My SIMPLE 5-Step process to MINIMALIST sewing! 

Hello friends! When I started to declutter and own less it made my sewing experience much better so Im sharing my 5-step process to minimalist sewing. It includes a passionate plea (read: mini rant) lol Let me know in the comments if you are prepared to downsize your supplies? xx

I needed this video much sooner. I might not have over 40 bins of fabric in my garage. I just came home Saturday with great deals from the thrift store and Joann's Fabric. I don't even know what I have anymore and it is overwhelming. I haven't sewn anything but a few coasters since January. This fall when the weather is not so hot, I am tackling my garage of fabric and notions. Thanks for the kick in the backside and have a nice day.

Thanks for this video! Just what I needed right now as I'm decluttering ! Many thanks

I love your videos, Claire, your advice and experience are precious to me as beginner. Have a nice day.

I could add also. Those who want to learn to sew and have a lot of unused clothing, curtains, bedding can use the fabric to sew items they need. It will also free up storage space and save money.

oh my, the cmment 'dont let your home become a storage container' really hit home . Thank you all your tips are fantastic Stay safe

100%. I have been through this process, and I feel I need to say, there is such a thing as “choice paralysis” when you have too many choices. Here’s another: Out of sight, out of mind. Allow yourself the surprise of finding old gems you’ve bought but it’s been in a box and long forgot about. Also, use less favourite fabrics for toiles or muslins. It may turn out perfectly fine for something warn around the house… while giving you the confidence to cut into more precious fabrics after you’ve had a practice at making it already, and perfected the fit. I’ve fallen back in love with my stash again recently just from the act of re-washing, drying and ironing them - all ready to be sewn up.

Great idea to be sustainable!! Im going to make the pillow with my fabric scraps

Funny thing - I've been feeling the same and I did redirect the multiple packs of needles, duplicate cutting shears and other items. As you say, decluttering and organising makes sewing much more inspiring. I have also learnt not to buy so much fabric and avoid the fabrics that frustrate and don't suit me. It's taken a long time! Always eat before shopping online or fabric shops!

Great video. I got my small tools, thread, and notions down to two plastic shoeboxes and two small tiered boxes in one corner of a shelf. No more stash, I buy for each project. When I owned 50 seam rippers and 25 spools of white thread, I could never find any of it. Now I have 3 seam rippers and two spools of white thread and know where it all is. 😆 Get in the habit of going through your notions with each project, so you can see if you can use anything you already have or if you need to buy anything OR cull anything you don't think you'll use again. If I want linings for pockets or fabric for Hong Kong seams or bias binding, I'll buy one or two fat quarters. I've stopped keeping scraps after I complete a garment. It's liberating not having a stash. Fabric takes up so much space that we could leave empty or use for other necessary or pretty items. Use it or lose it!

Oh my, you were talking to me. I have So much fabric, a room full of shelves with fabric. As for patterns, I must have At least 500. I also Quilt but have been Making clothes lately. I'm guilty of all you say. THANK YOU. What you said hit home . I started to Donate last month, but I will begin this week To declutter. No more Buying fabric or patterns for me!!!!

I love your videos. Here's the thing about stash buying: there will always be cool fabric you love available to buy. So you may as well wait and buy it when youre ready to sew the garment or item. I'm starting to think about a dress for fall. I already know what patterm I'll use and how much fabric I'll need. I know how much lining fabric I'll need. I know what type of fabric I want. I just need to find the color I want and get the zip and a small button to fasten at the top with a thread loop. In the meantime, I havent spent a fortune on fabric I may never use. When I see the fabric, zip, lining fabric, and button I want, I'll know it and I can get those things and stop looking. 🤷‍♂️ I already have some hem lace from another project that I can use. I may need thread but it depends on the exact color of the fabric, and even then, I only sew neutrals so thread I already have will likely work. Thats it. Once I get all that, I'm done looking and shopping for fabric.

I can't thank you enough for giving true voice to what I feel I might have known but wouldn't admit to myself . You truly understand. Everything you mentioned was me. I am 68 years old and have been sewing since age 11. I still am employed on a sewing job 32 hours a week. My pattern stash was out of control, add my polymer clay and jewelry making supplies, whew. Just know what you are doing is life changing❤ 😂 God bless you

I am a beginner sewist. Great advice ❤ thanks

Amen! Thanks to you I have continued my decluttering campaign into my sewing space. I only buy fabric when it is on sale and for a specific pattern. No spur of the moment or binge buying for me. Scraps are given to my talented quilter friends. I thought about getting a buttonhole gauge but doing a little measuring and some simple math deemed the purchase unneccessary. My supplies are neatly organized in a 5-drawer dresser. Thank you, Claire!! My sewing area is no longer the dungeon of doom.

I just found u and ive subscribed😊 I appreciate the brutal honesty. I felt as though you were speaking directly to me. I needed to hear this long ago, as ive become a world class fabric/"sewing stuff" fiend. It has come to the point of embarrassment as i have storage bins tucked all over my home, enough to sew for years. I used to find sewing calming, but all the unnecessary clutter around me gives me anxiety. Today the madness ends, and i will be doing a major declutter. Thank you!

Fabulous - love this

Amazon convinced me I needed a big, blue, rubber tool by Clover called an "Iron Finger" for which there is no reasonable use (with the possible exception of using it to whack something). The comments for the tool were universally negative except for those people who had just opened the package and were "sure" they could find some use for it. So, of course, I bought it. A couple of years later, I gave it to my son who was "sure" he can find some use for it. I just looked the tool up and the company seems to discontinued it. Of course it is.

My home is not a storage container. Repeat three times.

I agree 100%! I have a small stash (it fits in a 24 inch by 36 inch cabinet), but even with that I get analysis paralysis! I’ve stopped buying so I can just use what I have. I’m finding that I am less interested in watching fabric hauls now too. I prefer makes videos and find them more productive. Thanks for sharing! Very good advice!

I've decided with my wardrobe, one in one out. I never had a stash but I got given a ton of fabric. Most aren't even my colour, so it's going to our local sewing group

Well said Claire. I have now just a small box of commercial pattern and I invested in the Lutterloh pattern system, all 280 patterns in a A5 folder 1/4 size patterns which you enlarge to use and add in your normal alterations. All classic patterns which appeals to me. So I now only sew what I need. This year black wide leg linen trousers, linen shorts, 2 sundress for holiday( UK summer seems to be over) viscose long sleeve top, and A line shift dress. Handmade clothes last a long time and my stash will last me for years.

You really hit the nail on the head with this video Claire! Last autumn I took stock of my wardrobe and decided that I do not need more clothes so have slowed my sewing down a lot and am only making garments to replace worn out items or fill the odd gap. Apart from saving money another benefit is that I am now concentrating much more on fitting than I used to. When I started this ‘new me’ journey I found it difficult to find videos to help inspire me - such a refreshing change to see a different viewpoint.

I loved this video. ❤️ I stopped buying shet I don't need a long time ago, decluttered and organized. Now I try to stay organized but got to get rid of so many patterns I don't want or use. Pulling from my stash for the majority of projects. I also now allow family to make sewing requests, and I use my stash to accommodate as I rather use it for others than to see it go to waste. Likewise, I send dresses quarterly to the Dress A Girl organization and this uses my cotton scraps or pieces too small for me to make something out of. I have alot of stash and will make an effort annually to weed thru for the sake of decluttering. Thanks for this video. 😊

Excellent video . I now only by fabric for each specific project if I don’t already have it in my stash . I also stopped watching fabric hauls and pattern hauls video . I have soooo many already . Also working on improving my pattern drafting skills since commercial patterns need a lot of tweaking as well. I like the independence of drafting my own patterns . It’s so liberating

Another fantastic video Claire, full of good tips. I bought some fabric in 1969 yes 1969 and I still have made anything with it. Hopefully this year I will use it. I am sewing things from my stash and haven't bought any more fabric for years. Like you I want to use what I have first. Thank you Claire. xxx

Oh, I do this on a yearly basis, love the feel afterwards and even though I have a lot of fabrics left I do use them. I would recommend to clean up the closet as well, according to everything I will and want to wear and it makes me aware of that I truly need ;) great video! The best is to get the best quality fabric just enough for the projects!!!

So enjoy your videos. I love your straightforward way. Thank you for sharing your insights. Just got my sew Jo back after months of not setting a foot in my sewing area. Recently finished a throw quilt and started another one. I have enough fabric to finish several more projects. After clearing the clutter, it feels wonderful to b sewing again.

Some years ago, a huge fabric store near me went out of business and I went there every week as the discounts got bigger and bigger and bought a huge stash of fabric. There's very little that I'd get rid of because I really do love it. What I need now is a plan to use it. Instead of going out and getting more fabric for a new knit top, I should take out some of that other stuff and find something to make with it. Why is that so hard? 🤪

My sew jo has gone and I looked at my sewing space and realised the hobby that brought me joy and was my therapy is now just annoying. Disheartened with what I sew. You literally are saying what I was thinking. Great video

Superb advice ty!

I've just started to go through my sewing things that have been in storage for 12 years. I can really relate to some of the fabrics and patterns not being my style anymore. On top of that, I'm finding I enjoy refashioning garments from the thrift store more than making them from scrap. Thank you for once again giving us a great video--and an incentive to destash!

Some great advice, thank you. Sewing should be fun.❤

Great advice. I aimed to be stashless and only buy fabric for specific projects. Help and advice on: What to do with your scraps? How do you store your patterns?

Lol, I loved your video. I needed that wakeup call 😊

You are so right 😁

Great video!! I'm ready for a pare down.

Great tips and I agree with everything :). I would add that for me LABELING bins and boxes makes such a huge difference. There's something about the label that stops me from putting away things haphazardly in the wrong place. It really does, like you said, save a ton of time once you do organize everything. Now I know if I am looking for elastic, it's in the box labeled ELASTIC. And if I don't have the right width, I can go out and buy some cause I know for sure I don't have it, I don't have to search all over the house. And when I do buy it and use some, I can put the rest in the box for next time. So yes, great video and if you don't have everything labeled, try it out. I even have two smallish boxes labeled SEWING TOOLS and SERGER TOOLS where I keep the little brushes, tweezers, the little tool to pull the serger ends through, etc. That has saved me tons of time as well. Regarding fabrics, I have decluttered a lot, and I made myself a list of what is left and what I plan to do with it (including things that I plan to alter or refashion!). Then I have spent time looking at my wardrobe and what items I might be able to use. I think that is the problem with fabric shopping. Buying fabric without connecting to an actual garments we need is pointless. Whenever I get tempted, I can look at my list and think, "why did I not get to these projects?" Because I only have so much time!

Spot on Claire! I am also on this journey….. I have a ways to go to get to where you are but your video helps inspire me! I am also recovering from CFS.

I'm totally with you! I've been slowly sewing through my stash this last year or so and am absolutely loving creating more space. Everything I have has already been sorted - oh boy, I had held on to some rubbish!) and what remains is special (inherited, gifted, saved up for) so it feels really good to sew through this before buying any more fabric. There is the odd thing that requires extras to finish (like elastic for underwear), but I feel resistant to that.

Love this overview of tips, Claire. I find it SO hard to pass up a lovely piece of fabric especially when I'm thrifting. I've also set myself the limit of no more fabric. Must use up or clear out what I've got before I buy anymore. Wish me luck! 💖

Swedish Death Sewing!

Common sense as usual Claire, thank you! You just reminded me of my stash... Week ago someone looked for fabric pieces about 50x50 cm for a charity. So I took a good look, searching for pieces I can give away - and I was appalled!! There are so much fabrics, many not used (yet?) but also many really big pieces left from various projects. So there's a good lot to donate. Well, at least I stopped buying fabric since about 1,5 years, and I won't buy anything until I get this stash much smaller. However there's a basic problem if one makes things like bags or accessories. Even if one needs about 20-30 cm and maybe about 50 cm wide, one has to buy (at least online) huge pieces of at least 50 cm and full 150 cm wide.

Have so much fabric in my stash waiting to lose weight

Which machines do you own? I’m always wondering about machines and how much do you love them? And are you happy with the money you’ve spent on them?

I cant cope with a stash, i cleared out all scraps and have empty drawers i buy what im going to use

What do you do about unfinished projects that are years old and will no longer fit because of weight gain?? 😅 2020 was quite a year..

I just can’t. I love my fabric but I don’t buy on a regular basis

I wish I had more fabrics really am trying to make myself a new wardrobe. Dressing in leggings just isn't practical for me anymore. Am a amputee with balance issues. Compression leggings aren't my friend anymore. Muumuus are!