Sewing bummer recovery tips
There have been a few times, ok, way more than a few times, when I've had a sewing fail that has bummed me out. It can be hard to get motivated enough to get back to the machine with a recent flop fresh in my mind, so I thought I would share some ways that I use to get out of my sewing funk.
bike riding with my husband and a tired pup
1. Step away from the machine.
As soon as you start getting frustrated, do something that requires you to remove yourself from your sewing room/area. Get outside for some fresh air. Walk your dog (or in my case take your dog on a bike ride haha). Go hang out with friends. If you force yourself to sew when you are ticked, then mistakes are bound to happen. Plus, angry sewing isn't fun sewing, right?
2. Prepare for patterns that excite you.
Trace or cut out the next pattern in your queue. Some days I will get in a zone and trace three or four in a couple of hours! It's an awesome feeling to have a stack of patterns ready to go and it's a gratifying way of contributing to "sewing" without actually being in front of your machine.
3. Clean your sewing room.
I will organize my patterns and fabric when I'm in a rut, and this sounds weird, but it's almost like I will get a second wind and want to start creating again. A pattern I may have overlooked will catch my eye and I will imagine it paired with a fabric I have forgotten about and want to sew it immediately. It's like shopping your own stash!
I'll also throw away trash (I'm so bad about emptying the wastebasket in my sewing room), clean my machine, vacuum the floor, wash and iron fabric for future projects, and reorganize my notions. Having a fresh and clean area makes me happy and more productive.
my new favorite t-shirt pattern
4. Turn to your TNT pattern.
After my latest sewing fail I turned to a pattern that I really love, the Deer and Doe Plantain tee. It's something I can cut, sew, and complete in a few hours, so it's a great instant gratification project for me. The construction isn't confusing, it doesn't need fitting adjustments, and I am always in need of a new t-shirt :) I made the short sleeve version (see above) last Friday night and wore it the following day.
current knitting WIP
5. Direct your energy toward other hobbies for a little while.
Reading and knitting are two other things I enjoy in my free time. A good book will suck me in or a new knitting pattern paired with a Netflix binge will definitely hold my interest. Oooh, just finished watching Scandal (so addicting!) and started The Killing.
What about you guys? How do you recover from a sewing fail or sewing burnout?
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Good tips! As often as not, my slups come from taking mediocre pics, and then feeling unmotivated to blog. Then I get distracted by sewing boring things that I can't be bothered to blog, and suddenly (like now!) I have 10 things I could/may never blog! ;)
ReplyDeleteSomething my husband said always helps me out when I'm bummed by a failure. It's not that it's really a failure or a waste of time or energy. It's pretty much the same as if you had invested time/money in a sewing class, only in this case you were teaching yourself. So yeah, the project might not be wearable, but now you're better equipped for the next challenge. To sum it up: It's not a failure, it's a learning experience! Sounds cheesy, but it helps me.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that I have any other tips - you nailed all my go to strategies for getting out of a funk!
ReplyDeleteYou've pretty much covered it but in my case sometimes I finish it anyway then give it to someone. My daughter gets first pick ;)
ReplyDeleteLove this list! I find cleaning really helps me... And I kind of fucking hate cleaning.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I have been in a rut lately due to some fails so I needed this advice! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteyep, those are the things i would do to! :) I'm dog sitting right now, and I'm finding that taking a break and walking the pups helps keep me fresh while I work throughout the day. The mental break and the exercise really help to keep me productive and happy.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips, thanks for posting. I just had an annoying fail that should have been easy but instead I've put it aside & now having 10days away from sewing visiting family. I think I'll take your advice & start with a T-shirt when I get back. I love your plantains!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, I need to employ some of them, I have been a refugee in knitting for too long...
ReplyDeleteI can relate to fails totally discouraging the love of sewing. So far turning to my TNT has helped. Thank you for the tips.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips! #3 especially works for me- once I've cleaned things up, I get energized and want to make something I've found in the stash! I also enjoy stepping away from sewing and instead knitting when I'm in a slump, although I have to confess I'm in the opposite situation right now- got stuck on a pattern (that I've done before even! I screwed something up and don't have enough stitches left to continue on a section, ack!) and now I'm pretending like this project doesn't exist because I get too mad thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteI'm in a bit of a slump right now, so I just take time away from my sewing room for a little while and do other things. That usually has me wanting to return again. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your Plaintain looks AMAZING on you! I love that neckline.
ReplyDeleteI recover from a sewing fail/burnout by just not sewing for a bit. I make sure to keep reading sewing blogs for inspiration, though, so after about a week of no sewing and lots of sewing-reading, I'm usually ready to get back in my sewing room!
That's the same thing I did with my first sweater pattern! I don't do that with sewing often, but I do with knitting. I got stuck on short rows for the sleeves, and threw it in the back of my sewing closet. I plan to go to a knitting night at my local yarn store for help soon, though!
ReplyDeleteShort rows are so confusing! I'm afraid to get help because I know the answer will be "rip back 10 inches" or something like that, sigh! Hope you get your problem sorted out easily!
ReplyDeleteNicely put! These are all strategies that I try to employ too, but it's nice to have them all put down in one place for those times when you can't get things straight in your head. I think your first point is probably the most pertinent for me- I know I'll only make things worse & make heaps of mistakes if I try to persevere when I'm not feeling it. Works for problem solving too- as soon as I step away and start thinking about something else (or even nothing at all) then a solution or idea will just POP right into my head!
ReplyDeleteThese are all excellent tips! I can't even think of anything to add since you've covered all the bases really well. I have a sewing playlist of favorite songs to listen to when I'm sewing as well. Sometimes that can help lift the mood during those moments when you want to rage flip your sewing machine (or more specifically, your "auto" "one step" button-hole foot).
ReplyDeleteIn a sewing rut I usually feed my addiction by obsessively reading a million and ten sewing blogs. Sometimes I'll keep going until I get to the beginning of whatever blog I'm reading. Seeing their growth ( backwards) is really inspiring and makes me want to make something I couldwear to go to ( imaginary) tea/coffee with that blogger.
ReplyDeleteFeast or famine, right?
ReplyDeleteNot cheesy at all! It's a "learn by doing" mentality and it's sometimes making mistakes is the best way to remember what not to do :)
ReplyDeleteLucky daughter!
ReplyDeleteGlad it could help! xo
ReplyDeleteSometimes I look forward to walking Frankie for a mental breather. It can make quite a difference in my outlook :)
ReplyDeletePlantains are the best!
ReplyDeleteShort rows are sooooooo confusing to me!!!! That's a really good idea to go in for help, I might do that soon. Also, there is a Craftsy class that focuses specifically on short rows, so I might check that out!
ReplyDeleteI just commented above, but wanted to tell you, I think there is a Craftsy class dedicated to short rows. I'm interested.
ReplyDeleteOh, blogs are such a good way to get inspired!
ReplyDeleteI haven't rage flipped yet, but I have rage thrown away ahahhaha!
ReplyDeleteAfter my last sewing fail, I've been shamefully absent from my machine - not helped by some other woeful happenings in that department, so it's good to be reminded that there are ways out. I've been kind of waiting for this situation to resolve itself but I suppose I should make myself useful in the meantime and at least tape a few pdf patterns together haha. ^__^
ReplyDelete