Keeping my Sewing Mojo Under House Arrest!!!

Maintaining one's sewing mojo can be a tricky undertaking. Quite naturally when you're obsessed with sewing as much as we are (I say We, because I know you feel the same way) you want to do it ALL of the TIME!!!  It's true, we think about it all of the time and can't wait to move from one project to the next. You know, I'd love to devote all of my time to sewing but there's a small thing called LIFE and then there are RESPONSIBLIITES (which are a component of Life) that get in the way of me fulfilling that strong desire. LOL! As a result, life's requirements can oftentimes kick my sewing mojo to the curve making it feel overlooked and unwanted.

But as you know I'm trying to complete a sewing challenge and ultimately rack up 10,000 sewing hours.  So despite all that's going on in life I still have to keep the sewing mojo steady if I'm going to reach my goals of becoming an Expert Seamstress. So I have implemented a few sewing Rules (or as I like to mischievously refer to as tricks) to keep my sewing mojo "under house arrest" and to work to counteract those things that can steal and drain my mojo.

My "rules/tricks" may seem a bit stringent to the sewing hobbyist and that's understandable. But again, I'm super serious about my sewing goals and know that the only way to achieve them I have to be dilligent, disciplined, focused, and committed.

So here are my Rules/Tricks:

1.I HAVE to sew weekly: This is part of my 10,000Hr Sewing challenge rules posted in my blog side bar. I absolutely have to sew. It doesn't matter if I feel like it or not. To be disciplined, I have to sew even when I don't feel like it. Even if I don't get to finish, I still have to sew. Obviously the exceptions are when I'm out of town, on vacation, etc.

2.Push Pause: It's Ok to push pause on a project:  I can start a project, but if my sewing mojo wanes, I can abandon that project but have to pick up another one that peaks my interest and finish it. You know us seamstresses are always changing our minds.

3.Keep Moving: Whatever I do, I MUST keep MOVING!  If I'm sewing and I get stuck on a step, I need to either move on to another step if possible or just sleep on it for the night. I suffer from I like to call "Paralysis of Analysis" (it's a true disease LOL!!!) and I could spend all day analyzing and overthinking a problem and get nothing accomplished in the process. I've learned to turn the brain off and work so I don't lose my momentum. And if I'm really stuck, just to walk away. I try to keep in mind that it's just one project and and as soon as it's done I'll be moving on to the next one. So I try not to sweat every detail--but sometimes I can't help it.

4. Take a BREAK: If I get tired of sewing I should take some time to rest or even better, go and do some housework. Usually doing housework always will snap me back to reality (hey who wouldn't rahter be sewing than doing housework). But taking breaks is a Must!

5. NO TV while Sewing: I wrote a post about that HERE. Now occasionally I'll cheat but I've found that I'm more accurate and make less mistakes without the .....

6. Organize, Organize, Organize: I have to organize my time and don't obsess. I usually plan how I will complete a project within a week.  If things don't go as planned and I don't get to spend as much time sewing, then I'll try to make up for it the next time.

7. Sew Guilt-FREE: It's hard to sew when you feel like the worst Wife or Mother in the world. Family has to come first. I'm fortunate that my family respect my love for sewing but I try my best to keep things balanced. I schedule sewing days where they least interfere with "family time". And of course I make sure that the family stays fed, happy, and healthy. Again, I'm not perfect but I try to keep things balanced. On days I have big sewing deadlines, I allow my daughter to hang out with me in my sewing room where she can color and we can talk while I sew.

8. Keep it Challenging: You guys help me with this. I gain alot of inspiration from your blogs and work. I'll try sewing anything at least once. And I love the thought of being to sew garments from tailored jackets to swimsuits. I love the things I'm good at sewing but I definitely want to branch out and try new things.

9. Use My Resources: I'm definitely still learning and often forget the things I've learned. Hey I am only human. So if I have a brain fart, I don't hesitate a second to find an answer to a sewing question. I have a ton of sewing book and other seamstresses I can chat with. So I usually end up solving alot of my sewing issues.

Last but NOT least.......

10.Have FUN: I refuse to take sewing SO serious (sometimes I do though and have to snap back to reality). We learn from Triumphs and Failures. I'm learning to accept the bitter with the sweet because in the end it all equates to LEARNING. One of my favorite quotes is by Mother Theresa and it hangs on a plaque on my Sewing Room door.........it says......

So "Trying" is definitely what I will keep doing!!!

So these are some of the rule/tricks I use to try to keep my Sewing Mojo around. The more I sew, the more new rules I come up with and add to this list. I know you've got some tricks of your own. How do you keep your Sewing Mojo under house arrest?

Are you a LONG or SHORT Distance Sewer?

Ok, so I've been downstairs in my sewing studio working on  Simplicity top 3867. I've been working on it off and on this week to have it ready to wear to church on tomorrow (I'll review it tomorrow). I've had the usual interruptions this morning (the little one needed juice, preparing breakfast for the family, etc) but after being in my sewing room for the last 3 hours, I've realized that I've lost some steam and have to get out and try to accomplish some of the other things on my to do list (steam clean the carpet, relax my hair, do laundry, etc) before I return to finishing up my top.

It's not that I'm exactly all that excited to do my "chores" but in the last few years I've noticed something about my sewing (or the way that I accomplish tasks in general). I'm truly a Short Distance sewer!!! It's funny, because in a way it sounds sorta bad but trust me I always (for the most part) finish my tasks but only in short spurts instead of long stretches of time. I'm no good working on the same task for 8 hours at a time. My brain is too busy and I get mentally distracted too easily. Then I run the risk of "over-thinking" what I'm doing, making costly mistakes, and ultimately suffering burn-out.  I work better and more efficiently within shorter blocks of time. It's kinda similar to the concept of "circuit training" in workouts--multiple movements in shorter periods of times. That's probably the worst analogy and I don't think I'm thoroughly explaining it but you'd have to be kinda like me to understand.

 I've learned in life that the best thing is not to always change things about yourself but to make them work for you. We've all got our idiosyncrasies!!! So since I know how I am, I try not to push myself beyond my concentration limits---even with something I love as much as sewing. And since I'm a pretty time conscious person, when I know I plan to spend only 2-3 hours sewing I'm more focused on accomplishing certain goals.  This is part of the reason why my 10,000 Hours of Sewing challenge goals of 3 hours of sewing or sewing related activity a day actually works well for me. But I have to admit that I admire all of you Sista's and Guys who can sew an entire garment in one night--I mean 5-8 hours of straight sewing.  Trust me, I know people like this!!! What endurance. That's indeed a unique gift!

So here's my question to you. What kind of sewer are you? Are you a Long or Short Distance Sewer and Why? How are you able to make it work for you?