Here’s a little side story for you, before I get to the real reason for this post.
Do you remember in high school and college when you’d reach the end of term and push yourself so hard to finish the papers, study for the exams, and turn in all the last assignments, and afterward you’d just collapse? Often it would end in some dramatic flu or bug that would result in bed confinement over the break that followed. Or at least that was my experience.
I’m having flashbacks to those days. In a mad rush to finish the spring patterns, find testers, sew all the photo shoot samples, take the photos, and prepare the apartment, the cats, and myself for my return to the U.S., we rented a photo studio instead of taking spring photos out on the streets of Madrid in the cold. And I’m so glad we did. I love our outdoor photos in various parts of Madrid. But here’s why I’m glad we didn’t take the photos outside in December:
Just a couple of days later I landed in Chicago, spent a couple of days with the kid and my parents, rushed off to a family wedding, and BAM: full-blown virus. We still managed a road trip (Chicago, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Detroit, Chicago), but I returned home to Madrid and slept for five days straight. Then I discovered I have pneumonia! I can’t remember being this sick in quite a while! So yes, it was a good not to not take the photos outdoor this year. And I’m really pleased with the results of the shoot, which I’ll share with you just as soon as I can!
Spending the past week in bed, coughing and sleeping, has gotten me thinking about the past year. I shot the photo below just before I left for the U.S. Everything on the rack in the photo below is samples I’ve sewn this past year, and they’re only a small portion of my sewing from 2024. The rest is in my closet or given away. Each time I develop a new pattern I sew multiple development samples to get the fit, proportions, and details right. Then I sew additional samples for the photos and, often, one or two more for the blog and for my own wardrobe. I don’t hold onto everything, so I suppose I don’t recognize the volume of items I’ve sewn.
And that brings me to what I really wanted to say here:
Do you sew sewing goals for yourself? Or do you let inspiration guide you and sew when and if you feel like it? I’m sort of a mix of both. I have to sew a lot to develop our sewing patterns, make the samples for the photo shoot, sew examples for the blog. But I also like to let inspiration hit me and sew impulsively sometimes. I think it keeps the fun in sewing when I can allow myself to get lost in an audiobook at the studio for an hour or for a day. If I didn’t sew for myself, for fun, sewing would just become another job, another “must do,” and I wouldn’t enjoy the work I do anymore.
I don’t have a lot of free time to just play, to experiment and just sew something for myself, for fun. For example, I’ve been dreaming of a tango dress I’d like to sew for myself for more than two years. The design has been sketched and re-sketched, transferred into new notebooks while it awaits a block of time required to drape, cut, and sew.
I would imagine your sewing time is similar. Maybe you have kids at home, or a full-time job, or both. I’m sure you have other hobbies, other activities, other plans. With our busy lives, we can’t always make time for sewing. But sewing can also give life to the rest of life. It can feed your soul, give you a little space for yourself, allow you to escape or to process the rest of your life so you can re-enter the other difficult or mundane parts of life with a little more lightness or clarity.
Which is exactly why this year I’m setting myself a concrete goal to make that tango dress. In between all the other items on my list I’m making a commitment to myself that I’m going to create that time for myself. Because I know that time I invest in making something I want to make, something that I’ve been dreaming of, will also pay me back with more enthusiasm and energy for the things I need to do. And maybe I’ll check off the mundane things a little more quickly as a result.
Want to join me? Is there a skill or a pattern you’ve been wanting to try but haven’t found the time? Let’s commit to making that time for ourselves, shall we? Within reason, obviously.
I’ll be showing you some of my personal sewing soon. Maybe it will inspire you to try something new. But more than anything, I encourage you to make that time for yourself. You need it.
Happy 2025!
Thanks for sharing your latest thoughts on self care sewing time . We all need to be reminded how much sewing has added to our inner self
Oh goodness! Starting the new year recovering from pneumonia is definitely no fun. Wishing you a return to good health very soon. And thank you for such a thoughtful post—this is the year I will be diving into my collection of Liesl patterns to update my wardrobe and spark some creativity! Happy 2025!
Oh, I can’t wait to see what you make! And thanks for the kind wishes. Feeling much better now!
Sorry to hear that you had pneumonia, Liesl. Hopefully, you are well recovered. I too have set a sewing goal. We have a 45th wedding anniversary cruise planned in May, 2026. I am planning a handmade wardrobe for the cruise. I should have time to accomplish the items on that list. So far, I have already sewn the new bathing suit. Lots of fun!
Well, how fun, both the cruise AND the new wardrobe! I hope you’ll keep us posted!
Dear Liesl, I am saddened to hear you have been so ill. I think your plate is currently full and overflowing. An international house move is always daunting and it’s very sad to say goodbye to the friends you have made and who helped you settle in Madrid. When you return home, you will find old friends unchanged, but your overseas life has changed you. I found it extremely difficult to relate to some of my old friends, they were still complaining about the same things they had before I left.
Sewing is my best thinking time. I love to let my mind wander while my hands are working and making something unique. I appreciate your well draughted patterns and I am sure there is a mountain of work behind them all. Your fabric choices are gorgeous. Do take at least 15 minutes everyday of “me time” to get properly well and grounded.
I wish you a smooth move back home and hope your children settle into a different lifestyle in new schools easily. Wishing you and your family many blessings and Godspeed. Lots of love Sally ❤️
Thanks for your concern! I’m doing much better now, thanks to the antibiotics. My trip to the U.S. was just for the holidays; no plans to return permanently, only to visit once or twice a year!
We’re having the California fires, not the way to start 2025, it has to get better. The air quality is horrific, and boiling water is not fun. We were not evacuated, but multiple acquaintances suffered, and one family, 2 generations, lost both homes. Lots of prayers, lots of help, and they will be back on their feet soon. At least he and his parents are safe and sound.
Sewing has always been and is my relaxation, my slip away from the hectic, the TV news. I’m sewing for a Hawaiian vacation and loving every moment. I love sorting the fabric, the patterns, planning the wardrobe to fit a suitcase. My kids have outgrown the Oliver and S patterns, but the little Secret Agent trench coat was always a favorite, multiple sizes and copies passed down to children of close friends and also cousins. Red was the favorite color. SO adorable!! Thank you for your efforts, Liesl.
The fires are terrifying! I’m glad you and your friends are safe. We’re all watching and worried.
And how wonderful that you’re sewing for your vacation! Enjoy it, and thanks for the comment.
I can relate to the crash after deadlines – that always happened in college. We’ve retired, moved, and totally gutted the house, necessitating a temporary interim move – with our house completed Christmas week. We have both had the worst colds of our lives and are still recovering. We’re planning a trip to Ireland in May and I’ve got lots of sewing planned – around a blue, green and cream theme. And, using mostly your patterns (which I adore)! I’ll post photos.
Would love to see photos! Feel better, and have a great trip!