You do not need this. If you find that you love sewing, then this could be a future purchase option. The zigzag stitch on any sewing machine works for knits and most machines have a zigzag stitch.