Source: Diane & Me who got this from the theaudacityofcolor.com via Amy on Pinterest
I saw this quote by a journalist over at the blog Diane & Me a couple of weeks ago and it really struck a cord in terms of reflecting on The Sew Weekly challenge I embarked on 11 months ago.
But let me start at the beginning...back in December 2010 the lovely Mena from The Sew Weekly blog put up a post looking for contributors to a year-long challenge that entailed sewing a garment/outfit every week. I had been following Mena's blog for quite some time and just loved all her creations! She asked for interested people to send her an email. Well, I did. I equate it to signing up to run a marathon if you've never done one before. You're not quite sure what you're in for and once you start training you think "Can I do this?" But you've already signed up so you just jump right in!!
Before I joined the Sew Weekly I had sewn 12 garments TOTAL in 12 months--most of them separates. I don't think it started to dawn on me how much more I would need to sew to meet the challenges until I started! A few of the co-contributors (Adey and Veronica--I'm looking at you!) commented that the Sew Weekly would help them slow down a bit! Fabulous Adey had sewn 46 garments in 7 months before the Sew Weekly and the lovely Veronica had done several sew one thing a day for a whole month challenges! Eeep!
Well, I am happy to report that I was able to keep up (for the most part--a few skipped challenges here and there and a few, ahem, slightly unfinished garments) but man, I was not expecting the incredibly positive impact sewing weekly would have on my life.
I don't know why, but I tend to veer towards complicated and challenging patterns. In fact, you might even say that I seek out unusual patterns with really neat details (that oh, require a lot of time)! One of the biggest challenges for me has been to marry my sewing style with producing weekly outputs within a specific theme. Therein lies one of the greatest benefits of this last year--using patterns that wouldn't have normally been high on my sewing list! Some of my favourite creations have been from these patterns that I wouldn't have normally prioritised within my sewing plan (examples include my 1933 Butterick Katherine Hepburn Repro dress; my BurdaStyle dress and matching 1941 apron; my 'Raspberry Sorbet' dress; my "Purple Parfait" pinafore; my 'Fake Bunny Love' jacket). The weekly themes have helped me step outside my comfort zone and try some different decades and styles.
One of the things I have truly loved about the sewing weekly challenge is the sewing community that has grown up around it! Getting to meet other sewists has been so inspirational! Seeing everyone's interpretation of each week's theme has really fueled my creativity! I just love it!
Photocredit: [1] Ms. Oonaballoona, [2] Marguerite Designs
Another groundbreaking revelation about Sewing Weekly for me has been that in order to make it happen, sewing has to be given equal status to other areas of my life. Earlier in the year, the lovely Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons asked me to do a guest post on sewing productivity. For that post, I thought really long and hard about how Sewing Weekly has changed some of my inner thoughts and habits. Here's what I wrote back in May that still resonates as I reflect back over six more months of sewing weekly:
Now the thing that I’ve found useful with the Sew Weekly that I didn’t have on my own — is a deadline! Ok, I know what you are saying… I have deadlines in my day job; I don’t want or need deadlines with my hobby… Ok, hear me out with this one. You know how they say that the way to create a new habit is by doing the same action over and over again (consistently) until it’s just second nature? I think the same is true with sewing. Having a structure that is consistent helps to get the ball rolling until it seems much easier to get into the rhythm. I think this is especially true with sewists. Just from the type of blogs I read, I notice that we tend to be the type of people that have lots of demands on our attention and time (we’re passionate about many things in our life - from our children, to our jobs, to our social life, etc.). With this increased pressure on time and attention there is likely to also be procrastination - especially by those that want to succeed with sewing the most.Which brings me around full circle to the quote at the beginning of this post:
I’m the worst with procrastination. Due to everything going on, if it’s not something that’s immediately due it tends to take the backseat. What I love about a deadline is that sewing is forced to take equal status with other areas of my life. And why shouldn’t it?? Why should I relegate the thing I love most to the very last? I once read somewhere that we only procrastinate about those things that have value to us. Interesting thought, no?
It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close the gap and your work will be as good as your ambitions.I've gotten so much sewing experience this past year. Not all my projects have been perfectly constructed but let me tell you, I am SO EXCITED for this next year to really explore my sewing and dive into some ambitious projects that without this foundation might have been overwhelming! It's been an amazing journey this last year--with highs and lows and I am incredibly grateful for it. Thanks for sharing it with me!!
