6 Month Sewing Anniversary

I have officially been sewing for 6 months today! I know it sounds cheesy that I’m keeping track, but I like to see my progress and reflect on it. I’m like that about life in general, so it’s natural that I would be doing this for my new hobby.

When I started making masks back in June, I never thought that it would have snowballed into such a journey. It’s been life changing! Really!! Sewing has filled that void for my need to create and has reignited my passion for fashion. Over the years I think I suppressed it, feeling the need to conform to the trends and what the stores tell you to buy. With sewing you basically do your own thing. I am no longer am a slave to what the stores are telling me I need in my life. Not to mention the fact it’s so much cheaper…just have to put in a little elbow grease. It’s quite liberating! And it’s really fun to pick out your own fabric. The possibilities are endless.

What would be even more freeing is the ability to DESIGN and sew from your mind! I am always in awe of the designer creations I see on Project Runway. Once I get more skills under my belt I hope to do that someday. The ability to design and draft my own patterns is another sewing dream. 😉

Sewing has been a wonderful and productive distraction from all the awful things that are currently happening with the pandemic. People are dying every day. It makes me so sad to think about it. I can sit in my little corner and toil away. It is also a great distraction from doing housework, lol.But is it really?! Sewing has INCREASED my amount of laundry…with all the pre-washing! Lol, but that’s ok.

I have to give a nod to PatternReview website again though. That website has been such a source of inspiration and incredible resource since we aren’t able to take sewing classes in person. During my first pattern haul I just bought things because the clothes looked pretty on the envelope. I still do this, but if there’s a 10 limit max (thank you Joanns) I sometimes use PR to narrow down my purchase based off the reviews. (We won’t talk about how I go back for those other ones a week later, lol) The first time I went on PR I saw all these amazing things people were making and the variations of the patterns. The forums are full of info too. I also noticed that they hosted contests with prizes from brands and companies I never heard of. The whole thing just looked really fun.

I was reluctant to join mainly because I swore off social media at the beginning of this year. It ended up being perfect timing because I think right now it’s all doom and gloom, plus the election and etc. etc…. So PR filled that need to feel connected to the outside world in some way, but focused on sewing. Plus everyone was so friendly and helpful! It was really cool to think that I was chatting with others on the other side of the globe about our shared love. One time I was sewing the same top at the same time as a PR member in Australia! I had completed my top, hadn’t reviewed it yet and her review came out a day later. It totally blew my mind that someone in a completely different time zone was creating the same thing at the exact same time- a coincidental sew-along!

I think that’s why I enjoy these contests so much. You’re sewing along with others and you’re trying to get to the common goal: to finish before the deadline. There is always such great comradery that happens in the discussion forums. We all know we’re doing it for fun-either to sew up the fabric stash, to challenge ourselves or to just have something new in our closets! When the contest ends we all end up walking away winners, because we completed the task under a deadline. Sure it’s fun to place and win the prize, but to me the REAL prize is the satisfaction of your new creation.

Here’s to the next 6 months!