[aegean17]

I have been really lazy about sewing lately. I think the blogging sew alongs had the opposite effect on me.

When are all of you busy moms sewing?

Please inspire me 🙂

[Nicole]

I sew the minute my baby goes to sleep! But my other four are at school so I don’t have to watch them……

I try to have machine sewing, hand sewing and cutting out ready to go ( the latter two in neat baskets )so if I am tired or unmotivated I don’t have to think too hard.

Recently, I purchased a teeny tiny DVD player that I can sit on my sewing table and now I can watch/listen to my ”grown up”movies that I can not have on when the children are around! (I purchased it from Cash Converters for $20, and it was so handy for Husband when he was recently in hospital).

Sometimes you just need to make yourself, give it 20 minutes, if your still not enjoying it , stop, but usually once you get started it becomes fun!

Set some goals ( but dont beat yourself up if you dont make it).I usually have a childs camp, party or special event in the diary, and that gives me a finishing date to work too.

Share what you are making with the forum, the encouragement is amazing and so inspiring, I am so proud of Maraya, determined to have her daughter dressed in her sewing by the time she (Mel) has to return to University.

I, for one , can;t wait to see what you make next! x Nicole

[claireabel]

I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old, and work 3 days per week.

I try to sew (or cut fabric, trace a pattern etc) every night, but usually only succeed 5 nights a week. I sew once the kids are in bed and the kitchen has been cleaned etc, so some nights I don’t start until 9pm and other nights it’s as early as 7pm. I am often up until midnight, which means i am tired, but I don’t mind as i get my ‘me time’. Some nights I start and finish a whole garment, and other nights, like tonight, I do very little. Tonight I did the hand-sewing of the collar on a music class blouse while I chatted to my husband and drank some tea 🙂 Then I went to bed early… or I meant to. Whoops.

There is *technically* an opportunity to sew when my kids take their afternoon nap, but i like to use that time for cooking dinner/cleaning/emailing etc so that my nights are free for sewing.

[beachmom]

I usually have about an hour to sew each afternoon during the week as the 3 oldest are in school and my youngest naps. But I don’t always use it to sew. Sometimes there’s too much that needs to be done around the house. I also try to bring anything that needs hand sewing to my son’s football practices. I usually have one day a week that I spend at my parents’ house. That gives me several hours of uninterrupted sewing plus I have expert help (my mom) a shout away.

I’m not one to sew at night. Most of the time, I’m too tired to sew.

[lattemama]

I’m sad to say I’ve lost the drive a little bit – especially now that it’s getting colder (my sewing room is freezing in winter).

I work away from home 5 days a week and usually get home around 4:30 pm so what with grocery shopping, bathtime and dinner I usually start sewing when the girls are in bed (around 7 pm). (I don’t want to think about what will happen when they get older and start having more homework).

I find that if I go straight to the sewing room after they are in bed I get started a lot better. But if I have to go downstairs to start a load of laundry or clear up the kitchen (both are very, very low on the priorities list) I tend to get stuck there and won’t get any sewing done.

At present I have a pair of trousers for me that I’m trying to make but I’m stalling for some reason. That keeps me from starting anything for the girls even though I really, really want to.

Maybe I could do some cutting and get started that way.

[Loralee]

Lately, I have been sewing at night after the kiddos are in bed. Then, I can sew for at least 2-4 hours. Sometimes, I get a small glass of wine (just one or my sewing will get wonky. LOL), put on my favorite music (Mumford & Sons-perfect for sewing!), and sew for hours!! It is definitely ‘my time’ and I love it!!!

Aegean17, hope you find your inspiration soon! Sewing can be so rewarding. 🙂

[sayiamyou]

Thank you for the compliment Nicole! I think goals really work for my personality. I need something to work towards. I keep a list of projects I’d like to see completed on the fridge for motivation. But not beating yourself up is a great tip!!

Sadly, I do not get to sew as much as I would like (I work full time outside of my home – I really think I could live under my machine!). On the weekends I always try to squeeze time in while the Niblet naps (like Loralee, put on some good music and fade away!). During the week, I can only sew after she’s put to bed and I try to sew until she wakes up for her late night feeding.

I am putting in much more time lately than I’ve ever been able to because I’m trying to complete the Niblet’s wardrobe. My husband is very supportive of it and we team up for house chores.

Don’t stress yourself over it. You should definitely enjoy it when you sew! Hope you find your inspiration!!

[janimal]

I sew at night, after bedtime. Some nights I don’t sew at all, others it may just be 30 minutes. (Can’t neglect the husband!) Some nights I just trace and cut a bunch of projects at once. So when I have a spare 30 minutes to sew, I can just pick up a project ready to slip into the machine.

I also tend to gravitate towards patterns that can be completed in a relatively short time, so I don’t have to sew for what seems like forever in all these little increments to get a result. So having a mix of projects is good.

Some nights I just need to sew something and have it complete. The Lazy Days skirt is good for that — it just takes 20 minutes!

I keep fleece squares cut, so I can just cut up pretty scraps to pair with them and make coasters. A set of pretty coasters tied with a bow can be a nice hand-made gift.

Hope you get back in the groove! I know what you mean about sew-alongs. Sometimes the pressure to keep up turns me off too. I need creative freedom with my sewing time!

[JohannaO]

I sew in little bits- sometimes at night, sometimes when my kids are playing happily, sometimes when I’m avoiding chores I don’t like to do! (No clean clothes? I’ll just make some more for you!) I do try to have an “easy” project going at the same time I have a “hard” project going. I like the immediate gratification of the easy projects, but I’ve found that sometimes I need to sleep on the hard projects to come up with a different fabric combo, detail or something trivial that will make me happier with it. So don’t stress over it. I like the sew-alongs because I’ve got detailed photographic instructions that can help me when I’m stuck conceptualizing things, but I didn’t follow their schedule at all. It just doesn’t fit my life.

[nightknitter]

I can related to having difficulty finding time and motivation to sew. Since I work full time, I only sew in the evenings after my daughter (who is 5) and my son (who is 3) are in bed. I usually sew for about 2-3 hours in the evening. Some weeks, I am able to sew every evening, but for most, I am able to squeeze in 3-4 nights of sewing. Don’t worry if you have fallen out of your sewing groove. You’ll find the inspiration to get you back on your sewing pedal soon enough.

[ckcsbella]

I’m trying to get the motivation to sew at night. I’d get more done! I’m generally too tired at night. I generally get most of my sewing done on rainy days – I have an excuse to turn on the tv for the kids and sew away! I used to get more done when DD#2 used to nap (DD#1 was at school.) Now she doesn’t and it’s harder to find time. I frequently do, although it’s not a set time and more random. I seem to get lots done, though.

[sadies closet]

Now that fall is here, I don’t have much time to sew. I homeschool my four children so between teaching four grade levels (K, 2nd, 4th, and 6th), correcting homework and making lesson plans my time gets filled quickly. I try to sew a few nights per week once the kids are in bed. Sometimes, I go weeks without sewing at all. I also try to use school vacations to get a lot of projects completed.

I seem to be motivated by deadlines. Gifts get first priority, so Christmas time will be busy. 🙂

My biggest help is a list of all the things I want to complete according to season so that I can prioritize. It also helps me to decide if I want to start a “large” project or complete a “small” one. Checking items off of the list as I finish them is great inspiration when I feel like I am not accomplishing anything. Sometimes, I am surprised at all that I have done when I look at my list.

Maybe you just needed a breathing space to refresh your creativity. Hope you find what motivates you and the time to accomplish it.

Need to get back to spelling and grammar so that we are not late for piano lessons…maybe I should take along some handsewing?

[Sarvi]

I’m in school so my work goes in bursts. I go weeks without being able to sew, and then grandma will come by and watch the baby and I’ll do a whole garment in a single burst. If you’ve lost enthusiasm, you could try peeking through the Purl Beehive or similar to get ideas for something different you could be doing, like embroidery or needlepoint. Sometimes the change of pace will give you a fun idea.

[mela]

sometimes my house is screaming for cleaning, but I can’t hear it if my sewing machine is running! 🙂

I work FT and have a toddler so I have to prioritize sewing (I’m kind of obsessed with fabric and sewing!) at the expense of other things like washing dishes and doing laundry. After a couple of days (or in some cases, more than a couple) I can’t take it anymore and I’ll give it it’s time, but i’d rather be sewing. Luckily, my husband is very helpful so I get 2 or 3 hours a few nights a week. of course, some nights I’m so tired from my late night sewing I just end up falling asleep really early. But at least I get my time!

[Justine J]

Most of my sewing happens during my littlest’s sleep time during the day – she is a good sleeper and sleeps between 2 – 3 hours. I also do some sewing at night, particularly on nights when my husband is away for work. I work casually 1 – 2 days a week & have three other kids at school. It’s a hard balancing act and I am tending to let the boring stuff slide ( who needs a clean fridge??)Fast projects are good – I like to have something finished to show off straight away! I’ve been trying to cut out 2 – 3 projects at a time and then work on those.