Going to jump right in here, because these lessons are all connected!
1. Prepare and know what you are getting into.
For example, check out the recommended skill level on the pattern. Does it line up with what you know about your skills? Check if the pattern requires any special notions, interfacing type, matching thread, or special fabrics. Do an initial layout to check all pattern pieces fit on your yardage. These sorts of things can trip us up right when we are getting in the zone! Being prepared can add time to the sewing process but it can help prevent possible frustrations and the temptation to abandon a project (see step 3!). When you care a lot about the outcome, or when you have limited time to invest, set yourself up as best you can at the start.
2. Set limits on what you buy and are influenced by.
I am a big believer in working with a core set of tools. This doesn’t mean being austere or suffering for no reason. It is helpful to find the right tool for the job but we don’t need to try all the possible tools for a job. Use what you have and get used to not having every possible thing. Save your money and your mental clarity. Also, get used to not knowing what other people are doing. I used to go down a rabbit hole of social media “research” only to find hours have gone by where I have created nothing. Constant inputs can have the negative impact of chipping at your own confidence, preventing your own ideas from ever taking off.
3. Finish the project.
It could be sloppy, ill fitting, or just flat out horrible-looking; just not what you expected at all. Finishing what you started is how you learn. It is easy, too easy, to abandon a project when you are stuck. The downside is your skill and confidence will remain stuck there, too. See the project through to whatever end it is destined for. It may turn out better than you could have imagined! Besides, the worst case scenario is that you have some around-the-house clothes, or fabric to repurpose into some dish towels. Every step in the sewing process is education.
4. When you are stuck, confused, or making mistakes—walk away.
Give yourself a minute, ninety minutes, or three days. Pushing through doesn’t mean sitting there in frustration. It can mean getting creative and practicing different problem solving techniques. Let yourself switch gears and do something different. We all experience this inside and outside of our sewing lives, where we feel stuck, things don’t make sense, we doubt our abilities, and the emotions start to kick up in an unhelpful way. Get up and out of that frame of mind. Give yourself permission to take a break and let yourself come back to your project with fresh eyes. The solution may very well arrive when you let it go and are doing something else.
5. Do things in an unprofessional way.
I should also add “and be okay with this”! A lot of what we come across in sewing talks about how to achieve “professional results”, or how not to have something look “homemade”. Don’t get me wrong—I am all about developing skills. But don’t let this confuse you, or interpret this to mean it must be professional or nothing. This idea of achieving professional results can put undue pressure on us when we just want to enjoy some creative expression. Sewing is about new skills and ongoing creative practice. You don’t need to be a master tailor, too. A majority of folks wouldn’t notice sewing flaws, for one thing, and even if they did, will they take time out of their lives to help you out? Probably not. Do what you can and keep doing what you can. If you are not sewing in a professional capacity, you are free to do anything you like! Embrace all the times you get to say that in your life!
