We’re on the cusp of shifting seasons again already! Do you find this an exciting time for your sewing, or do you feel a bit stuck wondering what to work on? September is absolutely jam packed with challenges (I think this is my biggest round up yet!) so you won’t be short of inspiration if you need some sewing ideas. You don’t have to worry about remembering all these fab challenges – we’ve added them all to the Challenges section in Stash Hub for you. Save the challenges you’re planning to join in with and link them to your sewing project plans. Find out more about challenges in Stash Hub here or scroll down to watch the video tutorial.
It’s already shaping up to be a big month in the sewing community. I’m really excited to see what you make for all these September 2024 sewing challenges:
September 2024 Sewing Challenges
Project Dress A Girl
Project Dress A Girl is a charity event created by Mari Sews that allows sewists to use their skills to give back by creating dresses for girls living in extreme poverty. Last year, over 5000 dresses were donated through this challenge! Let’s help Mari reach her target of 7000 dresses for this year.
Sew dresses in any size up to age 12 throughout the month of September. Check Mari’s blog post or the challenge details in Stash Hub for the dress requirements. Send your dresses to Mari or your nearest Dress A Girl Around The World ambassador at the start of October.
To have your dresses included in the final count, share your dresses to Instagram with #ProjectDressAGirl2024 and tag @marisewsforcurves. Alternatively, email your final count to projectdressagirl@gmail.com
Shirtwaist September
Shirtwaist September is a celebration of shirtdresses, hosted by @ashleymainmakes and @sewrena_ on Instagram and YouTube. Shirtdresses look great on everyone! Plus they are a great project for developing your sewing skills, as shirtdress/shirtwaist patterns can include lots of lovely details such as collars, plackets, buttonholes and cuffs.
To join in with this sewing challenge, make a shirtdress during September and share your finished project on Instagram, tagging @ashleymainmakes and #ShirtwaistSeptember
This challenge is also running on YouTube so make sure to check out #ShirtwaistSeptember over there for lots of inspiration.
Scrapbusting September
If you didn’t manage to get through your scraps during #SewScrappy last month, there’s another challenge to get you motivated to tackle your scraps pile. #ScrapbustingSeptember hosted by @thegrandstash returns for another year to bring you scrap sewing inspiration.
Take a look at your scrap situation and plan some projects for September. Check out @the_grand_stash on Instagram for scrap sewing ideas. Challenge host Meg is planning to sew some gym shorts, a hair wrap and some seat cushions this month.
Share your scrappy makes to Instagram, tagging @thegrandstash and adding #ScrapbustingSeptember to your caption.
Sewn with Big 5
This monthly challenge celebrates the amazing community of makers sewing with Big 5 patterns. To enter, sew any patterns from the Big 5 brands including Simplicity, McCall’s, Vogue, Know Me, Butterick, New Look and Burda to be in with a chance of winning a pattern voucher to spend on the Sew Direct website.
The Big 5 collection is enormous, so you’ll have plenty of patterns to choose from. To enter the September prize draw, use #SewnWithBig5Sept and tag @simplicitymccallsuk
This challenge is open to UK and Europe only and you can enter as many times as you like. The winner will be chosen by public vote from a shortlist of three and contacted via the @simplicitymccallsuk Instagram account.
Sew Small September
Small businesses are at the heart of the sewing community, bringing us the best fabrics, pattern designs and everything we need to make our sewing projects special. Indie pattern designers @madswick_studio and @neighborhoodpatterns have created #SewSmallSeptember24 to celebrate and support small businesses in the sewing community.
Not sure how you help your favourite small businesses grow? Check out the bingo prompts for ideas of different ways to support small businesses. You can also join the challenge Discord for more suggestions.
Share a post about supporting a small sewing related business, tag hosts @madswick_studio and @neighborhoodpatterns and add #SewSmallSeptember24 to be in with a chance of winning a prize from a small business.
Precious Fabric Challenge
Don’t let stunning fabric languish in your stash! Witney of Tomkat Stitchery is hosting the Precious Fabric Challenge as motivation to finally cut into those special fabrics. Check out the challenge details in Stash Hub or here.
Make something new using a precious fabric from your stash and share it to Instagram on 30th September. Use #PreciousFabric24 in your caption (plus it would be great to hear the story behind your special fabric too). Make sure to tag @tomkatstitcherycarmel to be in with a chance of winning a prize.
There will also be a vlogger tour over on YouTube so search the challenge hashtag over there too. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s special fabrics and admire what they get turned into.
MAGAM: Surprise September
Really excitingly, I’m the guest host for this month’s Make A Garment a month challenge! Each month there is a different theme to motivate you to sew up a garment. We’ve picked ‘Surprise September’ which has lots of opportunities for interpretation. Surprise yourself by getting out of your comfort zone with new styles or colours, or sew something with an unexpected detail. You could also use a fabric you’d forgotten about and were surprised to find in your stash – this happens often during the Stash Hub cataloguing process!
To join in with this sewing challenge, share your finished garment to Instagram and tag hosts @suestoney @sewing_in_spain and @stash_hub and use #MagamSurpriseSeptember #magamsewalong.
Spooky September Sewalong
Are you looking forward to Spooky Season already? Get started on your Halloween themed projects this month with the #SpookySeptemberSewALong2024, hosted by @silversstitches and @spunstraw. You’re free to sew any item you like – in previous years people made bags, quilts, pouches, clothes, toys and more.
To join in with this sewing challenge, share your spooky projects to Instagram with the hashtag #SpookySeptemberSewALong2024 and tag hosts @silversstitches and @spunstraw. There will be prizes up for grabs in this sewing challenge, so make sure to share your entries before the end of the month to be in with a chance of winning.
SewFizzTeaCated
Surrey Sews are hosting an in-person afternoon Tea event in Woking, UK on Saturday 19th October. There are still a few tickets left here if you want to come (I’ll be there!).
This challenge is aimed at motivating attendees to sew their outfits for the event, and also to expand the event to sewists who can’t make it but still want to get involved. To join in, sew any item you would take to an afternoon tea – this could be a garment or accessories. Share your finished afternoon tea make to Instagram, tag @surreysews in the image and use #SewFizzTeaCated24 in the caption.
There are prizes for this challenge (including a free years subscription to Stash Hub Plus). Winners will be chosen by random draw.
Sept Textile Love
Do you love getting creative with textiles? @seam_collective have created a challenge with daily prompts, allowing you to delve more into your craft. The #SeptTextileLove challenge is all about community spirit, so visit the hashtag to see what others have shared in response to the prompts – it could be the start of an interesting conversation!
There will be a different daily prompt throughout September. You could go all in and post every day, or just select the prompts that inspire you. Share your interpretation of the prompt to Instagram and tag @seam_collective in your posts and add #SeptTextileLove to your caption.
WIP Challenge
Got a pile of Works In Progress (WIPs)? Find yourself sewing anything and everything but your WIPs? Want to end the year WIP-Free? Join #SewWIPChallenge and finish one project a week with a community of fellow UNfinishers!
Collect all your unfinished projects and place them in numbered project bags. Create a container filled with numbered scraps that correspond to each project. Now it’s time for the lucky dip! Each Sunday, pick a numbered scrap at random – this will be the project you work on this week.
Use the hashtag #SewWIPChallenge in your captions and search it to find and encourage fellow challengers. Follow challenge host @insidethehem for some solidarity and to see which WIP they are aiming to finish each week.
Continuing Sewing Challenges
In addition to the September 2024 sewing challenges listed above, you also still have time to join in with the #StitchingAdventures challenges that kicked off in August. You have until the 14th September to share the adventures you’ve been on wearing your me-made clothes.
There are also ongoing stash busting challenges designed to help you sew through fabric from your existing collection. The Whole 30 fabric challenge encourages you to sew 30 yards of fabric in your own time. Here’s the catch – you can’t buy any more fabric until you’ve finished sewing 30 yards! If you prefer a more laid back approach to tackling your fabric stash, #2FromStashAMonth motivates you to sew two fabrics from your stash each month. This makes sure you’re using at least some of it!
The Winter of Care and Repair is running for the southern hemisphere as an opportunity to focus on caring for yourself and your belongings. See if there’s anything that needs mending and find out how you can get creative through the process.
The details of all these challenges plus the new September 2024 sewing challenges are in Stash Hub now, so open your app for full details.
Sewing Challenges in Stash Hub
Find more details about these sewing challenges and link them to your projects in Stash Hub. The Challenges section will be updated with new challenges each month so don’t forget to check it. Watch this YouTube tutorial below to find out how to use Challenges in Stash Hub.
I hope all these challenges have got you feeling inspired and excited to join in! Community has been key to my personal journey and is at the core of Stash Hub. If you spot (or host) a new sewing challenge on social media, send them to me @stash_hub or email me yvette@stashhubapp.com so I can add them to the app and encourage more sewists to get involved. We love supporting creativity in the sewing community and are happy to sponsor prizes for sewing challenges. Drop me a message if you are hosting a challenge soon!
Wow! So many challenges in September! I’m sure there are a few I’d love to join!
Definitely Sew for a girl! What an amazing idea.
Yes it’s an insanely busy month isn’t it! Hope you have fun and get lots of sewing done!