I have been becoming increasingly frustrated with the mess that surrounds my chair when I do mending or hand sewing so I thought I would make an armrest organiser to see if I could get myself under control. I did a lot of hunting for a pattern which might appeal to me and finally stumbled on the Arabesque Scissors Smart Sewing Station which seemed to tick all my boxes. The pattern has an accompanying masterclass video series which made all the difference to me, and I loved watching the videos.

Although I absolutely love the fabrics used in the pattern, I wanted to make mine from upcycled denim and assorted scrap fabric so I printed out the pattern and went hunting in my scraps.

I found lots of jeans that I thought I could cut up, some of which I’ve already used for assorted projects.

I used a leg or two, the details from a couple of pockets, and the hem from a leg. I also used assorted cotton scraps.

The denim gets attached to a backing with some interfacing in between. It’s machine quilted and then hand stitched in between the machined lines.

I used some different coloured denims to add interest. There are magnets stitched in to the section that sits on top of the arm so that various small accessories can be snapped on.

The photo below shows the anatomy of the station. At the bottom is a large pocket which is divided into sections to hold various frequently used tools. The little pocket holds my thimble, which is sitting on the top.

The middle section has a covered button which has a magnet tucked inside, so that it works as a needle rest. It’s sitting on a needle case into which I tucked another magnet so things can be attached both on top and below. There is also a pin cushion and a little container, both of which have magnets so they snap on. The thread catcher hanging off to the right has a magnet in the strap which snaps underneath the whole thing so the thread catcher hangs down but I can relocate it to any of the other magnets should I so wish. I love the thread catcher as I no longer have piles of threads which manage to escape and tangle up the vacuum robot.

Next is a thing called a “clip cafe”, which is a hem stitched on to the base on one long side, so clips can be attached. Then there’s a thread rail, so I can add cottons that I’m using. I can take the thread off without detaching them. This saves them falling off the table next to me and rolling under the chair.

At the bottom are a couple of pockets with assorted pens and notions. I keep my thread wax in the pocket with a measure tape and needle threader, oh and a glasses cleaner cloth!

The other side is a piece of fabric that I won as part of a prize from Woven Stories Textiles. I forgot to take a photo of it laid out, but the whole thing folds into three and is secured with a button, which makes it really transportable.

Various views of it sitting on my armrest.

The needle case is sewn with a felt lining which is perfect for needles.

I added a little bag of emery powder to the top of the pin cushion so my pins get sharpened as I use it.

I’ve been using this for a few days now, and I am delighted to say that I haven’t lost my scissors down the side of the cushion, stabbed myself with a needle I’ve stuck in the chair arm, or had thread or my thimble roll under the chair. Basically, this works!

The masterclass was fabulous. There were very explicit instructions on each section and since I made it I’ve done a free masterclass with Arabesque Scissors on binding, which was fabulous.

I used my StashHub subscription to create the project.

Miss G climbs up on the scaffolding daily and turns it into a stage for her performances. She is extremely entertaining and I suspect is tone deaf, but the dancing is good. This is my son’s garage which is as big as a small house and will eventually have a car hoist installed.

Miss E (two) is one of those game little kids. I love this video of her hurtling down the slide.