How to Make an Ironing Board Organizer

I made a handy Ironing Board Organizer! This hanging caddy fits across the end of your ironing board and has different pockets as well as a pin cushion. Perfect for keeping everything handy while pressing. In my organizer is a pair of shears, fabric markers, a seam ripper, ironing fingers, a protective ironing cloth, a hot hem ruler, as well as some pins and sewing clips. All of these tools are available in the Madamsew.com store. What a coincidence :-)))

I made the Ironing Board Organizer for these tools because I like to have these near my ironing board. I don’t have a big ironing board, so I didn’t make the organizer too wide. You can use my measurements, but I will explain how I built it up so that you can customize your own organizer and make it fit your tools. It’s not hard to do. You can also use the same principle to make a bedside caddy or a sofa caddy. Endless possibilities!

This is what you need:

- 2 main pieces (back & front) to hang over the ironing board– use cotton: 34 inch x 7 inch.
  1 batting piece of 34 x 7 inch to fuse to one of the main pieces: I used fusible H630 batting.

- 3 pocket pieces, all 7 inch wide (the same width as your main pieces)– use cotton

1. 1. 1. 12 inch H x 7 inch W
    2. 5 inch H x 7 inch W
    3. 8 inch H X 7 inch W

Batting for the pockets:

1. 1. 1. 6 x 7 inch
    2. 2.5 x 7 inch
    3. 3.5 x 7 inch

Bias tape for the pocket edges: 3 strips of 7 inch long

- 2 fabric pieces for the pin cushion: 6 x 4 inch
  I added wings to the pin cushion to attach some sewing clips: 8 pieces of 2 inch long bias tape.
  Filling for the pin cushion.

INSTRUCTIONS

Gather your regular sewing tools and cut all of the fabric pieces, bias tape strips, and batting.

A. The Pockets

1. Fold the pocket pieces in half and press. The fold is the bottom of the pocket. The top part will be finished off with bias tape.

2. Fuse the batting to the main piece and the 3 pocket pieces.

3. Make sure the top edge of the pocket is neat (all 3 layers are lined up and trimmed straight).

4. Wrap the bias tape around the top of the pocket pieces and attach with pins or clips. The safest option is to add bias tape in 2 steps. Fold the tape open. Pin it right sides facing to the top side of the pocket, on the edge.

5. First, sew one side to the pocket. Stitch in the crease. Then fold the bias tape over the edge and fold the edge of the tape under. Next, pin and stitch-in-the-ditch on the visible side of the pocket. Make sure you sew through the other side of the bias tape at the non visible side of the pocket. Do this for all 3 pockets.

6. Position the pockets on the main piece with the batting. Place the big pocket on one edge. The 2 smaller pockets on the other end. Pin down. Sew on the 3 edges (the sides without bias tape). Leave the top open 🙂.

7. Sew through the pocket piece and the main piece to make the smaller pockets– the ‘dividers'. Test a little with your tools to decide where to place the dividers.

B. The Pincushion

1. Fold the 2 inch bias tape pieces in half into a cone as shown in the picture.

2. Take one of the 2 fabric pieces and pin 4 folded bias tape pieces to each long end– not too close to the end, you need some seam allowance here.

3. Sew them down at 1/4 inch.

4. Take the other fabric piece, put it on the piece with the bias tape triangles, right sides facing. Sew all around at 3/8 inch, but don’t forget to leave a turning hole of 1 inch.

5. Turn the pincushion inside out and stuff with soft filling through the turning hole.

6. When you have the volume you want, close the turning hole with a hand stitch.

C. The Final steps

1. Pin the remaining main fabric piece onto the piece with the pockets.

3. Turn the organizer to the right side.

2. Sew together with 1/4 inch seam allowance. Make sure you grab the edges of the pockets. If not, make the seam allowance a little bigger. Again, you have to leave an opening to turn the organizer inside out, 3 inches this time.

4. Give the organizer a good press.

5. If you want, you can edgestitch all around. This is a decorative topstitching that will also close the turning hole. If you don’t (I didn’t), close the turning hole with a hand stitch. You can also give some extra rows of stitching through the big fabric strips to strengthen the quilt sandwich and keep everything in place.