We all have those – I’ll call them moments – when our blood boils and we escape to the sewing room to blow off some steam. (That, or we have a pressing deadline so move to the sewing room because we have to.)
When this happens it’s a good idea to know what you shouldn’t touch when you walk into the room and you’ve just had an argument, you read a despicable comment, or you’re mad at yourself for not having enough time to finish.
sigh…
Keep this list handy to remind yourself what’s off-limits.
- Sleeves. No explanation necessary – Ha!
- Setting in grommets – be it in corsets, stays or that evening bodice you can’t wait to finish, pounding too hard can break or bend grommets and even end up cutting into your garment
- Slipstitching a hem – really, you only need to pick up a thread or two or when angry it will come out like a child’s yarn board
- Pleating by the Divide & Conquer Method when you’re a perfectionist – “Oh dear, I wasn’t going for a gathered look…”
- Sewing over pins with your machine – just don’t. At ANY time. Truly.
- Using a seam ripper – “oops…”
- Understitching facings – well, only if you want a wonky look to your seam and running off the edge of your fabric is ok with you
- Cutting bias fabric strips – “How do you smoothly press under a wavy edge??”
- Clean lint and dust from the machine – no need to break something you’re going to use later
- Draping a new bustle skirt design – not enough pins to correct this mess when it happens
Best to calm down for a short while before picking up the sewing. Or make a cup of tea and put on Austenland. 😉 Laughter is the supreme counter to anger.
Have you had the unfortunate happen in the sewing room while angry and working on a project? Share your tale of woe below. Or simply add your own advice to this list.
Sounds like sewing when angry is just one big NO! 😉
I find washing dishes or picking up and putting things away. Generally find housework an exercise in futility (because it never stays DONE)–but oddly soothing to anger. Things get done, the place looks nicer, and something about putting the physical space in order helps put the mental space in order,R
Ironing. There is always some. Or washing, prewashing. Playing with water. Much safer
Setting in sleeves with my new serger. I was tired and didn’t notice the fabric was puckered / ended up slicing through the bodice. 😡
I’d love a follow-up article: “Best Sewing Tasks for when you’re in a MOOD”
That would be a tough one! 😉
Love the second image. It’s from one of my favorite Cinderella movies, “Slipper and the Rose.” 😀
Mine too! <3 I mention it in my Childhood Films post. 🙂
Just learning to sew (many years ago). Botched a very long back zipper install in knit fabric–I was using machine. I was sick. Walked away from it for a week. Came back. Looked at it. Fancy braid, I thought. Luckily I found some that matched. Ran it down both sides of the bad zipper and around the jewel neckline. Looked great. Wore it forever. If you botch something and are furious with the work and yourself, put it down and leave it for a period of time. The answer will come to you. Try it–it works.
Sleeves. No explanation needed. Lol.
This is not a tale of woe however, if I need to escape an angry moment, I play with fabrics. Makes a mess but thinking about future projects and putting colours, patterns and threads together is just so relaxing. As far as the above list is concerned, I can mess those points up really well without being angry in the first place! 🙂 So then, big deep breath and some more playing with fabric needs to occur. A vicious cycle I know, but one that works for me! (ohhhhhhhhhhh look – **opening the cupboard door *** -, I was going to make a Regency gown with that fabric. Where are my patterns, uhmmmmm, ahhhhh there is fabric for a matching pelisse, I forgot about that – ** fist pump and big smile ***- ……………………………………….. )