Procrastinators of the world unite – tomorrow!
If you are a historical costumer, you probably put off doing certain tasks to finish a project. I do. You WANT to sew. But you want to finish surfing Facebook or reading the new blog you found. You agonize over picking up that skirt to sew the final hooks & eyes on. That hem has been calling your name for weeks now….
To save that UFO pile (that’s Un-Finished Projects), here are 3 really useful tips to pick up your stalled dress and “get ‘er done”!
1. Take Action!
Has your sewing been attacked by Jack Frost? Your dress sitting for way too long? The very best way to overcome your knack for putting off your sewing is to get moving again. Now.
Don’t delay anymore. Take a step. ANY step – be it one button, four inches of a hem or even completely setting in both sleeves.
Any action you take will inspire more action. Your brief bit of work will help you feel accomplished and you’ll want to do more. Plus, your project will be that much closer to finishing!
2. Admit that Perfection Doesn’t Exist
Perfectionism is a close cousin of procrastination – and we all know how family get-togethers can be.
We want that bodice to be perfect in its fit and trim so we linger on the “what if” possibilities of what will happen if it doesn’t turn out exactly the same as the picture in our mind.
Notice: your garment will NEVER come out perfect! There will always be a fabric flaw, a tiny hole left by the seam ripper. A buttonhole set 1/32″ further in than the others.
Such peace comes when you know it won’t be flawless. Admit you are human and that is what gives a project your own special touch. Your imperfections will contribute to the beauty of the artful costume.
3. You Can’t Wait For the Last Minute for Inspiration to Strike
You’ll do a better job tackling that costume a little bit at a time rather than at the last week before an event.
Hello! Can you say we’ve all been there?? Don’t let this happen to you! Rather, make the decision to NOT go there again on future projects.
Plan ahead for those times the sleeve gets set in upside down. Know that the skirt panel can get stuck under the machine needle when it’s decidedly inconvenient. Allow time for the skill of producing beautiful hems knowing it eludes you and takes you hours to finish.
Waiting until you want to sew will not get your project finished. Nope. ‘Cause who of us gets anything accomplished if we wait until we’re ready to work?
That costume deadline is out there. Keep it from pestering you by getting started NOW. One little whipstitch at a time. 🙂
oooh I´m not alone with it 😀 and I don´t wait till new year comes to make it better all the time 😉
ahh! You found me
jen, hiding under a pile of
‘to do’
‘ all the 1/2 taken apart jackets I
‘ve planned to re-do.
May be I need you to kick start me with a good swift kick ,,,,,(haha)
KICK! Now get going! You can do it. 🙂
I need to set this article as my homepage. That way it’s staring me in the face when I open my browser. I have a Laughing Moon corset on my cutting table that’s been laughing at me since…well, I’m too embarrassed to say how long. *shut up corset!*
Okay, all I need to do today is sew up one panel…that’s it, just one panel. *singsong*…A panel a daaaay keeps procrastination awaaaay…Have you done your sewing todaaaaaay? *sigh*
lol! Isn’t it amazing how our costumes yell at us to finish them? 🙂 I will say, though, that even with just one panel seam a day it will definitely encourage you to sew a second one. And amazingly stuff actually gets done that way. Even if it’s only a small thing such as one 10″ seam. At the very least you’re that much closer to being finished. 🙂
I have this problem all the time – with every item that is prepared for me. It can wait for ever. It is different with things done for other people… What a shame. Glad to hear it is a usual problem:)
So true! Thanks for rousting me!
I have certain parts of my gowns that I procrastinate over; like the closures & the hem. Both require techniques or exacting measurements that I’m never really sure about. I think I’ve done waistband closures different every single time I’ve done one. And since I have to do my own hem marking, I’m never really sure if its right. I have a dressform that should be my height but it sometimes tends to shrink a bit so I have to remeasure it each time before marking the hem. And I have been known to forget to put all the petticoats/bustle under the skirt and have to come up with an inventive way to lengthen my hem later. Ruffles are a wonderful thing!
My dear husband pointed out that I have little difficulty finishing something in colors I love, or for me because I have “nothing to wear” but tend to procrastinate on things in less attractive colors or for him…still working on a duster for himself…sigh.
So me!
Such good advice (and so true for all kinds of creative endeavors, like writing, too!)