Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Calendaring Sewing

Two years ago I counted the number of weeks there were between May and September (there were 17 that year) and decided to use that as my guide for my spring/summer sewing.  I remember feeling very productive because I knew I had to make those weekends count.  Since my sewing has to be divided into work and vacay sewing this year, I knew I needed to do the same thing again.

So after sitting down and looking at the calendar ~ beginning with this weekend ~ not only have I figured out how many weekends I have left but I've also figured out how many can be devoted to work sewing vs. vacay sewing.  Obsessive, yes.  Effective, I truly hope so! Of course, the recap that I'll do once I return from the cruise and settle into the sewing portion of the vacay (9 glorious days!) will tell the true tale.  But already this has brought a calmness to my creative soul, because I was starting to get all fluttery with all of the ideas I have, worried that none of them would be released from my brain and actually sewn up.

Having a predetermined schedule will allow me to concentrate and yes, schedule some of the ideas that I have.  I'm not planning a lot of outings this summer because of the cruise so I have the perfect reason to stay home and sew...like I really need one! *LOL*  I have some interesting summer work garments planned and now I can go with the flow on the vacay pieces...especially since I'm thinking maxidresses and alot of them!

This antsy feeling always happens to me at the beginning of a new season...and I just needed to tame that beast once again.  So how about you?  Do you plan your sewing seasons?  Or are you a go with the flow person?  Me...well I'll be sewing up a storm now that I've calendared my sewing...

...as always, more later! 

24 comments:

  1. When I sewed almost everything I wore and everything my kiddos wore, I would shop for a whole season at once, shrink fabric, then cut out everything, place each cut out garment with notions in a plastic zip bag and sew a little every day until everything was finished. I don't remember actually planning by the week, but it all got finished pretty fast. Faster than I am able to complete things now.

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  2. Right now I am very much planning out the sewing - I have skating costumes that need to get done by the end of June, so I have to plan out how much work I can get done each week and stay on schedule. Right now I am behind. A lot. Oooops.

    Usually I just go with the flow, although this year I did a bit more general wardrobe planning - I planned to make a lot of basics that I could wear often. Although the large amount of skating sewing has also put me behind on those goals as well. I am thinking that for next year I should perhaps plan out my sewing by seasons a bit more... since I tend to not get any spring/summer sewing done (due to skating sewing) and make too many fall/winter clothes (despite living in a warm climate).

    In general I like having flexibility in my sewing plans, however, I am starting to see that if I don't plan things out a bit more I will have a lot of coats but nothing to wear under them...

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  3. I'm a go-with-the-flow person and that's not working for me at all, so I'm going to do it your way...calendar my sewing! I can't wait for you to make maxi dresses!!! I have lots of fabric for maxi skirts...love them. Mine won't be as well made as yours!

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  4. Wow, you are so organised! I'm a go with the flow person when it comes to sewing. I have a mental project list but I won't stick to it because something shinier always comes along...probably as soon as my next Burda arrives.

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  5. I'm impressed! I admire it and would like to be that organised. But I'm not, lol.

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  6. I love how you are sew organized...

    I can't wait to see what you do with maxidresses, esp. how to make them for us plus sized girls w/o looking like we are wearing a nightgown!

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  7. Great post, very motivating. Thank you.

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  8. Looking forward to seeing your projects and learning from you! :)

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  9. I am impressed and as always inspired. I do make sewing lists set into capsules or larger groups but I don't plan out the summer like that. Good idea actually. You finish your sewing goals with more regularity than I do so I am going to take a page from you and use my calender to work out a sewing plan.

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  10. Another go with the flow here. Sewing time is quite limited, as are my skills, so it works better for me at this stage to not get hung up on the time frame. I'm enjoying and learning, and for now that's good enough for me.

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  11. I am a go with the flow person.

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  12. As soon as I come up with a plan I have to rebel against it! So I've given up on planning, lol.

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  13. You've described the creative madness very well. "Fluttery" and "antsy" are the same things I feel when I get to a certain point of being so full of ideas that I can't sleep and I can't seem to get started on any one project because there are so many.
    Nice to know that so many others have the same condition! I like your methodical approach to dealing with it.

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  14. I make plans and even outline them in Evernote. They are not in cement though. I'm so excited this year as I'm really making headway in the PatternMaster Boutique CAD program and have designed a dress that I can't wait to try. I'm not usually a dress person, but I fell in love with the neck princess seams.

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  15. I'm like Slapdash. If I make a sewing plan longer than, say, a SWAP, I get sidetracked and loose my mojo. Working on a five piece summer wardrobe right now and it is going well. Just cut out two more of the garments and I am wearing the first two already. Right now I need to concentrate on filling holes in the wardrobe.

    I admire your scheduling skills but that doesn't work for me until I break it down into smaller chunks.
    Theresa in Tucson

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  16. I'm a planner, like you, Caroline, just my nature as well. Right now my yard is competing big time so that has been booked into the schedule and until things are "complete" in the yard, sewing is not the top priority. The unfortunate thing is the weather put a crunch into my schedule to get all the yard work done. Can't control that one!

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  17. Your post is timely. I wasted last weekend with creative jitters. I have so many things I want to make and I just couldn't get my head around what I wanted to do, do I did nothing. I am going home tonight to sit down and actually PLAN what I want to make over the next few months. I have all the fabric and patterns picked out, I just need somewhere to start. Thank you for this inspiration!

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  18. JB and I were chatting about this yesterday. I try to sew with a little bit of a plan, but these days I'm just happy to be sewing again. g

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  19. I'm a go with the flow type of person. With sewing for family members, guild projects, Threads of Love, I sew very little for myself anymore. It's not like I need a large wardrobe since I'm retired. I have committed to sewing a professional wardrobe for my daughter who will begin her student teaching on July 25th. The deal is that she has to buy the patterns & any fabric that is not in my stash. So far, she hasn't done either one. I'm also recuperating from heart surgery so cannot raise my arms or lift anything. So for now, I'm doing hand embroidery, knitting, & reading about sewing plus making some preemie baby clothes. My cousin's daughter had a 2 pound baby last week. Some days, it goes the way that I want & other days not. However, I'm not worried. I have plenty of time to sew when I get out of bed.

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  20. I'm really a flower. About January I start thinking of warm weather days and thinking where we're going and what to wear and what I need. August/September I start thinking about winter stuff again. But, a nice pattern can put me right off course as well as lovely fabric found that belongs in the next season(I only have two). It's a rewarding hobby so I just do as I like really.

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  21. I plan at the beginning of each month so that I have a goal. Like you, I work better that way and like you, I have so many ideas and plans going round in my head that I have to release them on paper to shut them up.Lol.

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  22. For me its mostly go with the flow but right now its not working for me not the amount of sewimg I want to do. I'm learning that I do need self dicipline and some tnts that work for me. I think i'll try this calendar thing and see how it goes
    I only have two seasons to plan for here summer and winter and.yes it gets cool here in the desert in the winter around low 40s upper 30s at times.

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  23. I don't count up the weekends or work from a calendar, BUT I totally relate to that feeling of anxiety over taming the voracious appetite of my inner artist.

    Seriously, I NEED to create and if I don't have a clear path to ensure that my needs are met, I am not a happy camper. Just ask my husband.

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