Why Should I SWAP ?



The question is, Why not SWAP? Why not Sew With A Plan?  Well, that's exactly what we are doing, planning out our sewing for the month of January. Who is WE? The Sew Much Talent Group on Facebook. And, what PLANS? Every year we kick off our monthly challenges with a stash busting challenge. We sew away our stash week by week with themed sewing projects each week. Meaning, we sew tops in one week, pants the next, etc. The whole time we are busting stash, we are fasting fabric purchases. You read that right, NO BUYING FABRIC DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY!!  Whew, I shiver just thinking about it. But, it's been done, and it can be done for the 3rd year in a row....YES!!!!
So if you care to join us, mosey on over to Facebook and join us



These past couple of years have been very exciting! In the past (2016) during, our first stash-busting challenge, we manage to sew numerous garments. With the group having grown as much as it has, I cannot wait to see how much we get sewn this time around!!!

This is what we did in 2016....




Okay, getting back to the SWAP. To have the best experience during this Stash-Busting Fabric Fast, here are some things that has proven to be very helpful.

Plan each of your projects.
Don't try to choose a pattern, hunt for the perfect fabric, gather notions, cut and sew all in one day. That can get very frustrating. Which, often times, can lead to UFOs ( UnFinished Outfits/Objects). Poor planning can also lead to mistakes, which in turn can lead to wadders, which we hate, right?
Section off your projects in bite sized tasks. Remember, this is not a race. It's not about how fast you can sew, but it's all about the finish. Getting the job complete.
Here are my suggestions:
Day One: Choose your pattern and Fabric
1. Choose pattern(s) and fabric.
2. Pretreat fabric according its care instructions.
Sometimes it can take hours just deciding what you want to sew and what fabric you want to use. Don't rush. Take your time and think it through. If you are doing more than one project that week, then get all of your pieces together this day.
3. Once fabric is pretreated, then add your pattern, fabric, and all notions...literally everything you need for this project in  a ziplock bag, box or bin. Whichever you choose to keep your projects separate. When it's time to start you have everything you need. Nothing more frustration than starting a project and something is missing.
Day Two: Adjust and modify your pattern to fit you. 
Make all the adjustments, modifications and hacks necessary. This, also, can be a daunting task. Remember, you want to plan bite-sized task to be most effective AND to enjoy your sewing experience.
Day Three: Cut your pattern and Fabric.
Now you are getting somewhere. By now you should be feeling a little momentum. Excitement should be filling your sewing room! You are not overwhelmed or frustrated. And, you know you will be sewing soon!  It should be a good feeling to know that everything is in the bag, your fabric and pattern is cut. Now, there is one thing left to do.
Day Four and More: Sew !!!!
Now  that you have arrived to the sewing part, don't be so anxious to sew that you don't pay attention and make mistakes. You've come to far to turn back now. Also, don't forget to stop periodically and check your fit. Just because you made pattern adjustments, DOES NOT mean that you will not have to make anymore adjustments throughout the sewing process.
Also note that this could take more than one day to get your project fully sewn. But, pace yourself. Before long, you will have a beautiful garment  or project to behold.
This is where you pat yourself on the back for a job well done. You made it!!!
Please note that these steps are only suggestions. If you have more time on your hands you may be able to expedite some of these steps. But, if you are like many of us, your time is limited, yet you love to sew.  We just have to learn to SWAP.
I hope this has been most helpful to you. By implementing this tip into your sewing agenda, you should find that you get way more done in a little time than you would procrastinating, wishing you had more time to sew. Take advantage of the little time that you plan out .
I can't wait to see what you create. If you see me around on social media, please tag me and let me know if this tip worked for you.
In the mean time, be on the look out for more helpful tips that will be coming your way starting this Friday and continuing every Friday throughout January. I have invited the other admins of the Sew Much Talent group to be my guest bloggers in the upcoming Business Series, to share tips on becoming a business, doing business, marketing business, and staying healthy while doing business. Can't wait!!!
Remember , you are blessed to be a blessing!

Love you to life,
Alethia


Comments

  1. Thx for tips. Its well written and so true. Im not on fb anymore but Will try to follow on here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great review of all the exciting SMTgr events January!

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  3. Thank you for sharing. Great info for the next step.

    ReplyDelete

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