5 Ways to Refresh Your Closet with Spring Sewing

I took a little break from blogging to organize and refresh my closet. I’m spring cleaning and it feels so good! 

I’ve been going through my old clothes and stash. I’m also doing a lot of sewing, but in a different way. 

I’ll share what I’ve been doing to declutter and refine. This might give you some ideas for the season.

Spring Cleaning and Sewing Refresh

For context, I aim to do a deep clean every so often. I live in a condo, and my stuff is in different places.

And this time I ended up cleaning up my closet so much! And this is what I did.

1. Fix Old Clothes

So I have a lot of old clothes that I’ve stored away. These are things that need little fixes.

Maybe they need a new button, zipper, or elastic. Or they need a more complex fix, like a new waistband.

And there are some clothes with holes that need to be patched up. I may have been too busy and put them aside.

So I’m actually fixing these clothes now. That way, I can actually wear them instead of them lying around with no purpose.

2. Upcycle or Refashion

I’ve started to refashion clothes that were too big or I no longer liked. I have bags of clothes that I made a long time ago.

My tastes have changed, and the styles might not be current. But the fabric is still good, like with this skirt I revamped. 

I’ve also had a lot of clothes in a sort of purgatory! I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with them. 

They sat under my bed or on shelves. I don’t necessarily want to donate them, but I want to do something with them.

For example, I had some T-shirts that were a bit big. I’m making them into tanks or other tops. 

In the past, I’ve also upcycled big shirts into cute cloth napkins and bags.

And a mattress cover into a tracksuit jacket. Fun right?

3. Resize Clothes

Speaking of clothes that are too big, I’m doing a lot of resizing. Many clothes in my closet are on the bigger side.

Well, I’ve gone through weight changes. And I’ve been keeping the bigger clothes.

I guess I feel like I might return to that size. And before the holidays, I got pretty sick, so I lost a lot of weight. 

But, like many people, I have fluctuated throughout the years. While this might be, I’ve been resizing the clothes that are too big.

But I’m making them so I can still easily take them out if needed.

For example, button-up shirts and jackets can be taken out by leaving extra seam allowance on the sides. 

Plus, my tops tend to be more loose-fitting with ease. So they’ll still fit if I gain a few pounds. 

4. Organize Fabric

This part took a while, as I have a lot of fabric. I used to just toss it all in big old bags or put it on shelves.

There wasn’t much organization, except for my fabric swatches. But I needed a deep clean because still had trouble finding stuff. 

I’d forget I had a certain fabric. I need to have things visible on shelves so I can see them. 

Then I went through and organized materials by type. I put the rayons, cottons, linens, knits, and denims together. 

Muslin and old bedsheets that I use for mock-ups are stored in clear bags. I have some scraps in bags, but I got rid of the little scraps entirely.

You might even have your warmer-weather fabrics together. I have mine upfront and center for the upcoming months!

5. Tackle UFOs

So I did a blog post on the unfinished sewing projects that I had. I thought I had finally dealt with them, but it turns out I changed my mind again.

There were some UFOs that I thought I’d like to continue making. But as I was sorting through stuff, I changed my mind.

I decided I probably won’t make them, even if the fabric is already cut. But then again, I might change my mind again.

For example, I have a sweatshirt that I had cut out and started on. But I didn’t like the pattern anymore.

I’m going to choose another pattern and use the fabric for that. I probably won’t pre-cut for this reason.

I’m indecisive, and when creativity hits, I might just scratch the whole project for something new! 

And that’s okay because it’s my process. 

So some are still sitting there. Meanwhile, I’ve put others in the upcycling pile.

Additional Notes

I had a lot of stuff to go through and did this over several days. So you might want to pace yourself.

I focused on the fabrics first. Then I did clothes after. Honestly, I just got tired of looking at stuff, so I went through it.

If you are uncertain about what you want to do with old clothes or fabrics, you can put them aside. I stored mine in a dust-free bag. 

I wait at least 6 months. If I haven’t used them, it’s my sign to get rid of them or upcycle.

You might be surprised at what you find later!

Final Thoughts

I’m glad I went through all this stuff in my closet and my stash. It wasn’t as tedious as I thought, and actually kind of fun.

This gave me a different direction for sewing and to be more creative. I’m going to have some resizing and upcycling projects coming up! 

More About Sewing

I have many other related posts on my blog. You might want to check them out.

• Would you like to see what my sewing room really looks like behind the seams? 

• I’ll tell you how sewing has helped me cope and pulled me through tough times.

• You don’t make the mistakes I made that gave me sewing stress!

I’d love to hear all about your sewing journey!

Originally published: March 16, 2025