Slow Sewing

When I first started sewing I was super excited. I would spend all my time on reading blogs, researching patterns and of course sewing. Sewing was everything. I was making lots. Then as other commitments crept in, they scuppered some of my sewing plans. Whilst I tried to keep up with my self imposed schedule, as I missed more and more of my own deadlines, I eventually found that I was making excuses to why I wasn’t firstly blogging about my makes and then excuses for not making them.

I was a sewist?? who was not sewing. Ultimately I stopped making and sewing altogether. My fabric stash and pattern stash sat there and dust collected on my sewing machine.

I also noticed that whilst I was sewing fast it was exciting, but the results were never that great. The fabric choice was wrong for the pattern. The pattern was wrong for my shape or lifestyle. The fit was terrible. All could be overcome but not fast. Time for slow sewing.

I still wanted to identify with the sewing community, I loved meeting up with others and I know I want to do more of that in the future. I also have even less time than before, with work and family commitments, (new business and new baby)so how am I going to fit in sewing.

My solution is to sew one stage everyday. This means that there is progress everyday and I am happy to take time to get it right, checking and checking before committing. I am lucky that I can leave my sewing out and although in the early stages at the moment I am pleased not just with the progress but also the outcome. The seams are straighter. I take time to press and my work looks better. And some days if there’s time well I might get two stages done. I guess, in a way, this is just mindfulness.

Image by Annie Spratt