Sew Little Time: How to Fit Me-Made Projects into a Busy Schedule
- Words by Peppermint
Sewing can be a time-consuming hobby, which sometimes makes it feel incompatible with busy modern life. However, with some extra organisation and preparation, you can create gorgeous projects in the limited time you have available. Check out these top tips to fit sewing into your busy schedule.
words NICOLE MCKENZIE images KELLEY SHEENAN FOR SEW YOUR WAY (CUTE MAGNETIC SEWING ACCESSORIES!)
Organise your space
Start by assessing your sewing space. If you have to set up your machine and materials every time you sew, you’re less likely to start sewing. Try to make your set-up as simple and speedy as possible. Could you create a space that remains partially set up? Perhaps a hideaway sewing space in a foldaway cabinet or cupboard. If not, consider other time savers – an organised sewing bag or basket to hold your projects and notions, a table that is kept tidy and a power point or extension cord nearby.
Divide tasks
Schedule your tasks throughout a week or two. Pre-wash your fabric one night, cut out your pattern pieces another (perhaps while watching your favourite TV show) and cut your fabric on a third. Then, plan a few sewing sessions to put needle to thread and bring your project to life.
Sew with knits
Sewing with knits doesn’t require finishing seams (as knit fabric doesn’t fray) and generally doesn’t require fastenings (zippers and buttons) because the stretch allows for a comfortable fit. Knitwear such as t-shirts, jumpers and leggings are quick creations, and once you have some experience under your belt, you can make a simple knit garment in an hour or two!
READ MORE: Peppermint’s New Sewing Expert Commits To Shopping Her Fabric Stash…
Skip the fastenings
Zippers and buttonholes can be fiddly and time-consuming, so choose projects without fastenings to save time. Some elastic waist shorts or a wrap skirt are a perfect starting point.
Remake garments
One of the most time-consuming parts of making a garment is learning the construction (how the piece comes together) and fitting the item to your body. Because of this, the first time you make something is always the slowest and most challenging. Remake a pattern with different fabrics for a completely different look – it will fit perfectly and take considerably less time to sew.
Step away from clothes
Make a guaranteed quick project such as a scrunchie, a tablecloth or an eye mask. These creations can not only be completed in one short sitting but are likely to re-ignite your passion for sewing and inspire you to start a bigger project.
One seam at a time
Perhaps the best approach is to embrace the “one-seam mentality” – that is, it’s worth sitting down to sew, even if you only have time to complete one seam. Remember, sewing one seam at a time still makes a garment. Plus, once you’re at your sewing machine it’s almost guaranteed that you will keep sewing.
As with every task on a tight schedule, organisation and planning are key to success. We hope these handy tips help you to make the most of your sewing time and stitch something magical!
WANT SOME FUN SEWING PATTERNS TO GET STARTED ON? RIGHT THIS WAY!
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Have you made the Viola Quilted Jacket yet? This pattern hits the sweet spot for both established sewists keen to learn a new skill (quilting!),…
Hang out with us on Instagram
“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
