Kathryn Strasser

Adjusting plans

Published on April 11, 2026April 11, 2026 by Kathryn StrasserLeave a comment

This afternoon I sewed the third tier onto the denim skirt and hemmed it. My daughter tried it on to see if it will be long enough and it will be if I attach a waistband to it rather then turning the top edge over to make a waistband like I had planned.

When I have to adjust plans I start to burn out on the project. The enthusiasm I had wans as I realize I need to perhaps spend more time on the project than I originally thought or I need to redo parts of it.

I don’t often follow patterns when I make things so adjusting plans happens frequently. Perhaps that is part of my sewing closet clutter problem.

In the case of the jean skirt, I realized today that I will need another piece of material to make the waistband. Instead of stopping right then because I was frustrated, I instead took a few minutes to look in the tote bag that has my denim fabric to see if I could find a piece that matches the color of the skirt. I found another pair of jeans in there that no longer fits me that is close enough in color to work for the waistband.

Now the skirt and the jeans are together on my sewing table so I can cut the waistband and sew it on the next time I sew – hopefully tomorrow afternoon!

Because I took time right away to locate the fabric I will need to continue on with completing the skirt, I hope I helped myself keep up the motivation to get all the way to the end of the project soon.

When choosing which projects to work on as I declutter my sewing closet I started with the pile to the right of my sewing machine. The dress I mended for my daughter last weekend was on top; under it was the bag of supplies for the three book covers I made this week and the partially sewn denim skirt.

Now that two of those projects are out of the closet and the skirt is nearly finished, I looked at the pile to see what was next. There were two pairs of pants of my boys that needed a very small amount of mending. I decided to mend those right away this afternoon before my youngest woke up from his nap.

Success! Two more items off my sewing table and back where they will be used again!

Now all that is left in the pile is a pair of hand-me-down jeans for my youngest that have a stretched out elastic waistband. I like the color and style of the jeans so I am debating whether it is worth the time to take the waistband off and put new elastic in. I think they would still fit him in the fall so I will keep them for another day or two to decide what I want to do with them.

Under the pants is a long-arm quilting design book that I need to return to it’s owner when I quilt at her house next week. By next weekend – or sooner – that pile will be completely gone! It is a small space to have cleared, but it is the first spot I see when I open the closet and look at my sewing table. It is also useful to have space clear while I am sewing so I can set my pincushion and seam ripper or small scissors there without worrying about them falling off the top of the project pile.

On the left-hand side of my sewing table is the pile that contains the queen sized quilt I am making for my sister and her husband (a now late wedding present). More updates about that project to come very soon, I hope!

The book covers are finished

Published on April 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser1 Comment

This morning I cut the material for the third book cover and pinned everything in place. This afternoon during rest and nap time for the kids I sewed up the book cover and did the small section of hand sewing needed on all three book covers.

The covers have a sleeve on the inside left, a ribbon bookmark, and two elastic bands on the right side. The front cover of the book slides into the sleeve on the inside left. The right side of the cover folds over the back cover of the book and is held in place with one of the elastic bands. The second elastic band can be used to hold the whole book closed.

The two elastic bands allow for the cover to fit a variety of widths of books instead of having a sleeve on the inside on both sides which would limit the number of books it could fit.

I am so happy to finish up another project that has been hanging out in a plastic bag on the back of the chair in my sewing room. Now I have put away the leftover fabric (I have an idea for this fabric but that is a thought for another day) and other supplies. I will need to keep the book covers in my sewing room until the person I made them for can pick them up, but they are finished and they have new home they will be going to very soon!

Now that I have finished the book covers I am looking forward to continuing to work on other projects that are ready to see the light of day again after being abandoned in half-finished projects pile for weeks or months.

I’d like to work on the denim skirt for my daughter over the next couple of days and get that project completed so she can start wearing it.

Tomorrow is Saturday so I may or may not have a good amount of sewing time. It depends on the weather and whether or not we go out and do something as a family before lunch. I will have rest time to sew for awhile but may not work on projects in the morning as well.

The never-ending project list

Published on April 9, 2026April 11, 2026 by Kathryn StrasserLeave a comment

Another reason my sewing closet fills up so quickly with half-finished projects is because I can come up with a list of projects I would like to do with no trouble at all. In fact, there is just such a list hanging on the side of my fridge right now. It contains some of the half-finished projects currently in my closet as well as other projects I would like to start in the next few months.

The projects range from gifts for friends and family, items for myself, quilts for the kids as they move into twin beds, home décor items, and more. I have struggled with my frequent ideas for new projects because when I have so many projects already started, I have to say no to new projects. Or, I start the new projects and ignore the already started projects which leads to problems. The main problem is that my projects are often doomed to never make it to their intended recipient or location in our home and they just stay as clutter in my sewing closet.

I started writing these blog post updates almost a week ago. I have been more consistent about working on projects-in-progress this week then I have been for quite some time. And that is without a looming deadline to motivate me. I can get things done when I have a looming deadline, although I often wait longer than I should and then give myself a lot of stress that could have been avoided with more project consistency.

Speaking of deadlines, I do have a few projects with loose deadlines that I want to start working into my sewing time once I finish the book covers.

First is a queen-sized quilt that I am making for my sister and her husband as their wedding gift. They got married in February and although I had planned to finish the quilt for her bridal shower in January (and I must say I was working on it very consistently), responsibilities that I had for the wedding ended up crowding out the rest of the time I needed to get the quilt all the way finished. This is one project that I don’t want to let slide too far into the back of my sewing closet. I think a week or two of consistent work will be enough the finish the last rows of the quilt top. Then I get to do my favorite part of finishing it with the long-arm quilting machine!

Secondly, four ladies I know are having babies this year. Since these are their second or third (or fifth!) babies, they don’t need a lot in terms of baby stuff. However, I love to give baby gifts, so I like to include a little something when I take a meal to a family I know who has a new baby.

While it is fun shopping for baby clothes, it is equally fun to shop for baby themed fabric. Last year I started making flannel spit-up clothes as my go-to gift for my friend’s new babies. It is a practical (but also cute!) gift – and they don’t take too long to make. I usually make a set of four clothes.

I know for sure that I need to make one set for a girl and one set for a boy. The other two friends are not finding out the gender until the baby is born. I may make a couple extra sets in advance, or wait until the babies are born and then make the set afterwards. That also depends on how far I have progressed on altering clothes for the kids and finishing the wedding quilt.

A few last thoughts for this evening: I really don’t mind having a never-ending list of project ideas. I love to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, alter clothing, etc. What I don’t love is forgetting about the project I started last week because I am excited about a new one. This has ripple effects on my sewing space, my mindset towards projects, and my stress levels about making items for myself and others.

Consistency allows me to fully complete projects so that I can more easily say “yes!” to new projects. And I am discovering that writing blog posts about the projects I am working on is a fun incentive to make a plan for finishing projects and focusing on consistency.

Photo of brightly colored fabrics laid out in a row

Two book covers (almost) completed!

Published on April 9, 2026April 9, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser2 Comments

I am trying to upload the photos I took of the book covers to my computer, but my camera isn’t cooperating. If I can figure that out soon I will add the photos to this post. I want to get this post written before I use up my available time solving technical difficulties.

My mom came over this morning and took the kids for a walk so I used that time for sewing. I pinned all the pieces in place and did the sewing for two of the three book covers. The sewing part is actually pretty straightforward; getting all the pieces cut to the right sized and pinned in the right places is the more challenging part of this project.

All that is left to do on these two covers is to get the corners turned out better (I like to use the point of a knitting needle to work on this), and and sew the small opening closed I left to turn them right-side out.

I am happy with the progress I have made on the book covers this week! Tomorrow I would like to cut the fabric, ribbon, and elastic for the third book cover in the morning. Depending on how much time I am able to spend on the project during the morning hours, I will also try to pin everything in place. It took me a little bit of fussing to get the ribbon book mark and the two elastic straps pinned in the right place to accommodate as many book sizes as possible.

Hopefully I can figure out how to connect the camera to the computer soon – I have done it in the past so I know it is possible!) – so I can share some photos of the book covers before I am done blogging about them.

Update: My husband suggested that I try a different cord to connect my camera to the computer and that worked! So here is a photo of the book covers that I worked on this morning.

The covers are adjustable to fit different widths and thicknesses of books so that is why the elastic lands in a different spot on each book. Each book cover will also be a different height since all three are going to the same person so hopefully between the three covers, she will be able to use one with most books she reads.

Six sewing bobbins filled with blue and purple thread

“I can do that!”

Published on April 8, 2026April 8, 2026 by Kathryn StrasserLeave a comment

One reason my sewing room (also known as the under-the-stairs closet) fills up with projects so quickly is partly because it is small. But it is also because I often think to myself, “I can do that!”

For example, one of the projects-in-progress in my sewing closet right now is a pillow insert (already stuffed) and the fabric I chose to make a pillow cover for it. I saw two pillow inserts of the size I wanted new living room pillows to be when I was shopping at a second hand store a few months ago.

I brought them home and ran them through a hot dryer cycle to freshen and sanitize them. Then I picked fabrics from my fabric stash to cover them with and made one pillow cover. The other pillow insert and the fabric I chose were put back into the closet and have been there ever since.

As you can imagine, a large-ish sized pillow insert takes up quite a bit of space in the sewing closet – space that really isn’t available for storing half-finished projects.

The pillow cover is a quick win project I want to finish – maybe next week – since I know it will make a big impact on the decluttering of my sewing room to get it done. And then I will be able to enjoy the new pillow in my living room!

Another example of my “I can do that” mindset is altering clothes for myself and the kids. I am sure when I really start getting through half-finished projects that I will find several partially altered clothing items, or clothing items I put into the sewing room so that I could alter them “sometime.”

Unfortunately, the sewing closet fills up to fast with “I can do that” projects and then I can’t really use if easily and the things I wanted to alter get lost in the piles.

As I put away clean clothes in the kids closet this evening I had several “I can do that” moments. We are transitioning from winter to spring where we live, and in just a few more weeks the weather will be more consistently appropriate for wearing short sleeved shirts. A few more weeks after that and we will likely be wearing shorts most of the time. One way I save money on buying clothes for the kids is to alter long sleeved shirts into short sleeved shirts. And to make shorts out of pants. I choose ones to alter that I know won’t still fit them when the weather turns cold again in the fall.

I already know the clothing item fits the child, so I just have to cut the sleeves or legs off to the right length and hem the raw edge. Here’s a list of the clothing items I saw this evening that I would like to alter over the next month or so:

Shorten a pair of leggings that has a hole in the knee into shorts that can be worn under play dresses
Shorten the sleeves on one or two dress shirts for each of my boys
Shorten the sleeves on any of my 21-month-old’s long-sleeve shirts that will still fit him for a few more months, and are light-weight enough for summer
Turn jeans that wouldn’t fit my boys still in the fall into shorts

None of those alterations are complicated or very time-consuming. I just need to clear some project out of my over-stuffed closet before I can work on them. I think it would also be helpful to do a complete alteration in one sitting to reduce the chances of the item sitting in my closet and getting lost at the bottom of piles. Each alteration should take 20-30 minutes so I think that will be manageable. Typically I would take all the clothes I want to alter in a pile to my sewing room. Then I would do all the cutting in one stretch. Then I would sew them – or forget about them.

It may be less “efficient” to start and finish one alteration in each project session since I will have to get the cutting supplies out each time, for example. But I think in the long run, with how I opporate with projects and clutter in the sewing room, that it will be the better choice.

Book Cover Progress

Published on April 8, 2026April 10, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser1 Comment

My 21-month old is the source of many creative ideas for finding ways to work on projects while he is awake. This morning I cleared space on the kitchen counter after breakfast and put my folded up ironing board on the counter. I ironed the pre-washed fabric for the book covers I am making.

After ironing the fabric I had time to cut the pieces for two of the three book covers. I did spend more than 20 minutes working on this project today, and I am very happy with the progress I made.

To finish this project I need to cut the fabric for the third book cover, measure and cut the elastic straps that will hold the cover closed, measure and cut the ribbon bookmark for each one, pin everything in place, and sew them together.

They are reversible so I am using fun colors on each side of the cover. I will try to grab my camera when I have the project out next and take some photos of the fabric I am using for these.

My plans for tomorrow are not set yet so I don’t know if I will be working on sewing projects in the morning or afternoon. I will either work on cutting the rest of the material for the book covers, or sew the last tier onto the denim skirt for my daughter.

I want to continue making progress on both of those projects during the rest of this week and writing a blog update each day has been a fun way to motivate myself to work a little each day on these projects instead of waiting for big blocks of time to sew like I used to do.

Progress made!

Published on April 7, 2026April 10, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser3 Comments

I pieced the squares together for the third tier of the denim skirt I am making for my daughter today. A couple more 20-minute sewing sessions over the next few days should complete that project and move it out of my sewing room and into my daughter’s dresser. Win, win!

I am only able to sew at the sewing machine while my older kids have quiet time in their rooms and my youngest naps because my youngest will grab everything within reach while he is awake. Tomorrow I have a book club in the afternoon so we don’t do our usual rest time. Because of that I need to choose a different project that I can work on at the kitchen counter for a little while in the morning.

I am making three fabric book covers for my aunt and I would like to make progress on those this week in addition to trying to finish the denim skirt. I am making the pattern myself as there are specific elements my aunt wants included, but they will be similar to this book cover style.

Tomorrow morning I will press the pre-washed fabric, start cutting the fabric, and see how much I can get done on this project. My 21-month old will be the big variable in how much time I can spend cutting fabric, but I will give it my best shot!

Photo on woman hand sewing on pink fabric

Mending my daughter’s dress

Published on April 6, 2026April 8, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser2 Comments

As I predicted yesterday, mending the tear in one of my daughter’s play dresses took about 20 minutes.

The tear was quite jagged and the flannel was a loose weave so it was tricky to make sure the stitches weren’t just going to pull right out after another wear or wash of the dress.

Mending the tear with a basic whip stitch worked pretty well. It is not perfect, but I don’t think there would have been a perfect way to mend that particular tear.

Finishing the mending on the dress feels great! Not only will my daughter now be able to wear it again before she outgrows it, but this is a quick win for my sewing closet. The dress will now be hung in my daughter’s closet and will no longer take up space in my small sewing closet.

The denim skirt for my daughter will be the next project I focus on. It will be a simple three-tiered skirt with an elastic waistband, so no tricky sewing involved.

I am piecing squares cut from a pair of jeans that no longer fits me into the three rows. Each row is longer than the row above it so there will be a small amount of gathering at the top of each row. I am basing the design off another skirt my daughter has and taking approximate measurements from that skirt.

I have cut all the squares already. I pieced the squares for the first two rows together, and sewed those rows together as well. If I have about 20 minutes to sew tomorrow, I should be able to piece the squares for the third row.

If I have some extra time I will stich the third row onto the skirt. That will leave just the hem and waistband before the project is complete!

Photo of crochet hooks in a small basket

I found the crochet hook!

Published on April 5, 2026April 7, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser2 Comments

My youngest fell asleep for a nap during his rest time today so the house was extra quiet after lunch. I took the opportunity to search in my sewing closet for the largest crochet hook I have that I am using to make a chunky blanket. I partially finished the blanket a few months ago and haven’t touched it since.

The hook should be in a jar on the top of the shelves I have hanging on the wall in the closet, but it wasn’t there. Since it also wasn’t stuck in the partially finished blanket I suspected it was in a tote of miscellaneous items that has accumulated on the floor. I looked, and yes, there the crochet hook was!

I spent about 20 minutes reworking part of the blanket and crocheting a couple more rows. As I progress I will post some pictures of the project.

Another reason for finding the crochet hook today – besides making progress on the blanket project – is that my mom asked if she could borrow it for a couple of days. Since I would see her for Easter dinner today, I wanted to make my best effort to find it and get it to her. Mission successful!

I won’t have the crochet hook for a few days now so I need to work on a different project tomorrow. Two options come to mind based on what I saw in the first pile of items on the sewing table. There is a dress of my daughters with a rip that needs to be mended. Or I am making a jean skirt for my daughter with denim from a pair of jeans that doesn’t fit me anymore. I need to sew one more tier of fabric onto it, hem it, and make an elastic waistband.

I think I will mend the dress tomorrow as that should be about a 20 minute project that I will likely do by hand. I suspect the jean skirt will take 2 or 3 more sewing sessions to complete.

Photograph of a round tin container filled with spools of thread, small sewing scissors, and other sewing notions

Completing projects

Published on April 4, 2026April 9, 2026 by Kathryn Strasser1 Comment

I have a few reasons for writing this post, and hopefully blogging here more often again.

I wanted this year to be the year of finishing the many started-but-not-completed projects that have accumulated in my tiny sewing room (aka the closet under the stairs in our townhouse), but the first three months of the year filled up with other obligations and a couple rounds of sicknesses in our home and here we are with very few of those projects touched so far.

A decluttering tip I heard recently for clearing clutter in project spaces was to just finish the project – duh! So I am going to jot down updates about my progress decluttering my sewing closet that way.

Also, we are house shopping. While I hope that our new house has a larger space for me to sew, I can’t count on it, and the reality is that if a half-finished project that is currently in my sewing closet isn’t finished by the time we have to pack up this house, it isn’t going to be worked on for many more months. So that is another reason to work on these projects.

Finally, I love – and I mean LOVE – to start new projects, but I simply can’t until I finish ones I have already started. So if I want to have the fun of getting new fabric, and choosing patterns, and having the thrill of starting something new, I have got to move some of the current projects out of my sewing closet by finishing them.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, but I will have some time between church and dinner without obligations so I need to hunt out the large crochet hook I am using for a blanket and work on a row or two of that project.