5 Good Sewing Habits For 2019

These are my 5 good sewing habits for 2019

Do you make resolutions for the new year? I think it’s nice to have a little reminder to come up with some new goals and to reflect on what you’ve done the past year.
Sewing-wise, this has been an special year for me. I started to work for Madam Sew in March. From one day to the other I spent a lot of time in my sewing room. I have learned a lot and done a lot more projects this year compared to the years before, but all in all, I haven’t really done much sewing for pure fun. Documenting every step with pictures and video material forced me to go slower - not easy for me - and think about explaining every step to someone else. And I realize more than ever what a long way of learning I still have ahead of me!
In 2018 I also discovered the sewing lives of all those lovely Instagrammers. How inspiring it is and how much fun to share your own creations and how it motivates me to sew even more.

These are my 5 sewing resolutions for 2019 and I hope they become new habits.

1. I will get myself a sewing journal. A little place to
- document my personal measurements and those of the people I sew for (kids, husband, nieces, ..)
- document all my projects with notes, drawings,….
- do some future planning and add some inspiration, ideas (wardrobe planning or maybe learning how to quilt?)
A good excuse to buy me a little notebook 🙂. Look what a pretty book I found!

SeaSaltandStitches dedicated a post about her journal, very inspiring! Link at the end of this post!

2. I will reorganize my stash regularly. Sewing can get messy. I bet you also gather a lot of stuff. And things get quickly out of order and before you know it, you don’t know what you have any more. I will do some rearranging once every season... so I know what I still have lying around and try to plan my projects as much as possible with the fabric I already have. And I won’t be wasting time trying to find that interfacing, that elastic threader or hunting out a zipper foot for half an hour (why didn't it just go back where it came from?). So, I’ll try to keep my craft stash organized and avoid the frustration and wasted time. There is a place for everything and everything in its place :-)

3. I‘ll try to purchase only necessary materials (fabrics, notions, and tools, such as needles, threads, linings, zippers or new rotary blades). You need to have your basic notions at hand when you’re sewing, but that mountain of fabrics.... Fabric is made to be sewn, not hoarded like dragon’s gold. :-)

If you need a little reminder from time to time, I made this poster for your sewing room, download it here!

4. I will not to rush everything I make. I have a tendency to get impatient when finishing things, so I will try to slow down my sewing and enjoy the whole process rather than focussing on the result.

5. I like to get better at sewing. I will take the time to learn new techniques. Sewing is not a destination but a process, a way toward betterment :-) By inspiring each other and using all the resources online, you don’t even have to leave your house. And interacting with others is a great motivator. But a local sewing group or sewing class is a lot of fun too.

Every Wednesday evening I sew with 9 other ladies. It’s a children’s clothing class and I’m going there for more than 6 years already. I consider it as me-time and that classroom is where I don’t rush, where I take my time and my best projects are made over there, not in my sewing room at home, where I have a tendency to rush, hence point 4 ;-)

And while we’re talking about tools and learning new stuff, I have 1 request for you: Use the tools you buy ! Don’t keep them in your drawer. I have to test a lot of tools for work, especially presser feet :-)... Using all these feet has made my sewing easier and the result is often more professional.. straight lines, less puckering, … choose the right presser foot for the right job and you’ll see the difference! Really, don’t be afraid, open that box, put it on your machine and stitch!

And… to get you of to a good start.. some practical take-away sewing advice for 2019 .. these 5 tips will make your sewing better, I promise.

Replace your machine needle regularly (a blunt needle makes ugly stitches, can cause damage to your project or your machine).
Pre-wash your fabric (no more shrinkage).
Iron everything (hems, seams,.. to get better results).
Use more pins and clips (for more accurate sewing).
Increase your stitch length for garment sewing (small stitches are hard to remove, your fabric will tear before the stitches do and it doesn’t change the quality).

What are your resolutions or good sewing habits for the coming year?

Any questions or suggestions? Don’t hesitate to send me an email: an@madamsew.com

And I’m still curious about what you are making. Share it in our Facebook group or on Instagram and use #madamsew!

An

Sewing aficionado and keen sewing blogger/vlogger.

An is Madam Sew’s dedicated creative brain, writing and filming insightful, inspirational content for the sewing enthusiast.