simple & easy pattern weights

I am thrilled to be a part of Simple Simon & Co‘s prolific series-”What I wish I’d known when I started Sewing”.

Which is many things, for me. Alas, most of my sewing knowledge was gained due to plentiful mistakes, trial and error, and A LOT of fabulous online tutorials. So…let me share with you my favorite sewing trick/tool. Trool.

When I first started sewing (ie when I didn’t really like it…..GASP), I learned that I was to pin my patterns to the fabric, then cut out the pieces with scissors. I honestly think that’s part of what made me throw it down and run away screaming give up sewing the first time. It was much too fussy for me, and my cuts were never crisp, or correct for that matter.

Fast forward to when I picked up sewing again, about 6 years ago. I quickly found these amazing things called fabric weights that you used to keep your fabric in place while you cut it with a rotary cutter-not scissors! LIFE-CHANGING. (ok, that’s a bit dramatic. SEWING-LIFE-CHANGING) It’s the way I cut out most of my fabric these days. Sometimes I do have to whip out the scissors for hard-to-get-to parts, but since I got my small rotary cutter (see below), it gets into most of those spots just fine and dandy! I seriously love my pattern weights-I have a whole collection of them in a bowl on my cutting table and use them constantly. So that, my friends, is my favorite sewing tool! Read on for a quick tutorial! They are so easy (and cheap) to make!

tada! make a whole slew of them and keep them handy! they are amazing. (I just use hot glue for the tutorial, FYI)

Enjoy the new-found joy and ease of pattern cutting.

Thanks to the SS&Co gals for having me!