I'm not in his situation of sewing entirely for my livelihood since I have a full time job. I do however have a sewing business which requires a reasonable turnaround on alterations & custom made garments. So to a small degree I feel I have to be "fast because I have to be". And that's understandable. Yet in sewing for myself there's a part of me that wants to be "fast for the sake of being fast". Like I literally want to get to the point where I can sew up a pair of pants and a shirt within a 24 hour period (and I'm not talking quickie pieces neither---I'm talking jeans with lots of topstitching and a chiffon blouse with lots of layers). I'm talking like Christian from Project Runway season 4. He learned to make very complex pieces in a short period of time. This is my aim and a personal goal of mine. To be able to do something well and do it in record time is quite the accomplishment. In the meantime I"ll keep working hard and continue my challenge to amass 10,000 hours of sewing. Something tells me that fast sewing will inadvertently be a byproduct of that quest.
What about you guys. Do you strive to become a fast sewer? Is it out of sheer will or obligations? Or do you prefer a slower pace?
Much of the time, yes, I want to sew fast because doing things quickly is fun and the goal is achieved that much faster :-) If I want to go slowly, I knit! But I've got a long way to go before I can be consistently fast with excellent technique. Something to strive for...
ReplyDeleteI have no desire to be a speed demon in the sewing room. I sew to relax and escape all things stress-related. Before I became a SAHM, my world consisted of schedules, deadlines and pace at warp speed. I'm simply not about that life anymore. It gets done when it gets done. And why I turn down sewing jobs everyday. Sure money for more fabric would be great. But I never want my sewing attached to deadlines and a rapid pace. For me, that would take the pleasure out of it.
ReplyDeleteI sew to relax. I think I used to sew - in high school- with the goal of turning out fast, good garments. The pressure was too much and sewing became a chore. I want to improve and I love to sew, but I want to work at a reasonable pace. Not too fast nor too slow.
ReplyDeleteI sew fast because I get bored with a long term project if there's no learning required while I'm making it.
ReplyDeleteSewing to me is all about taking it slow, that is my time to relax and I want to enjoy the process. No rush, no deadlines, no stress, even when I'm sewing for someone else I always make sure I have enough time to finish the garment!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! I sew fast because I love results. But I also sew slow because I love the process. If it's an exciting project then all the more incentive for me to finish it so I can wear it! I'm still trying to find the right balance between rushing and being really efficient though. I don't like to compromise on quality, but I don't believe this means I can't produce a garment quickly. It's really interesting to read the other responses here too - very different to my outlook!
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough there was an article in Threads magazine recently about "slow sewing". It was about enjoying the journey more than the end result, wanting top quality for the garment, and therefore being more satisfied with it in the end.
ReplyDeleteI have so many projects in mind that I would really like to sew faster. Unfortunately, i'm still a beginner seamstress and being fast usually means ugly mistakes as far as I am concerned. So I have to stick with being slow, and I've decided to be happy about it, to enjoy each moment of it. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, my day job is already doing that after all.
Of course if you start making a business out of sewing, it's a whole different story since time is money.
I sew for relaxation too, but I get stressed when garments are left unfinished. So I sew quickly because I want to wear said garment almost the same day. And it would bother me if they were just sitting there UFOing.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could sew fast, but my novice skills make me slow, due to the learning curve and mistakes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought. I used to do everything quick and easy - make it tonight, wear it tomorrow-ish - and like Erica have made a conscious decision to do things differently. It's a good thing. With the amount of sewing time that I currently have each week, if I sewed fast I'd have an unreasonable amount of clothing. I like the way detailed and more intensive projects engage my brain.
ReplyDeleteI tend to determine fast or slow depending on the specific project but I consider myself slow compared to others and I have accepted that.
ReplyDeleteFast! there are so many things I want to do each day, so if I dawdled over my sewing I would never get to the other stuff.
ReplyDeleteFast or slow depends for me depends on the project. I can do involved/complicated items fast - I'm a huge procrastnator, but I make the time finish my projects. I just stopped sewing professionally last month and I'm enjoying sewing for me and only me! No more "meet the deadline" on that "simple" dress. Now (once again) it's just fun - fast or slow.
ReplyDeleteMy goal has never been to sew fast. It is to sew well. I enjoy sewing, every aspect of it and if it drags out, just that much more fun!
ReplyDeleteI am not a fast sewer and never really thought about it being something I would strive for. Then again, if I am going out and decided to make something easy for that evening... I definitely will need speed on my side.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very interesting, for me it depends on the time and situation, sew fast if I want instant gratification or if I'm with a project deadline. In other cases, I sew to relax and savor every minute I spend with my fabrics and sewing machine ...
ReplyDeleteI say I sew to relax and enjoy the "creative juices" flowing...my husband says I stress myself out by waiting until the last minute and having no time to complete projects! I have to say he may be right! I do this a lot to myself, not sure why. However it does make me a fast sewer, but the stress level I could sure do without!
ReplyDeleteSo if I had a business, deadlines would not be a problem, but since I don't,I really need to now learn how to slow down and "smell the coffe" as they say!
You've posed such a great question! I would love to sew faster. As a teenager, I would tackle a suit in a weekend and be ready to wear it to school on Monday. I was a pretty weird kid (suits in high school; I loved the way my Mom dressed)! While I would enjoy being faster, I really want great quality. That usually takes more time. So, now I'm content to take my time. Major alterations slow my progress and, certainly, impact my momentum. I also tend to make muslin test garments for all my jackets or "advanced" patterns--more time. The greatest stressor for me is a deadline for wearing the garment. I try not to sew for an event--it's just way too much pressure. I prefer to be done when I'm done.... It helps me relax and enjoy the process!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I used to go for speed and always looked for ways to get faster and do everything by machine. I have a lot of shortcuts, but lately I've been wanting to slow down and take my time. I realized I'm not really in a rush to get things done - I sew for myself and already have a lot of clothes. So while it's exciting to have something new, I'm not really working for a deadline, it's the journey that matters!
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
ReplyDeleteI'm much like you, I so understand. I have a full-time job, but I have a dressmaking and alts. biz on the side. I love to sew...I love creating~ more so for myself. So, I would love to be able to sew fast and create outfits for myself in record time. Not that I have to, but because it would be a challenge for me. As I see my outfits come to life, I'm motivated to do more. My passion is sewing, designing, and creating, so I never see I could not see a dull moment in my future. I have my moments of relaxation from sewing, then there are those "I can't wait to see it done" moments.
~ Stay motivated.