I noticed there's been talk of time and sewing this week in blogland. Carolyn wrote about how her lack of time forces her to stay focused, and Dei spoke about how even when it's clearly time to go to bed many of us still push ourselves (and end up making stupid mistakes). So when Elaray emailed suggesting I do a Fun Friday sewing poll on the amount of time we typically dedicate to sewing each week, I was all over it.
My own sewing time is pretty limited. Case in point: I feel like I should have finished my faux-Chanel jacket long ago. But with a full-time job, a family that includes two teenagers not old enough to drive, volunteer commitments, and a desire to occasionally just blow everything off and take a nap on a Sunday, I don't rack up a lot of hours sewing each week. Typically I may get to sew a total of about four hours Monday through Friday, and then if I'm lucky I'll get about five to six hours in on a weekend with a light schedule. That's it.
What about you? How many hours of sewing are you able to clock each week? Take the poll at right and let us know. (Please click through if you are reading this in an RSS feed.)
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Where to find bouclés and tweeds to make your own faux-Chanel jackets: People frequently email me this question. There is an abundance of bouclés and tweeds to be found in the garment district. In the photo above I show just a teeny fraction of what Mood Fabrics has to offer at its NYC store (though its online site only shows 11 bouclés--!). NY Elegant Fabrics, Rosen & Chadick and Paron Fabrics all stock beautiful bouclés and tweeds.You have to search a little harder to find bouclés and tweeds online. Gorgeous Fabrics, Emmaonesock, Manhattan Fabrics (Paron's online store), Fashion Fabrics Club and Michael's Fabrics carry bouclés and tweeds; I'm sure you can find pieces on eBay too. If anyone has a good online or local source for bouclés and tweeds, please leave a comment here.
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Q&A Time: My last post on underlining my Chanel jacket generated a couple of questions. Cindy wondered about the fabric I used for underlining. I confess I am very bad about looking at the names of what I am buying when it comes to underlinings and interfacings--I just go by touch. I believe this is a tightly-woven cotton broadcloth. Purchased at Mood, it's lightweight but has a stiffness to it so it can support a jacket like mine.
Both Cindy and Mem asked about facings in my jacket. The short answer is that I should be incorporating a traditional chest facing and back neck facing, but because I don't have enough fabric I'm allowing the lining to go straight to the edge. (I bought this fabric two years ago thinking I was using a different pattern.) Which is why underlining is so important to my jacket-- underlining provides it with the support you'd normally get with facings. And Mem wondered "does Armani use a facing and if so wouldn't this counteract the effect of the cross grain interfacing?" Ack, I have no idea! Can anyone answer Mem?
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This weekend: I really, really, really want to finish my faux-Chanel jacket. The end is so close! But this is where I have been known to get sloppy and rush things just to be done with it. Must. Take. Time. Have a great weekend everyone!
32 comments:
Thank you for the information on bouclé.
It's an ongoing search for me. One day I'll find exactly the bouclé I want!
Oh, Lindsay, why the torture? In response to your question, not enough would be my answer. If I sew for more than a few hours, I begin to experience that "mommy guilt" as I labor with a guilty conscience over whether I should be doing something for my children rather than my sewing. I know it's silly and shouldn't give in to it.
Thanks so much for the links to tweeds. Much needed.
ooooo thanks for that fabric info... I feel a NYC trip coming on.
Put me in for about 1/2 hour per week. And to think daycare was supposed to open up a world of sewing time for me (ha!).
I *think* maybe 10 - 15. I might try clocking it starting Sunday though.
Thanks for answering yet another question of mine! I need a lot of help. Can you tell? Maybe I will give you a break! And the photo of the boucle is unbelieveable--pure beauty! Thanks again.
--sewing times-- I am all over the map.I would guess a typical week is 5 hrs. Definitely more on the weekdays than weekends.
I'm at 3 - 5 hours a week right now; I have a two-year old, work from home and trying to finish up a major writing project, and a second baby due in May.
Though the actual amount of sewing I get done is more like negative 2 hours of work because lately I've been spending as much time ripping out seams and altering patterns as I do actually sewing and completing anything.
My mom and pop used to sew a lot and I remember boxes full of patterns in our house. I did learn though and fix the dog toys when they get shredded as well as the occasional hole in my clothing.
Right now I am sewing 10-15 hours this week with costumes and trying to squeeze in what I want to sew. But this is not my usual pace. In the next few months with a new season and renewed commitment I do think it will be more like 5-10 consistently each week.I do a lot of sewing reading lately-back issues of Threads, requesting and reviewing books at the library before investing in them. Does reading count toward any sewing points?? !!!!
I sew about two hours most every night, after my toddler goes to bed (assuming the mojo hasn't deserted me). Of course, some of those nights are spent cutting out fabric. I used to sew when he was napping when he was younger, but now, I just don't want to risk waking him up! I've found over the past few months, I can get a LOT done in a consistent few hours every night.
I bet most of us could answer with a cry of "not enough!" ;)
Most evenings I try to fit in 30 minutes - an idea I picked up from Summerset last Fall that has really made a difference for me.
I can sometimes get in an hour or so on Saturday, and then Sunday is my big day. On a good weekend I can sew for most of the day - my happy day! :)
On a good week, I get about 9 - 10 hours of sewing time. Usually, I do short blocks on weeknights and longer blocks on weekends. Then I take a few days off before starting the next project. I deprive myself of sewing so I'm "hungry" again for the next project! :)
Oh my...I have no life!
I sew 8-14 hours per day! Yes, some is for clients...but much is personal sewing. I take a break every few hours to fill interfacing orders, and take a walk on the treadmill. Geesh..I really do need a life....LOL!
Pam ~Off The Cuff~
I sew 10-15 hours a week, probably more like 12 though...and it is all on the weekends. I rarely sew during the week because of my work hours and the time it takes for me to get back and forth to work. I would just be frustrated if I tried to sew after work! And I'm extremely jealous of all those who do!!!!
I do my best sewing at 5am before anyone else wakes up.
Actual sewing time is less than five hours. I seem to have short windows of time, some before work, some after and then maybe a couple hours at a time on the weekend. So I save the big tasks for the big time slots and I plan ahead for the little ones. For example I had about half an hour before work today and my goal was to put a smiple collar together on a blouse I'm working on. I had my machine set up and ready last night, setting up my machine and having everything at hand for this morning was one of last nights goal. I find I can accomplish lots with this system.
I voted 5-10 because I don't usually sew at all during the week and then sew most of the day one weekend day. Lately I've been sneaking in a little weekday sewing (jury is still out on whether I'll keep it up). I have never really clocked it, though.
Wow, Lindsay, you can squeeze in more time than I can! I probably only get about two hours spread out during the week (snatched in 10-30min segments), and if I'm lucky, four hours at the weekend. I don't think it's the amount of time spent sewing that makes the difference - it's the amount of time thinking and planning that allows me to sit down and just SEW when I finally get the time. If you've already constructed every stitch in your mind's eye and considered different construction techniques, then it's just a matter of making the physical catch up with the mental at the machine!
The other place to get tweeds and boucles is directly from Linton Mills in England. They make fabric for Chanel and they have gorgeous stuff. Google them and send them an e mail and they'll send you free samples. The price may even go down with the way the pound has dropped.
How many hours a week do I sew? Depends on the time of year. Right now it's slow for me, so probably about 15 hours or so.
I guess this post is a reminder I need to make more time for my sewing! I think I average about 1 hour a week, which really isn't a whole lot. Making time was so much easier in college when I didn't have a full time job :)
Thank you for listing those online fabric sources. I am pretty much limited to buying online and there were some you listed that I had not heard of.
I put down 5-10 hours, though I do alterations and I do not include that time in 'my sewing time'. I probably spend closer to 15 hours a week in my sewing room.
Of course, all of those are 'usually'... right now I'm making a quilt for my sister-in-laws wedding in March and am clocking in closer to 25 hours. I wish that pace could last past March:) Imagine how much I could get done!
Hey Lindsay, thanks for stopping by the new blog. I'm guessing it's something with the HTML coding that throws off the leading when switching between fonts sizes.
Dei's Delights' template is a freebie from the web so it's not 100% compatible with Blogger. The new site is.
I'd have more tine to sew if I got off of this computer! Does reading sewing blogs count toward sewing hours?
I have purchased some great boucles from Nancy Erickson at Fashion Sewing Group as well. Many of the stores in the LA area carry them as well.
Oh...let's just say I spend a nice chunk of time every week sewing. Something's got to give and it's housework. So no one better be coming on over without advance notice :) .
"So no one better be coming on over without advance notice :) ." Yeah - like about 3 months-worth of advance notice. ;-(
Like you, minus two teenagers, I have FT job that someitmes goes beyond 8 hour day. Most evenings when I get home I end up spending more time at computer than in sewing room. I may put in an hour or two during the week during a good week, but most of my sewing time is Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday. Now if it is a holiday week, I may get an extra hour if I stay focused!
I voted for the 5-10 hours, but it mostly depends on the workload. I'm selfemployed (right word?) and if there's a lot of work to be done, there's less sewing time, because then I often work in the evenings too. On the other side, if the work stress is too much or not too many deadlines to be met, I like to take a lunch break with sewing. A luxury that comes from mostly working from home. But this is not very often .
LOL. You don't *really* want to know, do you? Let's just say, I sew A LOT.
I am getting in more time lately- because i lost my job. So I do have some time during the day. But I try to concentrate on the job search, not the sewing.
I find time on weekends during football season. My hubby and 2 teenage sons are all glued to the TV for 2 games every Sunday. I don't watch, so that is my sewing time.
It does get better when the teenagers can drive. They take mom's car and you are left home with time to sew.
OK, let's see: I do hand sewing at all empty opportunities such as waiting at the doctors office or riding in the car with DH. I do my cutting and pattern prep mostly at night. If no pattern prep, then I do more handsewing at night watching TV. My machine sewing I do during the day. It is a fair amount and I clock 40 hours plus most weeks. Right now I am not working outside of the home, so that helps! My DH learned a long time ago that he didn't need to ply me with jewelry and flowers. He gives me all the sewing time I want, instead. He is wonderful!
This is so right on time. I sit at my desk thinking about sewing; I go to boring meetings thinking about sewing. Let's face it; prime time (9-5) is the best sewing time for me. But during the week I may get five hours in sewing related time. And about every other weekend, between five to eight hours of sewing time. This is on average. There are times when I schedule a vacation day to sew.
Fabric is beautiful. Thanks. I'm looking for a tweed fabric for a medium weight coat.
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