5 Ways to Enhance Your Sewing Time

[@SlapHappyRetirement]

I love the way you protect your enjoyment of sewing. Worth copying!

[@KayL6303]

You have wisdom and are willing and able to share it. Thank you!

[@imbethann]

Good morning! Loved your video; Beatles is a definite, but my listening is also based on what I’m doing. If I’m cranking out piecework, I crank up Hamilton! If I’m focused on something new and possibly tedious, I go to ambient sounds (birds, wind-chimes, coffee shop). Paul Dining has a great channel here on you tube. Thanks for the reminders and keep up your videos!

[@terriebrown3780]

I absolutely love your videos. They inspire me to get back into sewing. I use to sew when I was young with my mother. I have a basic serger and a vintage sewing machine nothing as fancy as yours. But I want to take up sewing again I have never used a PDF pattern but recently purchased some on your recommendation I just hope I can jump out of my comfort zone and get started. I love the iron on that you do. Again thank you for your encouragement but afraid I cant make my garments look as awesome as you do.

[@flourishfaithfiber]

Celebrating Thanksgiving here in South Africa with co-workers. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Texas. Oh...I ordered an Alexa for my room, but it's in Texas, but will only get it when we visit my parents next year. Looking forward to using it while I sew.

[@marthamalone9791]

Happy Thanksgiving to you. Have a great family visit. God bless.

[@gloriaallender1886]

I've read The Pink Suit and Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. Both are really good! Also, I use the pomodoro technique when I sew. I have trouble focusing for long periods of time, plus I have lots of ideas for projects in my head all the time which leads to feelings of overwhelm. With 25 minutes of sewing and then 5 min. break, I can sew for 7-8 hours. It has a made a huge difference in my productivity. Loved this video and I'm looking forward to peg board post. Happy Thanksgiving. Also, I'm a nurse on the front lines of the Covid pandemic. Please wear a mask and social distance!

[@dorothysdaughtersews]

We must be kindred spirits. I’m also an RN, but happily retired from nursing for quite awhile. We are being very careful. We traveled to TX, but ate all drive through and carry out and wiped surfaces in our hotel room. Masks always and our gathering here in TX is very small.

[@KayL6303]

Thank you for your work as a nurse!

[@tamarakarlin2758]

Great tips, thanks Kim! I am definitely more productive & enjoy my limited sewing time more when my sewing room is organized. Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful time with your family & safe travels!

[@newcreations1064]

Hi Kim,i agree with you on being tidy in the sewing or craft room.I have to clean up after every sewing or craft session.Makes me more relaxed.Hope your having a great time.xxx

[@brendadouglas9833]

I can definitely relate to almost everything you have said. Thanks for your suggestions.

[@luannculhane8878]

LOL! My Irish Catholic mother-in-law taught me to ask St. Anthony for help in finding lost items...He and I have become quite close when I'm in my sewing room lately! I need a peg board!! Great idea! Thanks for your videos!

[@claudiacampbell7276]

Love the Hallmark channel myself. I wanted to wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Go bless you and your family.

[@deborahchu2393]

I loved loved The Gown!!!!

[@susanhart7003]

Happy Thanksgiving, Kim. I just love the fabric in your top/dress. It’s such a happy print. The colors look great on you.

[@pharbottle]

Have a wonderful time with your family! Have a blessed thanksgiving!

[@janstanfield6290]

Thank you Kim. Perfect for today.

[@janetlink9756]

Thankyou so much for this. Organization will help me i think not have to search for an hour for something i misplaced and that i need for my project. searching is exhausting which leads to a feeling of defeat and apprehension

[@alisonwilliams5355]

Thank you Kim, some great tips, I will certainly use the 15/20 minutes before having a five minute break. Ive certainly been in the position of taking on too many sewing requests and getting stressed that I won’t complete them on time. I have to admit my sewing room is not organised the way I would like, but it is difficult as the room is over the garage & has an apex roof so I have virtually no straight walls for shelves. It also doubles as a bedroom. My fabric is all in clear plastic containers-knits in one, cotton, needlecord and so on - so guilty in doubling up when purchasing material. I will try tomorrow to reorganise, as I agree it is great to have a tidy, calm place to sew in. Like you I usually have the radio 2 on or music, Bruce Springsteen, Abba, Beatles, Adele, George Ezera or 60/70 music. Thank you again and enjoy your trip.

[@passenoc]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Stay safe and healthy. I also watch Hallmark Channel all the time when I am sewing . It's my own little world for awhile!!! Thank You for all your help.

[@kathilapp1595]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[@ginnyrivera2786]

I loved this! I listen to worship music when I sew too. Enjoy your family/vacation. I live in San Antonio; I hope we have good weather for you.

[@dorothysdaughtersews]

Thank you! The weather has been great. Even with a little shower, it’s 36 at home and snowed yesterday. Hoping to get to Fabrictopia tomorrow. I called there today to make sure they are requiring masks and distancing. She said they are very strict, so my comfort level with going there is pretty good.

[@vintagegirl68]

I don't sew much for others. A few years back I altered a prom dress for someone and it took 12 hours. Meanwhile I didn't get dinner on the table. The prom dress came out okay, but the person said it was too tight after telling me to take it in again. It wasn't worth it!

[@jimmyedorman7247]

I recently started listening to audible books because I missed reading so much since most of my free time was spent crocheting or sewing. This is a great idea.

[@PKEDRM]

Thank you Kim for all of your thoughts on how to make the most out of your sewing time! I agree with the things that you said and I too like to listen to The Beatles when I'm working. The tempo of their music keeps me on track and I can sing along with most of the songs! The thing you said that hit me hardest was you didn't want to turn this into a business. You don't know how much that resonates with me. The minute I have someone else telling me how they want something done, and having to haggle over prices, sewing isn't fun anymore. Just as you believe, my sewing feeds my soul. When masks became unavailable to the general public I started with my husband and myself and made our masks. Then I tackled a friend's pediatric practice and his staff and the project escalated from there. I was making masks for neighbors, friends, & family - often shipping them all over the country. I was whittling down my stash and enjoying the time I spent sewing and experimenting with different patterns. I have a dear neighbor with two teenage daughters who is a single mom and I repeatedly asked if she needed masks. Her stand was, "They're a bunch of hooey and I'm not going to wear them - period.". Then her employer demanded that they all wear masks and her daughter's returned to school where they were required as well. She asked me if I would make them and I said sure. She wanted to provide her own fabric, wanted 10 masks, and I said great. Then she asked me how much it would cost for me to make the masks and when I told her nothing she balked. I made a dozen masks, and got to keep scraps from which I made one for myself. I used every inch of that fabric. Then she cornered my husband and gave him a $50 gift certificate to Amazon. I was heartbroken because I had told her this was the one thing that I could do to serve others considering my limited mobility and other health issues. I wasn't going to win that argument so I turned around and bought sewing supplies on Amazon. I've had this happen more than once, but fortunately most people have been very gracious about accepting the gift, and that makes me so happy! If they want to throw a compliment my way that's fine. I can handle that. I have suggested that they take the money and donate it to a good cause - so if they do - that's wonderful. For myself I just want a tangible way to contribute. Now that masks are readily available and I'm turning my attention to Christmas preparation (I haven't even begun yet) I will be thinking about what I can do next. Thank you for taking the time on your vacation to see that this video was posted. You dedicate a lot of time to this project and it shows. I really enjoy your videos and have purchased some of the PDF patterns you've recommended but I haven't made any of them yet. Other deadlines keep getting in my way. It's amazing how I ever worked full-time, raised a child, cared for my husband and home, did my church work, and still managed to craft and sew! Now that I'm retired I have days where I can't accomplish everything I want to because of health issues and that frustrates me because I remember all the energy I used to have and all the ability I used to have to do those things. One day at a time. #givethanks

[@reneelang5714]

Happy Thanksgiving Kim!

[@heidefries1825]

Hope you have a great time in San Antonio ... Happy Thanksgiving!

[@susanbundy3490]

Happy Thanksgiving! I will definitely check out those books. Have you done a video on how you organized the pegboard?

[@heatherjsews]

Happy Thanksgiving :)

[@marykayshatzer3044]

I always have the tv playing or music on when I sew. Hallmark channel is definitely my guilty pleasure too. Lol... my sewing room is organized chaos. Everything is organized but it looks like a bomb went off while I’m in the middle of a project.

[@michellestarr8326]

We are kindred souls, Sirius radio is always set to the Beatles Channel.

[@brendakinsey8353]

The hardest part for me is the cleaning up a project. Lol. I always want to move on to the next.

[@deebuettner8017]

Have you ever made something that didn't turn out? I have had such good luck with patterns fitting without making a muslin. I made the Buttercup tee from Sageville patterns and it didn't fit at all. Too big in the high bust, too small everywhere else. I just gave it away. I'm so bummed. I loved that fabric.

[@dorothysdaughtersews]

Yep! It happens to everybody. Just think- you know the adjustments you need to do for that pattern and maybe even pattern company next time.

[@deebuettner8017]

@@dorothysdaughtersews I threw the pdf print out away. There are so many tee shirt patterns that I don't want to waste my time on such a bad one.