How Do You Find the Time?!

[gem]

(blush) Thanks, Nicole.

and I'm *totally* an all-or-nothing person, too! I'm supposed to be on "vacation" right now, and in the last two weeks, I've cleaned my entire house, done a convention (where I hawked books for two days straight), had a doctor's appointment, two dental appointments, worked out every day, gone to the vet 4 times, spent something like 10 hours straight sewing, stitched (cross stitch) every day, and helped DH build a retaining wall. I'm exhausted from my time off!

I wish I knew the secret of having more balance. I've just sworn off working weekends, for the first time since 2002. (Revisions during Fair season last fall... yeah. It's a wonder I'm still here... and married!) I wish I could dabble a little in things every day, instead of flinging myself headlong into everything. I always feel like there's never enough time to get anything done.

[peacewing]

I was definitely an "all or nothing" person. However, with larger and larger projects - I just never finished anything! My fiancée suggested that I literally schedule time into my days for just sewing. It definitely helped - a little time everyday makes me feel less crazy for the rest of the day, and I'm able to focus on chores and work better.

I had to alter my other habits too, to reclaim my life! Something that definitely helped was finally swallowing my pride and throwing the laundry into one load - whites, darks, and all on cold. Less time, and nobody sees my underwear and socks anyway, if they turn pink. (Which, ironically, has never happened... yet!) And if the amount of laundry gets out of hand, or doesn't fit in our bureau, than we fill and a bag and give it to the Red Cross.

A good friend suggested I get a Roomba, but I felt like that would have been the ultimate lost battle to laziness. Instead I keep a small, inexpensive vacuum on hand for touch-ups here and there for only five minutes. It definitely cuts back on how much time I spend heavy-duty vacuuming. I cut back to one green cleaner for cleaning everything, except for the other necessities like Lime Away. I have no idea what the men in the house do to the shower, but it's definitely needed. I also threw out a lot of useless "dust collector" items that sit on shelves, so dusting isn't that much of an issue. My dishwasher might be my favorite appliance ever. I don't use anything that needs to be washed by hand.

My sewing room is 1/3 my fiancées bedroom, and 1/3 my niece's toy storage. I cram in my sewing machine and serger, always out and ready to go. If I put them away somewhere, such as in the closet, then I never sew. I'd rather swat away some stuffed animals and dirty underwear than dig everything out of the closet. I swear by plastic storage and any organizational furniture from Ikea, or anywhere for that matter!

[Lady L]

Maybe a few tips that could help...

Try to organize by project, meaning pattern, fabric, thread, trim, buttons all in one box. I like clear plastic totes, as I know many of you do, too. If you need to move the project, everything is in one box.

I keep my sewing machine plugged in and set up all the time, in a sewing room. I only wish my cutting table was not the dining room table. Sigh.

I make lists of what I want to make, for each person I am making them for, along with their measurements. Cross off what gets done. So what if everything on the list isn't done, at least you can see what you HAVE done. My lists are always much longer than what I can realistically accomplish, but set goals.

When making more than one item from the same pattern, such as blouses, cut them all at the same time, then sew them up all in the same time frame. Might take several days or weeks, but do the whole project that way, it goes faster for me. Sort of an assembly line process.

I try not to have to "unsew" because that takes up too much time! Sometimes, it's unavoidable.

Like Butch said, I read throught the directions first, have it in my mind how the pieces go together, what changes I will be making, etc. If you can "see it" you can "do it."

[ArielCallista]

I sew nearly every day around work and class and everything else going on in my life. I would highly suggest if you can, you leave your machine and everything out...set up a sewign area with all of your stuff so its not a hassle to get it all out dig for each little thing you need and then have to put it all away when you're done...itll save you a good hour...or more if youre disorganized like me. It makes it much easier to sew while doing other things...while dinner is in the oven, laundry is in the machine or whatever else you have to wait for...

I've also discovered that setting a due date helps...not just an "I want to wear it this faire season" I normally formulate a complete outfit and have picked a day to wear it. It helps me alot to tell people I will be wearing it that day...then they look forward to seeing what I made...I feel like I'd disappoint them if i didnt wear it so I feel more obligated to finish it...