It's been a long time since I've sewed...and now I'm nervous to begin.

[NicoleBridget]

Has this ever happened to anyone else? 

It's been a couple years since I've sewn, I believe the last thing was my Tudor wedding dress in 2006.  Since then we bought our first home, a fixer upper, and spent a good deal of time on house projects.  THEN I told myself I couldn't sew until my (castle-themed) sewing room was completely finished.  Now it finally is.  THEN I told myself I couldn't sew until my Bernina got a checkup.  Now it has.  Then I bought all the fabrics for a nice pair of linen bloomers and...I can't seem to get myself to sit down at the machine!  In fact, I'm shopping around for supplies for other projects instead.  Sometimes I'll even sketch a design that I've already sketched a thousand times over. Sometimes I'll re-organize my newly organized tubs of fabric.  Anything but sitting down at the machine!

My husband walked in on me standing cross-armed in front of my machine just staring at it, a pile of nice white linen folded next to it, and he laughed at me.  Has anyone else balked at sewing after a long hiatus?  Is it like riding a bike?  Will I be ok???  LOL!

[Syrilla]

YES!!!  It does happen, but once you make yourself do the first thing, like cut out a pattern, you will just flow into it!  So pick up your shears and start sewing.

[DragonWing]

I agree with Syrilla, It's happened to me a couple of times.

Just start by cutting out the pattern and before you know it your sewing again.

[LadyShadow]

I must ditto that as well.  And then once you start again, you wonder why you ever stopped or wonder what exactly were you doing when you werent sewing.

[FortuneRose]

I'm terrible at stopping and starting on sewing!   I stopped for nearly a year and then got the urge to sew a few months ago.  Now, that project is sitting at my sewing table nearly finished... but untouched for about 3-4 weeks now.  I need to get my butt moving on finishing it

[Genievea Brookstone]

It has been almost 20 yrs since I sewed and now I wonder why I ever stopped!

[gem]

I don't know that I agree with the chorus of "you'll wonder why you ever stopped!"

But I definitely sympathize with the paralysis of beginning again.  I do think that once you get well into a project (or several), chances are very good that you will get back into the swing of things and it will start to feel more natural.  And, hence, it will be easier to *keep* going.  It's the Law of Inertia: an object at rest tends to stay at rest (so it's harder to get started), and an object in motion tends to stay in motion (so it's easier to keep going!).

(Hoping, anyway!)

I haven't finished anything in more than a year, and I don't really know why. My last project--like yours--was a big one, but it went together so beautifully and smoothly, there's no reason for me to be intimidated.  But for some reason, after finishing my 18th C. ensemble, I just couldn't get going again.  I've had a few fits and starts along the way, but haven't gotten steadily back into it, long enough to finish anything.  So I've actually decided to take a class, hoping it will help me stay motivated.  I'll be working on my Promenade Gown.  And, in fact, I have a mockup I'm supposed to be working on, so...

[Lady Rebecca]

I don't usually have a problem starting a project - I have a problem finishing them. Like this black dress (just mundane) that I was making for myself starting in the beginning of Feb, this year. I made one for a friend and really liked it, so I made one for myself as well. I got it all finished except the zipper and the hem, and then I just put it aside. I didn't finish it until the last day before the costume shop (which is where I sew) closed for the summer.

But in the meantime, I made a ton of Ren garb!

[ladyharrogate]

I sew for a living and I still balk at it at times even when I haven't had a hiatus.  Like right now, I should be in sewing on the wedding dress I have to fit in three hours but I just had to step away.  I have a set of jousting colors that's been sitting in my sewing room half finished for months.  Okay, so maybe that one is not balking, might just be that I've been up to my eyeballs in alligators.  Maybe you could try small goals.  Plan to get it cut out by a certain date, etc.

[NicoleBridget]

Thanks everyone.  It's just such a strange feeling as I truly love this hobby.  I'm making a "date" with myself tonight to get in there and do what I can.  I'm sure I'll be right back into the swing of things not too long after.  Just needed to know others have been there!

[ladyharrogate]

schedule yourself some time and go for it!  Once you get back into the swing of sewing you'll probably enjoy yourself.

[FortuneRose]

something that tends to usually work for getting me back into the mood to sew is putting in a DVD of a period movie or something that inspires me.  I pop in movies like Elizabeth, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Tudors, Dangerous Beauty, etc (yes, I know hot HA, but they have beautiful gowns to admire)

or put in a CD from an act you enjoy at your festival...sometimes that works too