Do you have you loads of simply beautiful material folded neatly away in the cupboard, unused? Would your wardrobe increase if a few missing buttons were stitched back on and some drooping hems or the like were stitched up? Do you want to learn to sew and use that material and recharge that wardrobe? I often hear my friends moan about a few little mending jobs they would like to do but haven't quite got the skills.
The other reason given is 'I don't seem to have the time to do these things!' The 'time' aspect of it is easily fixed.
Try this:- Make a one-hour sewing session appointment with yourself in your diary, just like you make an appointment for the dentist or the hair stylist.
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If you feel one hour is too long to take at this time, set one for 14 minutes.
Check out what you can do in 14 minutes.
Did you know that in 14 minutes you could: - · Sew on three missing buttons and iron that shirt.
· Pin up a drooping hem, restitch that small length and press ready to wear.
· Dust off and clean your sewing machine using a soft cloth.
Dust and check out the bobbin case area.
· Check the sewing machine needle and replace if bent and old.
· Oil your sewing machine if it is an older type.
· Leave it un-threaded and with no bobbin and run the machine, stitching on some tissue paper, just to get the feel and motivation to sew and to get the machine moving again.
· If using oil, leave the tissue paper under the lowered presser foot until you are ready to sew.
The tissue paper will collect any excess oil.
· Dream up and draw your next sweatshirt design on paper while having a cup of tea.
· Pin the paper pattern on to the fabric, carefully checking the grain lines are correct, roll up (not fold) and put away carefully.
· On your next 14 minute sewing session appointment with yourself you can cut out the fabric.
· Be a little creative in one of your sessions.
Practise using the fancy stitches on your sewing machine.
If you do not have the sewing machine manual, write down in a notebook the best width and length to use, cut out a stitched sample and staple or glue in to the book for future reference.
This will save you heaps of time at a later date when you want to use the stitches.
· Pin and stitch darts and press.
Waist line darts are pressed to the centre of the garment and bust and elbow darts pressed downwards.
· Stitch in a zip.
· Stitch a test buttonhole first then stitch all the buttonholes onto your outfit.
· Tidy up your pattern box.
· Choose your next outfit to stitch and put the pattern in your bag so it is available next time you shop for fabric.
Now I have started the list you can add to it.
We can sit down and sew when we know that all those little mending jobs are completed and our sewing machine is clean and ready to go.
Still think you don't have enough time? Did you know that if we have 8 hours sleep in one day, we still have over 68 x 14 minutes sessions left and, even once we have been to work and taken care of business or domestic tasks, we still have quite a few of these for our 'sewing session' appointments.
Happy Sewing and Enjoy your Day