Free Printable Sewing Planner PDF and How to Plan Your Sewing Projects

This blog post is inspired by my free printable sewing planner that that I designed to help me manage my sewing products whilst having ADHD. You can grab it at the end of this blog post by adding it to your cart and checking out for free.

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Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is a product I personally use and that I genuinely think might help you.

Sewing Projects and Overwhelm

Have you ever found yourself midway through a sewing project feeling completely spent? Feeling overwhelmed and like you severely overestimated your energetic capacity for sewing?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This is exactly why I created my free printable sewing planner. It’s designed to help you avoid that burnout by breaking your sewing projects into smaller, more manageable steps.

Why you need to break down your sewing projects into smaller steps

When start a sewing project, we envision the beautiful, finished project and anticipate satisfaction of its completion. But sometimes we don’t give enough thought to the many steps it takes us to get to our destination.

Here is a list of tasks (some mind-numbingly boring!) that we need to complete before we even make our first stitch.

•     Fabric pre-treatment
•     Pattern printing, assembly and cutting (lucky you if you use a projector)
•     Fabric Cutting
•     Threading your sewing machine(s) and filling your bobbin thread

Each of these tasks demands attention and effort. Ignoring this fact is detrimental to the enjoyment of your sewing because you will constantly feel harassed trying to complete an entire monumental sewing project.

How to plan your sewing projects using my sewing planner

Here are some practical guidelines to help you plan your projects effectively. Remember that your process may vary depending on what you are sewing e.g. garments, accessories, quilts etc.

1. Skim the sewing instructions

Before diving into the breakdown, take a moment to quickly scan the instructions, to gain a general understanding of what the sewing project will demand from you.

2. Identify major components

Once you have a clear picture of the end result, identify the major components of your project. These go into the empty ‘Steps’ space on the second page of the sewing planner. They could include tasks like pattern preparation, fabric cutting, or big sewing tasks such as hemming.

3. Divide major components into sub-tasks

Within each major component, break down the tasks into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks. For example, under pattern preparation, you might have sub-tasks such as printing the pattern, assembling it, and cutting it out.

4. Keep it simple

Aim for simplicity in your breakdown. While it’s important to include enough detail to stay organised, too many steps can become overwhelming. For example, I designed my free printable sewing planner to have 5 major sewing tasks. Sometimes I have to break them down even further but 5 parts are usually easy for me to visualise.

5. Give yourself wiggle room

Your breakdown doesn’t have to be set in stone. Stay flexible and be willing to adjust your plan as needed. If you find that certain tasks could be combined or separated for better efficiency, don’t hesitate to make changes.

Get your free printable sewing planner PDF here

I hope this blog post helps you to make some changes that will make your sewing life more enjoyable. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD and since then I’ve been committed to designing tools that make my life much easier and less stressful. Whether you have ADHD or not, I believe we can all benefit from breaking down our sewing projects into smaller manageable tasks.

Check out my other free sewing planner, the Sewing Brain Dump Planner.