Everyone who crafts whether it be sewing, knitting, quilting, or whatever, goes through phases where the inspiration is bland or even non-existent. It may last only a few days or weeks or even months. Somewhere along the way, we crash. We take a break. Life happens.
Have you been there? Yeah, me too. You’re not alone.
For some reason the fall season just sucks the project life out of me. It’s probably the hard push I do in June & July before Costume College. It’s the biggest event of the year for me and I’m always pulling out an Insanity Project before it arrives. This year was the Blackberry Cream dress.
Then inevitably the CRASH happens. I don’t step a foot into my sewing room for a few weeks except maybe to unpack. This usually happens after a detailed costume project. Does this happen to you?
But I think it’s good to rest between projects. It’s a time to renew our senses and heal our body from the stress. If only for a little while. I know some of you are in theater departments and it seems you never get breaks. There’s always the next show or the repairs from the current performance. It’s not healthy to lie awake at night (or worse work all night) thinking about what still has to be done. Even if you’re not in theater but simply sewing a costume for a party.
Now THAT’S something most of us can relate to. How many times have you stayed up into the early morning hours furiously sewing away to finish? I can’t even begin to count mine. Afterwards, I don’t even want to look at so much as a PIN!
But as with everything, taking a bit of time away from the hullabaloo and chaos is well worth it. When you come back, you have fresh eyes and clear thoughts. You pick up a drool book like Fashion or Costume in Detail or a Dover book.
You talk to others who are working on their own costume projects. You, my friends, inspire ME when I see you on Facebook discussing your current dress or cloak! I say I need a red costume and your ideas flow from the heavens! Sometimes we just need our friends in the costuming community to keep us going through our lull. The creativity sparks our own candle.
We run to the stash or to the fabric store. We start pulling out books and patterns. Suddenly a spark!
The creative juices flow again and out comes the scissors. You pull out the well-worn corset lovingly and smile.
You’ve come home again….
How often you do take major sewing breaks? Do they last a while or only a few days?
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