A quick sewing win you'll use every day

A packed breakfast for your commute, a picnic or just a quick sewing win: this little eco friendly cutlery roll-up covers all of them. It keeps a fork, knife and spoon together in your bag, and it's a lovely way to cut down on disposable cutlery.

The whole wrap starts from one square of fabric. You fold it in half on the diagonal, sew it into a triangle, and turn it right side out. Then you fold in the two points to form a pocket that fits your cutlery. A small loop and a tie strap, both made from one fabric strip, keep everything rolled up and closed.

You size the pocket by laying your own spoon on the wrap, so it fits the cutlery you actually use. If you use a pencil to fold the points closer to the centre and leave off the loop, it becomes a pencil wrap instead.

What you'll need

check the video for the sizes

Materials and tools

• (Quilting) cotton for the square and the strap
• Thread
• Pins
• An iron + ironing board, for pressing
• A fabric marker, to mark the the corners
• Fabric scissors, for trimming corners and thread tails
• Something pointy, to push out the corners
• A sewing machine
• Optional: a seam ripper, if you use the basting method for the turning gap
• Your own cutlery to adjust the size

Watch the video

The full walkthrough is in my video Sew Quick & Practical: Cutlery Roll Up Pouch Tutorial. I show how to fold and stitch the strap, both ways to handle the turning gap, and how to attach the loop and tie so they sit neatly on the centre crease.

Make one for your own lunch bag, or sew a few from matching scraps as a gift for an eco conscience friend.

A little hexagon that does a lot

What if one simple hexagon could become four different coasters? That's the idea behind this project, and it's such a cute way to use up your scraps.

Each coaster starts with a single hexagon as the backing. The top is built from more hexagons that are folded in half, pressed, and stacked on the backing. Change how you fold them, or how many you use, and you get a different look. Together they mix and match beautifully.

The straight edge versions are especially forgiving. There are no points to line up, so if something shifts a little while you sew, you won't see it in the finished coaster. That makes them a great first try if you're new to sewing.

The sewing itself is one seam around the outside, then you trim the corners, turn the coaster right side out through the centre and give it a final press. No binding, no fiddly finishing. Each coaster really does come together in about five minutes.

Watch the video

The full step-by-step is in my video 5-Minute Folded Coasters: Use Up Your Scraps. I show how to fold and stack all four variations, how to pivot neatly at the corners, and how to turn and press the coasters for a clean finish.

Make a set in one colourway for a housewarming gift, or mix every scrap in your basket for a playful set of your own. 

What you'll need

This project needs smaller pieces of fabric, but because you layer the pieces you still use up a good amount of fabric making it perfect to do some scrap busting. Every coaster uses one hexagon for the backing. How many you need for the top depends on the variation.

The free hexagon template is linked in the video description, so you can cut every piece to the same size.

Materials and tools

• Fabric scraps, preferably cotton or a similar woven that presses well
• The free hexagon template ( in the video description)
• Thread to match or contrast, it won't be visible :)
• Pins
• An iron + ironing board, for pressing the folds and the finished coaster
• Scissors, for cutting the hexagons and trimming the corners
• A sewing machine 
• Optional: a fabric marker to mark the seam line, which helps at the corners
• A point turner, or something pointy, to push out the corners for crisp looking corners. For a simple project this is what makes the difference.

Learn how to sew an unlined drawstring bag using French seams for a clean, polished finish inside and out. This beginner-friendly sewing tutorial walks you through a neat technique to press and sew the tunnel, and French seams so every detail looks intentional. Perfect for gift bags, travel pouches, and everyday use.

Looking for a quick and practical sewing project? These folded square fabric coasters are perfect for beginners and experienced sewers alike. In just a short time, you can create a beautiful set of coasters that protect your surfaces in style.

If you sew you probably have a fabric stash and what a better way to make use of it than to sew reusable gift wrapping. Single use wrapping paper is often not recycleable and tons of it ends up in landfills annually.

1. Furoshiki

One of the easiest ways to wrap a gift in fabric is by simply wrapping it in a square of fabric, like a tea towl or a second hand silk scarf. But using a piece of fabric with a fun print from your stash is another great option. Just finish the edge with a double fold hem and miter the corners for an elegant finish.

For the wrapping itself I suggest looking into furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping with cloth. Or look into bojagi, the Korean art of wrapping with cloth.

 There are more tips in this blogpost: How to sew a reusable giftwrap - Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth

or dive right into the sewing with the video tutorial:

2. Drawstring Gift Bags 

these are a little more work, but they are a great scrap sewing project or stash buster. You can often sew multiple in an hour especially if you batch steps and set up an efficient workspace.

here are three tutorials for drawstring bags that can be sewn with just a sewing machine, no serger needed. 

Unlined drawstringbag with french seams

3. Mini tote bags

4. Tsuno Tie Bag

Easy to customize and ideal for batch-making, them for a wedding party favor. No pattern needed! Just a simple and quick sewing project. You'll only need a sewing machine for this project, no serger needed sinde the seams are finished with a French seam.

This unlined drawstringbag bag is very fast to sew, it takes me about 10 minutes to make. No serger needed ass the seams are finished with a French seam.

Use a fun quilting cotton, and you have the perfect reusable gift bag. Check out the tutorial on Youtube.

You only need two pieces of fabric to create this cute colour block drawstring bag. In fact, you only need two fat quarters. A perfect fabric stash buster project.

Because of the way it's constructed it lines itself and it's SO fun to see how it comes together. It's not difficult, but there is a lot of pressing prep involved. It's a beginner friendly sewing project that doesn't need a serger.

I've had some of these scraps for years, but when my partner said he needed an extra blanket for winter...I said "I'll make you a quilt" and then I came up with an ASTRONOMICAL quilt design ;)

The final episode in the series about making my first quilt to process grief.

I started my first quilt to deal with grief, thinking it would give me something positive and challenging to focus on. I decided to make a baby quilt for a friend who was moving to another country, and as the stack of blocks grew, I started to feel better, but it also made me nervous I would mess up my blocks… My perfectionism took over the project stalled... but their moving date kept getting closer and I had to get going again.

When I'm in the midst of a craft project, I'm eager to progress, but once I'm nearing the finish line, I always feel homesick for the start of the project. But to finish my first quilt was amazing and I'm sure there will be many more quilt projects in my future.

Watch the series on YouTube