As I'm working through 2010 goals (inspired in large part by this blog post), I've identified only 2 sewing goals.
1. Sew something from BWOF every month.
2. Sew only two things a month.
(1) is really straightforward. I buy every single BWOF - I sew maybe 3-4 things from it a year. If you do the math, (I did), I spend $11*12 = $132 on 4 patterns. At the whopping rate of $33 a pattern.
Now, I'd argue that sewing is my hobby, I can afford it, and I get a lot of pleasure from just reading the BWOFs, but still. $33 per pattern is a RIDICULOUS sum of money. It is time to step it up.
(2) is something I gave a fair amount of thought too. It seems a bit counter-intuitive to sew LESS. Especially when one has a stash that is overflowing an entire linen closet, with offsite storage at the parents. And when one has two boxes of patterns, and about 2 years of BWOF.
But...
I find that...
- I can sew enough that I neglect all the other very important and fun things in life. Exploring the incredibly cool city in which I live. Traveling. Hanging out with friends and family. Playing pool. Checking out new beer. Watching movies. Reading the Economist. Cleaning the apartment. And so on and so forth. I need balance, and I enjoy sewing so much that I can easily get out of balance if I don't consciously watch out for it.
- When I'm racing through the sewing, I find that I make garments without much thought on where it will fit in my wardrobe. (Example Exhibit A.) I hope that in slowing down, I'll be more deliberative in what I sew, and where it will fit.
- I also hope that I'll take more time with my sewing, and explore techniques that will make me a better sewer. I took a lot of time with this dress, and I really enjoyed the process and the results.
Thoughts? Comments? How do you approach deciding how much to sew? And what are your sewing goals for 2010?
2 comments:
Well, I think the most important thing regarding sewing is summed up when you wrote about balance. It is a hard thing to find balance in life - your sewing is only one aspect of who you are! Good for you for setting realistic goals and ones that make use of the resources you already have.
What an interesting thought, planning on sewing less. Last year I felt the need to sew a lot, and if possible, in a fast pace. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I started blogging last year and I wanted to provide my blog-readers with something new every now and then. But I somehow forgot to think about all the other things I could do in my free time. So now you made me think about that and that's a good thing. Thank you for this. Time for me to make a new plan for the new year too. And not only sewing-wise. Good luck with your 2010-plans.
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