Sew more, inspire more
Getting your sewjo on!
Dark machine? Stacked up projects? No motivation? Get your sewjo on!
Sewjo, like mojo, is an epheremal thing. Sometimes you’re cranking out projects one after another in a flurry of excitement. Other times you can’t even pull out your machine, let alone get anything done. But sewjo is more about managing your mental state than your sewing one. Let’s break it down.
Procrastination. There are a rare few people who don’t procrastinate, ever. The rest of us have to deal with this from time to time. But it’s a mental game. And it can be won with some very simple tricks. Every time you stop to procrastinate (check social media, go get another cup of coffee, take on a task that’s not the one you should be doing), you should ask yourself “what is the next step I need to take to get this bigger project done?” Not the next forty steps, or even the next five. The very next one.
For sewists, this might be selecting one garment from your wardrobe. Yep. Not sewing at all. The next step after that might be going to your fabric stash and selecting one coordinating fabric. Next one after that might be selecting one pattern you know you can make without alterations or creative hacks. You might need to cut on a dining room table that is covered with stuff, so your next task after that might be to place all the junk on the chairs and push them away from the table to cut (this is my trick!)
Just ask yourself “what is the very next thing I need to do”. And do that, one after another after another.
Set a timer
Just the thought of taking hours to make something can be overwhelming. So go set your kitchen timer for 15 minutes. Yep, that’s it! Whatever you need to do in that 15 minutes, do it. Maybe it’s setting the stuff on the kitchen chairs or selecting the garment from your closet. The goal with the timer is to allow you to see that you can choose to keep going (another 15 mintues) or stop. Usually, you’ll keep going! This also allows you to sew in small bits of time – when waiting to go to an event or to work or even after dinner or before bed.
Calendarizing your sewing time
Did you miss your last doctor’s appointment or business meeting? Probably not. Why? You put it on your calendar, set a reminder and you WENT THERE. So that’s what you need to do with sewing. Put it on your calendar and GO THERE. Set the timer (see above) and do the very next thing when you get there. Treat it like the appointment it is. Ask yourself if you invited a friend over to sew with, would you stand her up and not show up for the appointment? No! Pretend your machine is your best friend. She needs you. Don’t neglect her.
Use an easy wardrobe concept
Deciding what to sew is one thing that often stymies creative people – they have so many ideas that they can’t pick which one to work on first. Call it tyranny of the creative mind. It has too many things to prioritize. In this case, there’s an easy fix: your current wardrobe. If you follow our Take 1, Make 2 wardrobe concept, you’ll always have things to wear. Go into your closet, take one item you like and then head to your stash. Find a coordinating fabric that can work with the item you need. If you have a blouse, maybe you need pants, or a skirt. Maybe you need a jacket or vest or blazer to go over it. Finding the ONE thing that you need to make the garment you’re holding part of a great set is your goal.
Shop your stash with new eyes
If you take a garment from your closet down to your stash, all of a sudden you’re viewing your stash from a new spot. Not what should I make with this fabric, but what fabric goes with/coordinates/looks great with what I’m holding in my hand. It will help you view your stash with new eyes. Many of us buy fabric thinking what we’ll make of it and that mental image of whatever that is in your head, sticks with you. Maybe you intended to make that silky fabric into pajamas but holding a skirt from your wardrobe, you realize it would make a GREAT tee shirt blouse to wear under a moto jacket, tucked into your skirt with sneakers for an urban-chic look!
Find inspiration
We know you love to have ideas for what to sew that works together. So we prepare regular capsule wardrobe ideas to spur on your creative thinking. Each piece works with the other, but also with others in your current wardrobe. They stand the test of time, allowing you to sew a slow-fashion wardrobe that is sustainable.
Getting your sewjo back can be as simple as being inspired. Read sewing blogs, follow hashtags on Instagram and pick EASY patterns that offer successful sewing to get back in the groove.
Sew something you know will be successful
One last piece of advice: make a garment you know will be successful through reviews, but also through having made it before. Make two- a test garment in not your favorite fabric and then in your favorite after you’ve sewn it once. A successful result and a managed outcome (test first!) is a recipe for feeling excited about sewing the next project after that.
Happy sewing!