The 5 Minute Sewing Rule

Being a mom with littles underfoot can make it challenging when it comes to finding time to work on a sewing project. Just finding time to keep up with the house can feel like an impossible task some days. The toddler fought his nap. The older kids want you to play with or read to them. You still have no idea what you’re making for dinner. Some days have a bit of a slower pace and you find you have moments here and there to breathe, quietly sip your coffee or tea and watch your children play. It’s moments like these where the 5 minute sewing rule comes in.

what is the 5 minute sewing rule?

The 5 minute sewing rule is taking just 5 minutes to make progress. Ironing out your fabric so its all ready for you when you have a longer stretch of time available. Pinning two pieces of a garment for you to sew together later. Pressing a seam.

Maybe you end up spending more than five minutes. Maybe the two minutes it takes to press a seam is all you can manage at that time. That’s okay. The point is progress. Slowly working away at it, little by little, until it’s complete.

How it can help you with your sewing

As a full time stay-at-home mom, the 5 minute sewing rule helps me finish projects a lot faster than if I just waited to have an hour or two to sit down and sew. It enables me to prep whatever I’m working on so that, when I do have a stretch of time, I can bring it over to my machine and sew it up right away. Or I can press my fabric and pull out the pattern so everything is ready when I get a chance to cut it all out.

It can also be helpful if you find yourself lacking the motivation to sew. Just take five minutes to do something. Start mending those pair of pants. Sew one seam. Cut out one or two pieces from the next pattern on your to-make list. When the five minutes is up you can stop and move on to doing other things. Hopefully, those five minutes of sewing are enough to inspire and motivate you to keep going a little longer. If not, come back and try again another day.

What you can do with 5 minutes of sewing

There are many things you can do with just five minutes of sewing. To help you out a bit, I’ve made a list of some of those things so you can use more of your five minutes for sewing and less for figuring out what to do. I’m sure there are many more, but this can be a good starting point.

1. Press your fabric for cutting

Having your fabric all ready to go when the time comes to cut out a pattern can make the process simpler. Pressing is important because it removes any wrinkles from storing that may alter your pattern once you cut it out. Plus it makes cutting out your fabric much easier when you’re not dealing with wrinkles.

2. Pin pieces together to sew

Some parts of a pattern take a few minutes to pin together, especially if it’s a large piece or you’re dealing with curves or layers. Taking five minutes to pin it together means you can get straight into sewing when you have more time.

3. Sew a seam

Some areas are really quick and easy to sew and can be done in just a matter of minutes. Stitching side seams together, doing the darts, adding the pocket pieces to the skirt front and back. Even overlocking a seam can be done quickly on most seams. If you have time to press it after, great. If not, don’t worry. That’s something you can come back to when you have another five minutes to spare.

4. Press a seam

Pressing your seams is something that is really important in sewing. It takes your pieces from looking homemade to handmade and is always worth the time it takes to do it. If you sewed a seam earlier but didn’t get around to pressing it, take a few minutes to do that. Pay attention to which direction you’re pressing as that can also affect the final result. For example, side seams should be pressed to the back, bust darts pressed down, and dress skirt seams should be pressed up towards the waist so the gathers lay nicely.

5. Organize your sewing space

Like any space, your sewing space can get a little out of hand if you’re not in the habit of putting things away when you’re done with them. Small snips left on your sewing table. A pattern laying out from when you cut out your fabric. Those buttons you just bought that you’re going to put away eventually. Taking 5 minutes to clean up your space or organize your sewing drawer or cabinet will make things easier when you go looking for something. You’ll also enjoy your sewing time more. I know I do when I take the time to organize my space.

6. Clean your sewing machine

You’d be surprised how much lint can build up in your sewing machine if you’re not in the habit of cleaning it regularly. It doesn’t take much time to do but your machine will thank you for it. The best tools for cleaning your machine are the little brush that typically comes with your machine or, in some cases, a vacuum. You want to avoid blowing air, though, as that can push the lint further into the machine.

7. Thread your machine and change your needle

If you’re getting ready to start a new project, you could take a minute or two to change the thread. While you’re at it, make sure the needle you’re using is the right one for the fabric as well. It can be so frustrating when your machine isn’t sewing well because you’re using the wrong needle. Test it out on a scrap piece of your fabric to make sure it’s the right type.

8. Choose your next sewing project

Sometimes you can get flooded with ideas of what you can sew next. Other times you need to think through what you need or want to make. Take five minutes to think about what your next sewing project should be. Is there a gap in your wardrobe that needs filling? Curtains or cushion covers for the living room to make the space more cozy? Or what about a special piece for one of your kids? Jot down your ideas and then choose whichever excites you the most or is the most urgent.

9. Organize your fabric stash

With fabric constantly coming in and out of your stash it can sometimes get to a point where things start to get out of control. The scraps box is overflowing. The new fabric you just got is sitting next to your sewing machine waiting to be put away. The fabric cabinet looks more chaotic than inspiring. Set a five minute timer and get things organized. Go through your scraps and get rid of any you know you can really use. Put that new fabric into the cabinet or into the wash so it’s ready when you want it. Sort out your fabric by color or type so it’s easy to find what you want when you go looking for it. It’s so much more inspiring to open that cabinet to neatly arranged fabric just begging you to turn it into something beautiful.

10. Go over sewing pattern instructions

Knowing what is coming up next on your sewing pattern can help streamline your sewing process. Sit down with your pattern instructions and take a look at what the next few steps are. You can even highlight, underline, circle, or add a little mark to all the steps you need to do for the specific garment you’re making. This can be really helpful if the pattern has more than one view. You can jump from one step to the next and skip all the steps that aren’t required for the view you’re making.

11. Lay out your pattern for cutting

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I find laying out the pattern pieces takes so much longer than I originally intend. Trying to figure out how to lay out all the pattern pieces while wasting as little fabric as possible, and keeping track of grainlines can be a lot. If you have a permanent sewing space with a table set up, start laying out some of your pattern pieces so they are ready to cut out later. Even if you can only lay out a few, it’s still a start. Come back and lay out a few more the next time you have five minutes.

12. Cut out one or two pattern pieces

Cutting is another thing that can take up a lot of time, especially if the pattern has a lot of pieces or multiple large ones. Get started cutting out a couple pieces to give yourself a head start. Come back and do a few more later, or leave the rest for when you have enough time to cut all the other pieces out.

I hope this inspired you to find ways to use those little gaps to make progress, especially when you don’t have the luxury of hours on end to sew.

Best of luck with your sewing.