Spring Sewing Projects - What Do You Plan to Sew?
I've admired this Cynthia Steffe design for a while. Again, it's not a difficult pattern, but I am trying to get back into a process of finishing my projects, and wanting to wear something is a great incentive.
We've been talking here in the Threads offices about sewing projects - we do that all the time, of course, but in this case it was about our own sewing projects! Every sewer has their own system for getting things done - and if you're not able to accomplish what you set out to do, it's frustrating. It's also very difficult to get yourself out of a workstyle rut.
I think sewers fall into two primary groups: The Finishers and the Fresh-starters.
I admire Finishers - they have their eye on the prize, the completed project. They rarely start another project before they complete the first. They follow through, and I suspect their projects are successful more often than mine because they are completed in a continuous process. I should know better - if I get frustrated and put something aside, I'm not going to magically know how to do it when I pick it up again months or years later.
Fresh-starters on the other hand - and this is the group I fall into - get all excited about starting a project, but their enthusiasm and energy wane before the project gets done. Unfortunately, unfinished work doesn't deter them from starting something new.
I told April Mohr, Threads' adminstrative assistant, about my new "system" - a seam a night. You can rarely stop after just one seam, but it makes projects less daunting and you always make progress. April says it's helping her accomplish some sewing and I hope it gets me through these simple projects - three dresses I'd like to finish this month. A Burda 7517 dress in linen, Vogue 1091 by Tom and Linda Platt in a lightweight knit, and Vogue 1150, a Cynthia Steffe mini-dress with topstiching and a zipper with constrast applique.
I'm not allowed to start anything else until I get these three done, but I'm hoping that slow and steady progress with these dresses will turn me into a finisher of projects. I'll give you an update near the end of the month.
What is your advice about finishing sewing projects? Do you have a system? Or do you approach sewing as wholly creative outlet - to be worked on only when you're inclined to do so? I used to do that, but I've reached a point where purchased fabric and patterns are encroaching on project space!
Sarah McFarland, contributor Posted on Apr 1st, 2010 in sewing, seam, zippers, vogue, commercial patterns, Burda, dresses, sewing projects, garment making, tom and linda platt, cynthia steffe, sewing patterns
Comments (33)
Posted: 10:55 pm on April 15th
I have to say I'm a fresh starter- when the inspiration strikes I act but if it isn't turning out how I want or I make some kind of mistake I'm just as happy to cut it up and make something else.
At present I'm sewing myself a few maternity tops, I've just converted 2 pairs of jeans to maternity ones and I'm pretty happy with them. I have a deadline though which always helps because I need to look respectable for my prac next week. The curtain offcuts that I plan on making matching cusion covers out of however might be sitting there until we outgrow the house and move on.
Posted: 9:54 am on April 10th
Posted: 9:10 pm on April 8th
Posted: 2:46 pm on April 8th
Now if there is a deadline? I can whip it out quickly, I'm always pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Easter morning I did 8 new cushions before a 1 PM deadline just so we'd have somewhere to sit on the deck for Easter Dinner.
Posted: 9:59 am on April 8th
I first started with one pair of black formal pumps and one pair of beige fancy sandles and decided that all outfits would match to save packing space. I shopped and found some tops, skirts and dresses. I tried on several new styles and noticed new trends in colors and lines. I purchased what I could find that fit or that I could alter, and then got patterns for the clothes I tried on that I couldn't alter. For example I found a fun black and white flippy skirt that fit perfectly but was too short. So I measured the store skirt panels and godets and yoke and length etc. and adjusted the pattern so it would fit like the one I tried on.
After a full day of shopping and buying parts and pieces,I knew the feel of what I wanted to get to fill in the gaps. First I shopped in my pattern/fabric stash and made some muslins to check fit and fabric type and made several adjustments to my list. This built anticipation and gave me time to let my ideas gel. A fabric store is not a good place for me to get ideas if I have to finish something! Then when I went to the fabric store I was more efficient because I was looking for a certain color with one pass or just knits the next pass through.etc. I get easily distracted otherwise!
When I had a pile, I sorted the alterations and the fabrics by darks and lights. With white on my serger and regular machine I did everything I could with it. If the lining or collar required black it went to the dark pile until I finished the white serger pile. Then I switched the serger color and started on that pile. If I came to a point I needed a zipper or button or elastic or specialty thread I put it in a bag that went with me to the fabric store along with anything else that it needed to match it.
Each day I started with some fine detailed sewing and then did some easy quick things and then when I was too tired the fabric store was the reward. As projects started to be completed I would take them along and after the fabric store, I would stop and see if I could find jewelry or a purse in the department store. If not, I would get the supplies to make what I needed the next fabric store visit. The jewelry and purses were the icing on the cake. If I moved along I knew I could be totally coordinated. If not my packing deadline would come and I would have to forgo those fun things. By the end I had time to put creative energy into two fun matching purses and two necklaces - true luxury!
A great pattern for a knit dress is New Look 6802. I made it in a black matte knit and then added just the cross over top part like a separate vest made in a black beaded sequined fabric to dress it up. One easy and fun bias top I made was in Threads #143 June/July 2009. Every night I would lay down to rest and read in my Threads magazines to help me with problems and get me inspired. I added details like bias sleeves or piping that I wouldn't have otherwise. I woke up excited and ready to work each morning!
Posted: 10:57 am on April 7th
Even there're so many ideas but only when all of the project' details are cleared in my mind, it's about time for cutting and will not stop till I finish it.
I just finished my Modernized Vietnamese AODAI and about to start another project for Spring - Flower Lattice - Crochet. I saw the lattice during my trip to St. Jacob long time ago. I guessed it was plastic cross-stitch. But I like crochet. I would make the flower tender and softer.
Posted: 10:48 am on April 7th
But I learned that, 1) Toward the end, I get sloppy because I'm getting tired. and 2) I'm really tired the next day, because I have a 14-month-old baby who wakes me up at 6am no matter what time I go to sleep!! (I also work)
Now I'm a fresh-starter. :p I love looking through patterns and fabrics, but feel a little lazy getting started.
Now I'm starting to follow my own rules.
First, do step at a time. On the first day, be happy if I can just cut the fabrics. Great if I can start sewing.
Then sew small sections at a time.
Then what I'm trying to follow is, during the week, finish and go sleep by 10pm no matter how much you're getting into sewing. If it's Friday/Saturday, I allow until 11pm.
I think this way it seem to prevent being burnt-out too.
So far so good...
Although I really want to do more than 1 project at a time (how can you not?? you want to see the finished project for all the new patterns you got!), but I try to finish one at a time, so I don't forget small details about the project you're working on.
By the way my project is also Vogue 1091. (That's how I got here!)
Posted: 11:43 pm on April 6th
Posted: 5:49 pm on April 6th
Posted: 1:10 pm on April 6th
I guess I approach sewing as a creative outlet, but when I thought about it a bit I realized I do have a system of sorts that helps me to complete projects. It goes something like this:
1. See a dress/skirt/pant/blouse in a fashion mag or a runway picture that fascinates me and makes me want to pick it apart to see how they did it.
2. Spend some time rolling it around in my head to see what translations might actually work in the real world, keeping in mind lessons learned from prior projects.
3. Search out and buy a pattern that has at least the basic lines of the image now in my mind.
4. Spend some time with the pattern thinking about how it could be altered without losing integrity, what kind of fabrics might work best, how to use colour to highlight certain design details, assessing if I should make a muslin first, etc.
5. Now I'm ready to go to the store and buy the fabric and notions I want.
Once I finally get to the point of actually bringing some fabric home the anticipation I feel is very high - high enough that I can't wait to get started so I can complete the project as soon as possible. This works for me because even though I might already have a next project in mind, it's still in the "tossing it about in my mind" stage for more than long enough to complete the current garment.
Posted: 11:39 am on April 6th
Here's how I finish up: I found a group of ladies that get- together once a month for 6 hours to sew. I take all my projects there to finish.
I plan a chunk of time usually on weekends, to do major chores such as fabric prep, pattern adjustments and cutting. Then during the week I use the 5 minute here and there approach. Maybe I will change thread color on the serger before work, or sew a quick seam. Then after work I may sew the major seams and check the fit. After this, it's in the pile with all needed notions to go to my get-together. I do feel like I get a lot accomplished in 6 hours because I have every thing to the point where I can just sew!
Posted: 10:31 am on April 6th
Posted: 10:12 am on April 6th
Posted: 9:46 am on April 6th
I agree with Keren that buying fabric must be after choosing the design and the pattern this will make it much easier and saves the time
I prefer to do one project at a time and to have at least two weeks to finish it because I do it without any outside helpers
Some sewing workshops finishes the garment in three days
Posted: 8:01 am on April 6th
1. Keep your sewing room and sewing area quaint and tidy. If it's messy, I cannot stand to be there.
2. Work calmly and in a relaxed manner. If I start getting frustrated and annoyed, I'm just going to link that bad feeling to sewing and I'll avoid it.
3. Finish a project before moving on to the next. Don't think about how much you have left to do - set small, reasonable goals - baby steps! Tell yourself "today I'm only hemming the dress" or "today I'm only cutting out the fabric". Many times you will find that if you set *small* goals, you end up doing much more because it is not done out of a feeling of obligation but because you really want to!
4. Don't "over-fix" a project. You made it, you made mistakes, OK, move on. Don't undo the seams and fix it over and over because it'll tire you out. Instead, implement what you've learned into your next project.
5. Remember that if you buy fabric without knowing your pattern, then you are just wasting money because you usually buy excess fabric. Also, the fabric is most suited for the garment when you buy it having the pattern in mind! And when you get to that fabric months later, you would maybe prefer to have spent your money on a different fabric! So first find a pattern, then buy the fabric, and ONLY the fabric you need! Finish the project over a period of a few days or weeks. Congratulate yourself on the progress. Maybe take photos of the progress and post them in a blog or show them to friends who encourage you. It helps!
6. Post up your finished works on a site such as burdastyle. Email the photos to your friends. You will LOVE getting the feedback and you will feel so good to have finished it, and in the future you will really want to finish your projects!
7. Don't start 2 or more projects in parallel. It'll overwhelm you and create a mess in the sewing room, and switching between thread colors and fabrics and tensions is just unnecessary "noise". Also, you can't apply what you've learned from one project on another project unless you do them one after another right? So making a project at a time helps you improve your technique faster. Who wants 2 dresses with the same technical error in them, right?
Enjoy what you do! Make sure to create a positive experience. And then the sewing will flow! One project at a time :-)
Good luck and I hope this helps!
- Keren
Posted: 3:27 am on April 6th
Posted: 8:47 pm on April 5th
I love your idea of "one seam a night"! Fabulous! What a great way to get you started! And, of course, we most certainly would end up doing more than one seam, but to know that is the only rule really would get me started!
p.s. - I love this season's new "ruffles" everywhere!
Posted: 7:39 pm on April 5th
Posted: 6:51 pm on April 5th
I read a great book by Kate Matthews for busy sewists that advocated setting aside 20 minutes a day. I tried that for several months (when I had a dedicated sewing area) and it works really well. You can achieve quite a lot in 20 minutes. One advantage I found was that my next step was already determined, so I never had to sit down with that thought, "Now, where do I go from here?" Another advantage was that if I had to face the less thrilling steps of constructing a garment, it lastes only 20 minutes! I can face that!!
Posted: 6:28 pm on April 5th
Posted: 6:24 pm on April 5th
Posted: 5:57 pm on April 5th
Posted: 5:36 pm on April 5th
Posted: 5:08 pm on April 5th
I'm trying to change this approach, and last summer I was on my way. But no matter how easy a simple summer dress appears at first, there's always something that ends up taking more time than projected. Out of 5 dress projects I had planned last summer, I completed two. They're perfectly finished, but there's something slightly "off" in the fit of each. So they need tweaking to make them more wearable, and then I've accumulated EVEN MORE dress projects (patterns and fabric), and I absolutely MUST complete at least two of them this summer.
My strategy lately has been to cut out multiple patterns in one sitting, and then start off slow on one, work until it's finished, and then start on the next one. Aiming for at least one seam a night is a great strategy, and it frequently works for me. I just have to be more disciplined about working on projects each and every night. But hope lives on!
Posted: 5:07 pm on April 5th
Posted: 4:56 pm on April 5th
Posted: 7:59 am on April 4th
Summer project, by May -- Oscar de la Renta jacket (V2956) and coordinating pants (Simplicity 2477, view A) in a fluid, dark lavender suiting fabric. Jacket back yoke accented with piping originating from a men's tie. Also, piping the pants side seam if there's enough tie.
Then I'm going to start whacking away at some silk shirts in distress which were annexed from my husband's side of the closet ... wrap-around skirt I'm thinking.
The biggest draw, the biggest drawback, the biggest reward for me in sewing, is the head game -- figuring out how to make it happen and working through a project -- start to finish. Or just start .
Posted: 9:31 pm on April 2nd
Good luck to everyone else!
Posted: 7:24 pm on April 2nd
I learned all of this the hard way. Until you have moved and gone thru every nook and cranny of your sewing room and found all of the good intentions and unfinished objects hiding in so many corners, you maybe can't appreciate it. That's what turned me around. I have to say since taking this strategy I complete many more garments and complete them more successfully.
Posted: 7:18 pm on April 2nd
I will spend time planning with fabrics and patterns from my stash (for the next season) and then cut out 3-4 items. With a quick check to make sure I have all the notions (and I really try to make do with a lot of what I already have) I can get underway. I have recently completed 6 tops for Spring/summer and should finish a spring jacket this weekend.
I have disciplined myself to NOT start that next garment until I finished the one I am working on. It's too hard to go back and be motivated!!
By June, I will start on my fall stuff, with maybe an occasional fun pair of capris or top that I think I must have. I love new stuff for the next season, but have found over the years that I better start those things the season before.
Posted: 8:25 am on April 2nd
I agree, though, that wanting to wear the finished garment is a huge motivator for me--that's how I got myself to finish my winter coat, when spring was just around the corner. I've gotten to wear it at least a dozen times, and that's enough to have made it worthwhile. And, I did it a seam at a time. Maybe not exactly, but very bit-by-bit: one day the sleeves, the next day the lining and facing, etc. Suddenly one day all I had left to do was the hem and the buttonhole (which was another story of angst and terror, but with a happy ending).
Good luck with your dresses-they look just right for a spring-to-summer transition.
Posted: 6:18 pm on April 1st
Posted: 4:23 pm on April 1st
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