We had a great trip to San Antonio! Thanks so much for all of the well wishes!! Mitch really enjoyed his interview and had a great feeling about the fellowship. There are still a few interviews to go, but we feel really blessed to have such great options. Although I didn't get to sew while we were there, I did get to do a little shopping. I'm not used to having so many choices!! I went to Joann, and while I know that many of you aren't too impressed with their offerings, I was flabbergasted at the store there!! It was beautiful, and so well stocked!! I didn't need anything, but they had some boy interlock prints that I just couldn't pass up, especially since they also stocked matching ribbing. My local Hancock has ribbing in exactly 3 colors. It was amazing!!
I also spent some time thinking about y'all. For the last few months when I've done my monthly review, I've gotten a ton of comments about my productivity and asking essentially, "Where do you find the time??". So, I thought I'd talk about that a little.
The most obvious answer of course, is that I make it. I love to sew, so any chance I get I'm scurrying off to the sewing room to stitch or press. Having a dedicated sewing area really makes a difference to me, since it means I can leave my project in whatever condition is was when I had to stop and just come back to it, rather than having to set up and take down whenever I want to sew. I also get up really early. I've always been a morning person, so when my alarm goes off at 5:00, I don't even usually snooze. Since my kids usually sleep until six or seven, I have time to get showered and ready for the day, as well as have some personal devotional time, and still sew for an hour or so. Since my wee ones also nap most days, I grab another hour or so during that time. As for eating - well, I have been known to skip a meal to get my sew on. Hey, when the kids are sleeping, I just gotta sew! The other factor is that my sweet hubby understands how much I love to sew and how much my sanity relies on it, so when he can he shoves me in the direction of the sewing room and takes the kids for a while. He's awesome. When you add all that up, I end up with a good 6-10 hours of sewing time each week. And that is just machine time, since I generally trace, cut, alter and hand sew at other random times during the day.
I also have to toot my own horn a little and add that well, I'm fast. It's not just sewing, though. In medical school I was notorious among my classmates for my testing speed. I once took a renal physiology exam in 3 1/2 minutes. Most of my classmates were still bubbling in their names on the scantron form. I'm not sure why this is so, it just is. It doesn't always work to my advantage though. Since I work at high speeds with a fairly high degree of accuracy, I don't tend to recheck things, so an error made early can totally destroy a project. It doesn't happen often, but when it does - devastation.
So, how do y'all do it? I'm not the only one out there sewing! How do you chisel time out of your otherwise crazy lives?
13 comments:
Lucky. Alex gets up at 6am with me and doesn't nap. By the time he goes to bed at 8-ish I'm so tired I'm almost falling over. He's very hyper. Good for you though. Eventually I'm going to learn how to steal moments away to sew.
I went to Pittsburgh yesterday and went to a Joann there. So much more than my little small town Joann's (the only game in town). I got overwhelmed. I had a list, but it didn't have fabric on it. I had a 40% off one thing coupon though so I was determined to find an awesome fabric. Found a cotton print that is bright orange with stars. Very cute.
Glad you had a good time in SA. Wish I still lived in the area so we could get together.
I like you try to get up before sunrise to sew. I think I am most productive between 3 and 7 am. My husband too, is very supportive of my craft. Of course not haveing children and only working part-time probably the main reason I am able to find all sorts of time. As for a dedicated sewing space, I realized years ago that once I had one my skill level went through the roof. Fifteen minutes here and there without haveing to clean up the mess and put everything away made me venture out and try techniques that I wouldn't have otherwise given a second thought. Thumbs up to the dedicated sewing space! As I look into my sewing room now it looks as though someone broke in and trashed the place. Gotta go finish my current project and then clean up the mess. BTW I absolutely love your blog and appreciate all the encouragement you offer me on mine!
Glad you liked SA. I wasn't sure if you liked or didn't like the JoAnn's. As I mentioned on FB, we went to one of the older ones and it was not good, mostly a craft store. It has now closed. Most of the fabric was real cheap looking. My Hancock's in Victoria is a little better. But I have never been to the 410 or 1604 locations, will next time we go in. Do a web search, there are some other fabric shops and one is more heirloom sewing/laces, I think.
I hate you all. No, not really, but I am jealous. I wish I could a) get up before 6:15 (which is when the kids get up and we all have to miraculously get out the door fully clothed by 7:30... and yes sadly, it takes that long) and b) that anything I ever do (besides test-taking, which at least I can say I'm mighty quick at) I did with anything more than 1/4 the speed that anyone else does. I think you have inspired me to just become resigned to the fact that I am very slow and deal with that. Because I KNOW I generally spend at minimum 10 hours a week sewing and I get really nothing done.
Maybe I can join some sort of support group or something. :-)
and of course since it's all about ME, I forgot to say congratulations on the good interview. I think San Antonio looks like a nice place to live.
Like you, I MAKE time. I don't have little ones at home anymore, but I do have a full time job and a husband. He is a fireman, so I get a 24 hour block every third day and that is my time to sew, especially if it is my day off from work!
It's nice to see how you do it!
I generally sew at home during naps but that's only an hour or so. I could do it in the evenings but most days by the time the kids are settled down I too tired. I really count on Tuesdays at my parents' house. There I usually have 4-5 hours to sew AND a babysitter.
I squeeze time in on weekends or after bedtime, but I am SLOW. I reread directions and study diagrams and even sew slowly because I have a bad habit of making stupid mistakes. (Like cutting the garment when I'm trying to just trim the seam allowance.) But lately I've been pushing the pedal to the maximum on long straight seams & it feels good! I need to step it up for that Betzina workshop - don't want to be the slowest one there...
It's great that your trip and the interview went well. Good find, boy fabric is tricky!
Your sewing plan sounds familiar, it is amazing how much sewing can be squeezed into a busy life when you really want to do it.
I don't have kids but I don't have a dedicated sewing room in our small California house! You are amazing!! I know what you mean - sewing does take you away!
I've seen her sew in person . . . she is fast.
Were you a morning person before a doctor? If you weren't, being a doctor probably helped you enjoy morning work.
You forgot to say that you go to bed early, too.
Your productivity is really impressive and quite inspiring. Maybe one day....
Just found your blog - love it, BTW. I'm just like you except I snag my time late at night once the kids are asleep(so not a morning person - kills me to have to be functional at work at 7:15). I am also a super-fast test-taker (just took a grad school final in 20 minutes) and I also tend to just go and not recheck and usually it's okay. It's nice to see someone else like me out there!
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