It happens every year: right before Me-Made May, I lose all will to sew or blog. Which is strange, because MMM is my favourite month of the sewing year! I just love it. But somehow, after I push through the long winter of taking pictures in the snow and sewing through dark evenings, I just run out of steam.
Right now, it’s really stressing me out that I haven’t replied to comments on my last two posts… but they are over a week old now, and it seems strange to comment so late! (Like, hi, do you even remember what you wrote back then?) And so I’m giving myself a little grace: maybe I’ll reply, maybe I’ll let it slide. Maybe I’ll post this month, maybe I won’t.
Packing and moving isn’t helping – I need to pack up my sewing room, but my brain wants to sew one last thing before I do. But what?
In the mean time, I’d love to hear from you: What’s on your sewing table? How’s your sewjo? Do you get the silly blog guilt too?
Crafting A Rainbow 
I’m working on a “practice” denim jacket with silk lining 🙂 by Silhouette Patterns #1100 and if I can get it RIGHT I have some lovely subtlety flowered Liberty of London denim and dupioni silk to line it with! So I’m pretty excited about this project 🙂
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Ooh, that sounds so chic! And drool, Liberty and silk? Oh me oh my.
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Honestly – despite proclaiming that my sew-jo came back last month, it has taken a back seat to other things in life. I have a Camas Blouse cut out that I hope to finish before the end of the month. I also haven’t had the energy to write much (sheepishly looks at her promise to write about photos stuff for you). 🙂 I don’t think you are alone. MMMay, despite being somewhat casual, takes a lot of pre-planning and mental bandwidth. “How do I want to challenge myself this year?” “Did I ever deal with the fact that I don’t have enough me-made bottoms?” “How am I going to document and share?” “How many of the various group pages and social media accounts do I want to use?” I just want to finish a pencil skirt that I started in January. 🙂
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Don’t worry about the post – my dad promised me one in October, and it’s been pushed back and back until summer! If you ever want to write one, we’ll bring the Better Pictures Project back for an encore! 😉
I”m struggling with all those same MMM questions.. compounded by the fact that my regular indoor photo spot is full of boxes and even my balcony is going under renovation, so I can’t take pics there! I really value looking back at my old MMM pics though, so I’d regret settling for IG photos… but what other option is there? I’m going to have to get creative. And it’s coming up so soon!
I vote you finish that pencil skirt, and set a nice easy challenge.. and then exceed it if you feel like it!
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I have my sewjo working but “working” is all-consuming and by the time I get home I just want to faceplant on my pillow. This is good as missing dinner I am losing inches but no sewing happening and I feel *terrible* not to be blogging. Give yourself a break and just enjoy packing and turning to a new page in your life. Moving is stressful enough. We will all be here and looking forward to seeing you settling in and maybe pics of your new sewing room???? Your new place looks beautiful BTW. Xx
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I hope your schedule lets up! Dinner is delicious and important! 😉
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My sewjo is rock bottom right now too. I’ve been busy with work though which is the main culprit. I want to make some more essentials ready for MMM but can’t find the time or motivation. I feel like sewing complicated dresses right now!
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Surely if anyone has enough basics to get through MMM, it’s you and I? I’m also fighting temptation to make things that are less-than-practical right now (aka. JUMPSUITS!) If you want to sew complicated dresses, then do it!
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Having finished my Steampunk SWAP [all bar the final photos] my sewjo has slumped. I’m feeling very selfish and don’t WANT to sew all the clothes I’ve promised my wife. Wah. *stamps foot* As for MMM, I pretty much only wear things I’ve made now anyway, so can’t be bovvered with that either. Sigh.
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There’s nothing like promising to make something to take all the fun out of making it… 😛 Good luck!
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The lovely linen is cut out, and length added where I plan to add the pintucks… now just got to wait until I have enough natural light to sew black on black!
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You’re not the only one! My sewjo is erratic. I have a blazer cut out and interfaced that I’ve been wanting to make for years, but I’m scared of the lining. So now I want to make all the easy stuff 😏
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I know all about the blog guilt, but I decided I wouldn’t let it bother me anymore starting this year. So far it has worked, I don’t feel guilty yet 🙂 I have a raw denim jeans muslin and a button up bodice muslin currently on my table but I’m finding it very hard to combine sewing what I want and sewing nursing friendly stuff. I want to sew all the dresses! And I don’t like wearing button ups! Or wovens! I’m not participating in MMM this year because I’m having trouble finding decent outfits (that fit me) to begin with, let alone me made outfits. I just wish I could put my life on hold for 2 weeks and have a long sewcation!
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How much longer will nursing last? I hope you find some nursing friendly designs you like… maybe the summer options will be more inspiring?
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I’m hoping to nurse until she’s at least 6 months old, so until August/September. I’ve made a dress this week which fits the bill, so hopefully it’s a start!
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My sewjo is also at a low, though for me it’s because I’m in a lull in my “work life.” Which is also why my house is really in need of a cleaning. I do have plans to make some Ginger jeans and prep for a corset this weekend! There’s always hope to get back in the groove.
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Jeans and a corset – that’s ambitious! Good luck!
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Oof, my sewjo is disastrous. Actually, that’s not quite true- I’ve really itching to sew up some fun clothes (feeling the first hints of warmth and sunlight always inspires me), but I’m SUPER backed up on projects for other people (I’m unexpectedly working full-time again, but I’d already lined up lots of upholstery and sewing commissions, so I’m stuck working on that stuff nights and weekends, ugh). Also I know that we’ll be moving in early June and I’ll have to start packing, so it seems silly to start sewing something when I need to be finishing up commissions or beginning to sort and pack. Ugh!!
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Tell me all about your move! Is it near? Will it be bigger? I hope you found somewhere good! And best of luck with all that work – don’t burn yourself out! 🙂
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It’s sort of a double move! After ten years of saving to buy something, we’ve realized that we’ll never be able to afford anything in the city (even if we could find an apartment to buy in our price range, the condo fees can be as high as our current rent!). So, we’ve found a little house two hours upstate and will be spending as much time as possible up there, and are downsizing to a teeny-tiny studio in the city once we close on the house. Sort of a weird situation, but the math works out for our budget and hopefully one day we’ll be able to be upstate full-time!
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That is so exciting! I bet having that house to dream of living in full-time will really motivate you as you transition to work-anywhere types of work. Good luck to you both!!!!
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This winter has been tough for the sewjo – I have made a couple of things that I would love to blog about, but now it’s been so long since I made them, and the photo situation is always tricky. But one was a coat fail, and I really want to share it! But today, I finished what seems to be a bra that is not just wearable, but fits well and looks nice, so that’s a plus. Best of luck with your move – and it’s more than understandable that your sewing and blogging takes a breather!
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I’d love to read about your coat! Get out there and take some quick photos so you can type it up!
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I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without blogging (almost 2 weeks) but work is kicking my ass. I just don’t have any energy to do anything, much less blog about it. But I am continuing to knit occasionally because it keeps me sane. I’d like to make a Cashmerette pattern and that Colfax dress, perhaps (but using a stable knit, not a woven). After May 3 I will!
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OOOH! Colifax in stable knit? That sounds lovely. I’ve resisted buying her last two dresses, but I’m always tempted by the aspirational coolness of her designs. Simple, but so appealing!
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Sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now! I vote to let the comments slide…. no biggie. And get to sewing a favorite TNT before packing it all up. Something easy and satisfying. Then, just think of the fun you will have when you unpack it! It will be like Christmas and your sewjo will be on fire again.
I’m sewing lots right now….life is a bit stressful and sewing is my escape. Summer dresses and little tops are in abundance.
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Sorry things are stressful for you right now too! Summer sundresses and little tops sounds like the perfect distraction. I packed up most of my fabric yesterday, but I did leave a few good knits out incase I get inspired! 🙂
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I am so far behind in blogging… life has its ebbs and flows and we need to accept those with grace instead of fighting… the time will come again.
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Excellent advice! Hope things improve in your neck of the woods!
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I spent the day cutting in preparation of of summery sewing. Two blouses for me, along with a blouse and a dress for my girl. Tomorrow should be productive. Hopefully, I have a hard time getting going some mornings!
As for blogging, I haven’t updated my blog since my sewing dare about this time last year. Maybe it is time for some new dares? That dare was super motivating even if it didn’t turn out so well.
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Moving alone is enough on anyone’s plate – I’m sure no one will mind lack of replies! I think I’m going to do Me-Made May for the first time 🙂 And on my sewing list… well, just finished a floral Rigel bomber which I love, and next up is a linen Helena dress by Sew Me Something. Must be time to sew summery stuff now, surely? P.S. thanks for encouraging me to try Instagram – I’m loving it!
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I feel your guilt. I’ve been posting rarely and then been feeling guilty about not replying to people that have made the time to comment! I’m not sure how I used to fit it all in. Work has become all consuming of late, I’m enjoying it. Maybe when I enjoyed it less, I needed the blog more.
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SIlly how much guilt we give ourselves, eh? It’s great that you are loving work, and blogging will always be here when you feel like it!
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I just finished an exhausting freelance contract last week, which kept me away from my sewing machine most of the time since January. So now, I feel hungry for sewing – like a bulimia reaction. Last week, I finished up an Inari dress (like everyone else on the blogosphere, and yes, this pattern is wonderful) and then I went through half of my mending pile. I have so many projects for next week, my head is spinning! I want to tackle bra making and I’ll start with Florence by Seamwork.
Good luck with packing and moving, Gillian. And please, don’t feel guilty for not replying to comments! Your posts are always so fun to read – that’s good enough.
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Thank you, Helene! I hope you get to binge on all the sewing until you feel full. Bra making is really fun!
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I totally get it!! My blog is being neglected as my blogjo has vanished, but I’m still sewing. I would bet that once you move and get your new sewing area set up, your sewjo will return! And don’t worry about anything, even if you reply to comments really late, I still appreciate it, and if you don’t, that’s no biggie either. Good luck with all the packing! Moving always sucks all my life force!
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I definitely have blog guilt! It’s something I work hard to ignore because all it does is make me want to blog LESS. I don’t always have the ability to reply to comments during the week but I do always try to make sure I reply to them, even it’s a week or two late! Same with commenting myself, this post is a great example! I’ve had it kept ‘unread’ in my reader since you posted it because I wanted to comment but I do most of my blog reading on my phone and commenting on my phone is annoying and sometimes actually impossible.
Getting too in my head about comments and blog posts and sewing just means I am less likely to do them, so I try to zen it out and just do it when I get to it. I mean, these things are supposed to be fun, right?! I do make an effort to get back to things because I value the connections blogging brings and those do take work. But if I miss one or two, or I forget to comment on a post I meant to, well, that’s life! I’m sure people understand.
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I feel you on a lot of this! I totally feel guilty when I don’t reply, but weigh out my guilt with the weird factor of commenting a week/month later haha
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I just sat down to my machine yesterday for the first time in almost a year! Pregnancy, moving house, and then having the baby really took all my attention. I do have a couple of items in a backlog and was able to complete one yesterday. now it’s just finding the time to post it 🙂
Don’t feel guilty, do what you need to do. If blogging starts to feel like a chore, it won’t be fun anymore.
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