It’s the curse of being a beginner. I truly suck at sewing at the moment. Not only sewing, but also taping together PDF patterns, tracing them, cutting them, cutting fabric (gaaaah! the worst part for me), fitting, sewing without snagging something every fifteen seconds, and doing anything at any sort of reasonable pace. I read blogs that mention “quick sews”, “only took me three hours from start to finish!” and I can hardly believe it. I’ve managed to pin a hem – terribly, mind you – in three hours.
My husband has to remind me of Ira Glass’s advice. I just have to get through this terrible stage and (oh gosh, I hope) then I’ll get better. Little (baby) steps at a time.
What are some of your tips for completing projects more quickly? Not just sewing, but the whole process: organizing projects, printing/cutting/taping PDF patterns, tracing, cutting fabric, and then finally sewing?
I’ve heard that getting all of the prep work out of the way can make the project seem like it’s moving faster, so all fabric should be cut and organized before you dive into the actual construction. Also, taking the project in small, consistent chunks, trying to set aside a bit of time every day to sew, seems like a good way to make progress.
For now though, I probably just need a lot more practice.