How to Make Sewing Room Accessories

Using the proper accessories for a sewing project helps produce a professional garment. Purchasing the accessories is not always an option, producing them at home is. Pincushions and padded seam rolls are easy to create using items you may already have in your sewing room. Follow these simple steps to make these accessories and add them to your collection.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden dowel, 1 inch diameter, desired length
• Wool fabric, 1 yard
• Tape
• Rubber bands
• Muslin
• Thread
• Needle
• Scrap fabric, ¼ yard
• Fiberfill

Instructions

1. To create a padded seam roll: Cut the wool fabric width down to ½ inch longer than the dowel to begin. Lay out the fabric on a flat surface placing the dowel at the edge of the fabric. Evenly disperse the ½ inch allowance to both sides of the dowel. Tape the fabric edge to the dowel to hold it in place. Wrap the wool fabric tightly around the dowel. You do not have to use all of the fabric, or you can choose to use more than is listed depending on the desired size of the seam roll. According to 101 Sewing Secrets, the purpose of the padded seam roll is to hold steam so the roll does not have to be extremely large. (See reference 1 below.)

2. Cut the muslin to the length of the created roll plus an allowance to finish the ends. The allowance will vary with the diameter of the roll. Make sure enough fabric is available to reach the center of the roll on both sides. Wrap the roll tightly with the muslin. Turn the raw edge in along the length of the roll and hold it in place using the rubber bands. Slipstitch the edge closed. Fold the fabric over the ends of the roll and secure them in place using a slipstitch to complete the padded seam roll.

3. To create a pincushion: Cut 2 squares, 4 inches each from the scrap fabric. Place the right sides of the fabric together. Stitch the squares to each other leaving a 1 inch opening. Turn the fabric right side out through the opening to create a cushion.

4. Stuff the cushion with fiberfill. Compact the fill as much as possible. Underfilling the cushion could cause a pin to go all the way through the cushion. Turn in the fabric at the opening of the cushion and stitch closed.

References

• "Singer Sewing Reference Library, 101 Sewing Secrets;" by Cy De Coose Incorporated; 1989