Saturday, July 01, 2006

Response to Janet

I am so inspired by all that you do, and the fact that you still find good
blocks of time to devote to sewing. So I have to ask, HOW do you do it all? I am
a full-time program mgmt consultant, with a husband and two daughters, ages 13
and 11. I gave up sewing when the girls were little. There just wasn't enough
time. Now, I'm "dipping my toes back into the pool" so to speak, because both of
them have expressed an interest in learning how to sew. But I honestly don't
know where I'll find the time. Please share any strategies or tactics you use to
make time for sewing for yourself! I'm tired just thinking about how you do it
all! : )Thanks,Janet in MN

Thanks, Janet for commenting! I have thought about my response because I don't think anyone has every asked me how I find the time to sew. I am always thinking I need to find more time to sew!!!

One of the first things that came to mind was I own and have read Nancy Zieman's "10-20-30 Minutes to Sew" book. There have been times when I was really pressured for time to complete a project because I was probably making an outfit for some special event. I thought about what I had read and decided that it made sense. I then organized my project(s) using some of Peggy Sayers advice on sewing using "industry techniques". She advises to cut fabric, lining fabric if using, and interfacing at one time and if possible stacked on top of each other. I normally can cut fabric and lining together. Interfacing I normally end up cutting seperate, because of the variance in width of interfacing I can acquire. I then interface all pieces that require it. I then sew all darts and body or skirt seams. Then proceed to pockets, collars and sleeves. This method has you doing similar steps at one block of time.

I have to allow myself those short time periods to sew as my preference is to go for hours on end working on projects. I don't have those hours during the week too much as it if filled with work, exercise, cooking and family time. It was hard for me to do sewing in short bursts at first, just was not my style. But mentally setting aside the time and doing what I can in a 10 minute time periods, if that is all the time I have, allows me to do get a small part completed. All those 10 minutes do add up and the project gets done.

My family consists of my husband and me. We have no children and thus I have more time than someone like yourself because that children time is important as it time with the spouse. I know when I need to come out of the sewing room or away from the computer for "husband" time. MyDH is a big child sometimes. My work takes a lot of my time, as a senior executive staff person, my work day is not always 8-5. Sometimes I allow myself 10 minutes of sewing time between work at home "stuff".

Since your daughters have expressed interest in sewing, please give into that interest. We need future "sewists" out there. I think you could get them involved in sewing projects by assigning them to do a certain task.

I feel like I have rambled on a bit but basically I am saying block sometime to do a small part of the sewing process. Pattern fitting time, cutting time, fusing time, dart sewing time.

I just read on another blog today something similar to what you wrote and one response was the NIKE saying "Just Do It". Go for it, Janet.

2 comments:

  1. Linda -

    Thanks so much for your thoughtful response and encouragement. We're traveling through the holiday, but once we're home, daughters and I are indeed going to "go for it!" First project will be a jeans jacket for the oldest one. I'll take a look at Nancy's book, too. Sounds like it has some great ideas for squeezing time in as it is available.

    Janet in MN

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  2. That is some really good advice. My mom sewed while I was growing up and I remember sewing my first pair of elastic/no pocket pants when I was around 15. It's hard for me to sew when the kids are awake now, but when I do, they pin fabric together and wrap yarn around bobbins. I am constantly interrupted to sew their creations together, but at least I get a little bit done on my project.

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