Fabric Organisation

A question I’ve often seen asked in Facebook sewing groups (I'm in a lot) is what smartphone apps are there to organise their fabric or pattern stash. Today I was messaging someone with screen shots of what I've done etc, so I decided to make a blog post out of it and share with everyone.  I'm not saying this is the only way to do it, but this is how I do it.

To keep track of my fabric stash, I use an Android App called Memento Database. Memento is a totally customisable database (library) App, so you can set it up however you would like. I have one library for patterns (which actually came first) and one for fabric.

The basic version is free and has a number of limitations, and while I have never used it, also comes in desktop versions for Windows, Linux, and Mac. In order to sync libraries across to the desktop version you need to use Memento Cloud, with the free option limited in space and libraries. I might upgrade later (upgrade is via subscription), but for now I'm happy with just mobile.

This blog post is about how my fabric database is set up, not specifically about how to use Memento. I've mostly worked it out as I went along or Googled, so if you would like specific instructions for anything, please comment below and I can try to answer your question.

The following screen shots show the fields I have set up:

Title - (mandatory) this is just something I use to identify the fabric for myself.  Most often it will be a repeat of the colour and/or type because I'm unimaginative. Sometimes it will be a previous project made with that fabric, or what the fabric is destined to become.  This entry does not need to be unique, just so long as you know what it is.

Type - (mandatory) this is how I choose to categorise the fabric. I have entries such as 'knit', 'polar fleece', 'cotton', 'woven stretch'. This field is set up to auto-complete, so when you start typing the first few letters it gives you options to choose from (if you have previously entered data). You don't have to choose a Type from the list of options as it will create a new entry but doing so means that you run the risk of have two slightly different versions of the same thing if you’re not careful.

Auto Complete box popping up once 2 letters have been entered. 

You can select which entry you want, or just keep typing to create a new one.

Colour - (mandatory) this is fairly obvious. Since it's mandatory, I've often entered 'multi' if I can't think what to call it. Again, this field has auto-complete, so you can make sure things end up together.

Pattern - I'll sometimes put 'stripes', 'spots' etc here.  It's rather obvious from the photo (further down) what the pattern is but entering it in this field means you can Group by pattern if you are after a specific one.

Width - in centimetres, so you would enter 112 or 150 for example.  I have some entries that are 80 (for example) because I've used a long strip down the length.

Length - in metres, so you would enter the value as 1.5 or .60 for example.

Used? - I use this tick box to indicate when I've used the fabric but forgot to mark it down. It just reminds me that the full length as listed will not be there.

Off Cuts - I use this to indicate that there are off cut pieces that I haven't included in the measurements (obviously larger, usable pieces). This box can be ticked in addition to width/length above, like when you cut something from a length and you have all the funny shaped pieces at the end.  Or it can be ticked on its own with no width/length to indicate that there are just "bits" left over that might be usable.

Disused Clothing - I use this instead of entering width/length when it is clothing I wish to up-cycle.  Some items I have stored I want to refashion, but others I just intend to cut up for kid’s clothes etc, so in my head they are just classed as fabric.

Pre-washed - to indicate whether the fabric is pre-washed or not.  If I intend to pre-wash, I try to do it straight away before adding it to my database, but just in case, you can remind yourself if you have or not.

Photo - Obviously a photo of the fabric.  The free version allows you to have two photos in this field.  I just take something to show the colour and/or pattern.  Sometimes the colour doesn't come up very well but it's usually enough to remind me of what it is.

Storage Location – This is handy to remind me where it is amongst the rest of the stash.  For me this would be things like "computer box" (I got a new computer the other week), "Blue crate", "1 - top shelf" (meaning first pile on the top shelf).  This is also an auto-complete field so I've tried to make the first few letters unique (hence my top shelf starts with the number), because then I can quickly choose my option without having to scroll or type lots of letters.

Project - This is just a free text field to list projects I have done or intend to do with this fabric.  Sometimes listing an old project reminds me of exactly what fabric it is when the colour/type/photo are a bit generic.

Notes - Just a free text field.  I've taken to putting in here how much I paid for it (usually if it was a good price!), or what percentage stretch it has etc.

Sewing Patterns - This field is to link it to my Sewing Patterns database, so if this fabric has an intended purpose I can actually link it directly to the pattern I want to use it on. (I'm planning another blog post about my Pattern database so I'll talk more about that then).

Memento also has a pretty handy sorting and filtering ability that makes looking up an item easy. If you swipe left when on the database list, it will reveal the menu on the right side of the screen.  Here you can Sort, Group and Filter.

My default sorting is by length.  I think the only time I change this is when I sort by Creation Date to quickly find an entry I just recently put in.

Most often I have my fabrics grouped by Type because if I'm looking for something for a specific project, that's the main factor.  Recently I was reorganising, so I grouped the list by storage location which allowed me to check what should be in what box and where.  I have also sometimes sorted by Colour or Pattern if that is more important to my project than Type

I don't often use a filter for my fabrics, but filters allow you to create tabs at the top of the list. This quickly allows me to filter out clothes, and only see lengths of fabric for example.

Here you can see Grouped by fabric type with the knit group expanded.

You can also see the tabs across the top, so I can quickly change between different filters.

You can also see at the bottom of the screen there is a count of the number of entries.  As you select different tabs at the top, the numbers change so it gives you a count of how many items in that category (on the left) and total number of metres (on the right).  This is what I'm using to keep track of my Stash Tally for the year.

It has taken me some time to develop this database to its current state, but it's what I have found most useful for me.  It also took me quite a long time to enter everything.  I would do it in batches, and I still sometimes come across things that have been missed.  But this set-up allows me to sort/filter and group to quickly find fabrics for a project, without having to empty all my fabric stash out and measure individual lengths, so the time has been well worth it.

If you would like to see how I’ve set it up, I have shared my template, so you can search for it within the App rather than setting it up yourself!!  If you go to 'Add Library', choose 'Online Catalog', then search for 'Fabric Stash', I'm there! (pinstripes).  I have not downloaded a template before, but I'm assuming once you do, you can edit the set-up to suit yourself.

Getting married in Vegas...

Sort of..... more like "marrying a pattern to Vegas"

This post has been in draft for a while.  I was waiting for the photos.  I kept telling myself I would take them in the daytime, when my hair was done and I was actually "dressed".  Instead you, once again, get nighttime photos in my bedroom at the last minute.

I was excited when Little Ragamuffin released her Vegas Sundress pattern. I really loved the shape of it, although I wasn't sure how it would look on my belly-body.

Knowing that the Agnes fitted me well, I used that as a basis for making the pattern fit my bust and waist.  My end result was perhaps a little more loose than intended, but that's better than too tight.

The fabric was a 'special buy' knit off the clearance table so I really have no idea of what it is. It's very light and soft, and initially I thought it would be see-through.  The neckline is lower than I am used to of late, although a few years ago I would have been all about the neckline. The neckline combined with the lightness of the fabric made me feel a little exposed in the dress. I was wondering what to do to feel more comfortable.

I came up with the idea to make an overdress.  I had this black mesh fabric that I'd been dying to use for ages but couldn't think how.  I didn't want too many seams since it was a mesh and seams create solid lines, so I decided on a dolman overdress.  But then I also wanted flare in the skirt to match the Vegas, which could only be achieved with princess seams.  In the end I merged the dolman with the princess seams of the Vegas so that they sat right on the straps and aren't as noticeable.

I used the Halla Slim Fit Dolman, and I'd used it previously and knew it fitted.  I put my Vegas dress on under the Slim Dolman I had already made and marked with pins where the shoulder straps were.  I then marked this point on my dolman pattern.  Next I overlaid the Vegas sundress pattern and drew in the princess seam lines, making them meet up with the shoulder strap point.

I had thought about having a hi-lo hem on the overdress, just for a bit of interest.  When I got the fabric out though, I couldn't fit as much as I wanted. It's a little bit hard to see in the photo, but it's basically at my waist at the front, then does a sharp dive at the side seam to be long at the back.  What you see in the photo was basically ALL of my fabric in terms of length.  I still like it though, it creates a bit of interest.

Stash Tally Update

I have a few projects to share, but I never seem to get around to taking photos.  They'll come eventually.

In the mean time, I have done some reorganising today, so I thought it an appropriate time to update my tally.  I was going to do it at the end of the month anyway, so this is near enough.

At the beginning of the month my fabric total was 441 including 8.5 metres on order.  That order is still waiting, so we'll call the total 432.5

On Friday I went looking to buy 3 metres of fabric because I didn't really have anything suitable for an upcoming project.  I was hoping that The Clearance Table Gods would be favouring me.  Well, was I in for a treat!!  They had this stretch pinstripe fabric for $5, less 30%, so $3.50 per metre!  I decided on 10 metres just to be sure.

After bringing that home and adding it to my database, my total was at 432.3!  Clearly I'd used 10 metres in the last few weeks.

After today's sorting out, I've added a total of 8.8 metres (fabrics I already had but weren't in the database), and I also adjusted some fabrics which I'd used previously but hadn't marked off.

My new total is 434.6 metres, so the net effect of updating is only 2.3 metres difference.  Given that my overall total is now only this amount up and I've bought 10 metres, I'm counting it as a successful month, even if it's not exactly on target.

Talking about targets.  Following a comment online somewhere, I worked out that if I'm to live until I'm 90 (not unreasonable with my family history) I'll need to use approx 20 metres each year to use it all up before I die.  This is very achievable!  So that is my goals for the year: to have 20 metres less than I started with.  A little more measurable than "have less".

And in other news, I need to lift my t-shirt sewing game I think, because one of my favourite t-shirts has officially died.  This hole in the front is just a little too big to be wearable. On the plus side, I had tried to trace a pattern off it before but didn't think it was very good, now I can take it apart and make a pattern to work with.

A quick project is a good project

My ever growing little boy needed more short pyjamas.

The 52 Week Sewing Challenge theme this week was 'something for a boy'.

Enter the Sew a Little Seam pattern, Movie Night Pyjamas (free if you join their FB group), and a $5 clearance table cotton/lycra and we end up with these:

He needs another pair, and I think I'll make the shorts one size bigger around, just to give him some growing room.

When is a t-shirt not a t-shirt?

When you cut it up and make a much better shaped top out of it!

Inspired by this YouTube video, I decided to have a go at hacking/upcycling some t-shirts.

In the video, the last shirt is made larger by adding batwing sleeves.  I had a really old t-shirt that was probably a little too small when I bought it (20 years ago) and was unlikely to ever fit my mum-body now!  But I couldn't get rid of it, it was a favourite.

I am always a little nervous about just cutting up things without a patterns, so I decided to try out the Halla Slim Dolman pattern.  I printed it, did my trusty FBA and then compared it to the shirt I was wearing (which was also a dolman style) and decided it would be big enough.  Couldn't be bothered with a muslin.

I cut open the side seams and removed the sleeves from the t-shirt as per the video, but it was still so wonky that I had to cut the sides off a bit as well. I really should remember to take before/progress shots!  You know how t-shirts always twist after several washes?  This one was no different and you can still see how the design has warped.  Anyway, after cutting off the sides, I laid the shirt over the dolman pattern and worked out the extra fabric I had to cut.  I used an old pair of leggings that were a similar weight/feel to the shirt fabric.  I was never going to match that faded black unless I trawled an op-shop.

In the end the shirt has come out a little tighter than I'd hoped, I think I forgot to account for the stretch (or lack thereof) in the shirt fabric, but I am happy with the overall result.  The neckline is still raw, I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with it.  I don't think I want to leave it like this though as the old fabric is a little to delicate.

The second t-shirt I hacked was a birthday gift purchased at TeeTurtle.  I'd asked for a 3XL knowing that I wanted to do something more creative with it (I have a few more waiting too).  Following the success of my AmaZgnes shirts, I decided to use that pattern to shape this shirt better.

I cut up the side seams and removed the sleeves as before.  I then folding the shirt in half and placed the Agnes pattern over it.  I needed to insert a small triangle piece on the front underarm, and a triangle panels at the side seam as the t-shirt wasn't wide enough.  I maintained the original neckline and shoulder seams, but cut out the armhole/sideseam.  I then flipped the shirt over and repeated for the back.  Sewed it all back together, with the extra insert pieces, and now I had an awesome fitting t-shirt!  I guess it's not really a "T" shirt any more, but that's what I'm calling it.  This was also too long when I took the photo, but I have since shorted it a little.

Before

After

Triangle inserted at side seam

By retaining the original neckline, I didn't have the problem of losing some of the design, like some upcycle/refashions have, and it kept the look of a t-shirt, which is really what I was going for.

Agnes, Amagnes, AmaZgnes!!

I've been trying to make a t-shirt for a while now.  And I mean a good, well fitting t-shirt.  It's tricky when you have boobs.  T-shirt patterns are flat, boobs are not.  A full bust adjustment on a pattern creates a dart, I don't want a darted shirt.  There are ways to get rid of the dart and I'd been trying them, but I was also struggling to get sleeves to fit nicely on me and the shirt to sit well around my belly.

I finally tried the Halla Agnes pattern.  My first muslin was a good start but needed changing.  I had to add to the waist/torso length, which I'm thinking I should be doing to most patterns since I'm at least 1" taller than they seem to be drafted for.  I also wasn't really happy with the sleeve, they are drafted to be on the fold, so the same front and back.  I swapped out another sleeve from a pattern I made last year, which was better.  Eventually I got it to fit nice enough to use good fabric.

The fabric I chose just sat so nicely, I was in love instantly!  Wore this for the first time to a New Year's Eve party.

Now that I loved the shape of the body so much, I decided to work on it some more so I could make lots of shirts.  My t-shirt drawer still has some maternity wear in it so it definitely needs a refresh!

Halla had a pattern sale, so I picked up the Amanda. I love the yoke neckline (in the main picture) and a lot of people have been mashing it with the Agnes.  I put these sleeves, and the V neckline onto my Agnes and came up with this:

I've since realised that this one is a bit longer.  Will get around to shortening because I prefer the length of the pink one.  I'm *still* not happy with the sleeve, but I will fiddle that another day.  Just a little too much fabric at the front when I put my arms down (you can't see it in this photo).

So I have now nicknamed this pattern my Amazgnes, because it is an Amanda/Agnes cross (Amagnes) and it's AMAZING!!

Scarf Lady

I always check the clearance table when visiting Spotlight, and one day I found these scarf panels. 

They were the end of the roll and printed off grain, but I liked them and for the price I thought it was worth playing with. When I got to the counter, there was a panel on the roll that had been cut crooked so was missing an edge, she gave it to me for 50c. So for $7.50 total I had almost 3 panels.

I had been planning some sort of hanky hem skirt or maybe loose fitting top/dress, but with the extra panel, I decided to cut a proper bodice.

I went back to my trusty Space Dress pattern. Because I'd made that out of stretch with zero ease, and I was now working with a woven, I added some room back in, but it turned out to be too big. I pinned it in and I ended up with zero ease again! I do like a firm fit in the bust.

I cut wide rectangular straps along the edge of the panel to create the stripe. The skirt is a double circle skirt, so a whole circle on the front and a whole circle on the back. Because the panels were printed crooked and I cut/sewed to the printing not the grain, the points of the skirt are uneven, but I don't think it matters, it all just gets lost in there.

After wearing the dress for a day, I've come to realise I need more ease around the belly. When I sit down the bodice rides up and feels a little tight. I also wish the bodice was about an inch longer, although I'm thinking I actually pulled the bodice up higher than intended when attaching the straps, so maybe I can just let the straps down a little.

Rosy Skulls

This is another project that has taken a while to come about.

I saw this Blooming Skulls fabric on Little Fabric Boutique in June and HAD to have it. I checked a patterns and decided I could get a shirt out of 1 metre. Also this became my introduction to AfterPay.

In September, The Australian Curvaceous Community Sew-along Group's theme was Spring, so that was the perfect opportunity to make my shirt.

I was using Butterick 3389, view A

Cue the six muslin shirt!!

I had to do a full bust adjustment, which I've recently realised is what's been missing from my sewing the last 25 years! I also had to allow for my belly.  I did my initial FBA, on the princess seam, and made a muslin, which was a great starting place but so far from right.  The princess seam ends at the 'corner' of the neckline, which created some difficulties. I ended up reshaping the shoulder portion of the neckline too, to make it sit right.  As well as this, I had to add length and reshape the back darts.

After the 6th muslin, I decided it was good enough. I think I'd still fiddle it a bit more if I made another one but this is great for now.

I had to buy the lining fabric for this, but the skulls were in my stash, so that's 1 metre less for the year!

Welcome to Space

I've done a little bit of sewing since the new year, but first I wanted to talk to you about my Space Dress.

I had started working on pattern New Look 6299, doing a full bust adjustment, changing sleeves etc to make a dress in the winter.  Upon completing my first muslin, I discovered just how flattering I thought it was and how great it made me feel.  This dress is still not made as I haven't nutted out all the fitting issues, and it has now been put aside as it's very much a winter dress.

My daughter's birthday was in September and we go all out for parties.  This year was a space theme and we were all getting costumes.  I had decided I wanted a retro-futuristic space outfit, sort of along the lines of "The Jetsons".  I decided to use my New Look 6299 as the base.

First I redrafted it with zero ease in the bust, I was using a PVC fabric with a slight stretch and I like the bust area to be firm.  Then I made a new muslin and drew lines on it to make it 'strapless' shape.  I transferred these lines to the pattern and voila! I had a space dress pattern.  All I had to do to complete my desired look was cut a hi-lo hem and add rectangles for straps.  I also made a bolero top to go over it, but I can't recall which pattern that was now.

This dress has now become a bit of a starting base for things I've made since.

Hello again

I've been contemplating reviving my blog for a little while now, and a new year seems like a good time to start.  So I'll dive right in.

This year I have set myself the goal of ending the year with less than I started. I have databases set up to keep track of my fabric stash, which includes clothes I have kept/bought to upcycle, and sewing patterns with indicators as to whether I have used them or not. At the end of the year I want to have less metres of fabric, less items of clothes, and less patterns that I have never used.

My focus with sewing is firmly set on clothing these days, for me and my kids.  Hoping to fit more time in for hubby and extended family but we'll see what happens.  Last year my goal was to not buy any clothes that I could make.  I did a lot more sewing, and a lot less buying, but I did still buy some things.  Lack of time for sewing meant that I had to buy a few things for the kids out of necessity, and I bought myself a few pieces that I fell in love with.  It did make me really consider what I bought though.  And some of the items I bought I regret because they don't fit that well afterall, so that was a bit of a reminder of why I want to make my own.

So this year I want to turn a good portion of my stash into well fitting, well made and good looking clothes!

As it stands at the moment these are my tallies:

Fabric

Currently on database: 430 metres

On order awaiting delivery: 2.5 metres

On order (in UK) waiting for me to fill postage box: 8.5 metres

It's not absolutely accurate because my database tally doesn't include "lengths" of panels and some larger oddly shaped off-cuts, etc but it's a starting point

Total: 441

Clothes

Currently on database: 126 entries (some entries are for multiple, similar items)

Patterns

Currently on database: 326 total.

Those marked as unused by me: 201.  I'm not sure if this is accurate, some I feel like I've used them but can't remember.  I'll have to dig them out and see if they're cut or not etc, so this figure might get updated.

I think I was going to write more here but have been distracted by kids too many times so I guess I'll have to remember it later