Hey it's me Naddy: Getting yourself into sewing (or crafting)

From the Adventures In Dressmaking site:
Link: http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/2014/05/5-tips-for-getting-into-your-sewing.html#.U4w2-HLHUuc

5 TIPS FOR GETTING INTO YOUR SEWING GROOVE

1. Set aside time (this one's obvious), within reason.

Of course part of the problem is that we don't have enough time for everything, so of course we don't have 6 spare hours to spend working on a dress or slipcover or whatever. Unfortunately we often have to break up sewing sessions into multiple days (or stay up really late, if that's your thing). So find a compromise! Give yourself agood amount of time (even if you don't have quite enough for the perfect length of time), and do tips 2 and 3.

My take on this : I must learn to organize my time and certainly get home earlier than I do these days. The earlier the child(ren) sleeps or gets precoccupied with something the more minutes I can squeeze in.

2. Pick a goal milestone to reach.

My mom always talked about getting projects to the "hanger stage." Like, a success worth mentioning was that she got two garments to the hanger stage that afternoon, ready to hang them on hangers and get them out of the way to make room for other work. (Also a win: the "try-on stage"!)You may not finish your project, but if you can get it to the point where you know you'll like how it looks, it's a lot less stressful to put it down.

My take on this : I think what I need to do is to do it like an assembly line. Like cut the materials into shapes, next is the sew it together, next embellishment - and document it down.

3. Find your happy sewing time.

Some of us are "morning people," others work better late at night. Think back to when you had school deadlines or other big projects to do - did you do your best work first thing on the weekend, or did you prefer to stay up later than usual to really focus and cram? It may be that that timeframe still works best for you for today's projects, like sewing rather than math homework.

My take on this : Hmm, I think I studied best during the night when nobody is there to disturb me. Daytime is mainly for family time.

4. Find media you enjoy.

I love getting into the zone on evenings by myself with Mindy Project or Modern Family marathons, or Gilmore Girls if I want to go back even further in syndication... or, I turn on Pandora to a station I'm in the mood for and enjoy that if I need to focus more on the project. I also have a nice ritual of Saturday morning catching up to my favorite podcasts that aired Thursday and Friday, often while sewing or doing chores. (Faves: Pop Culture Happy Hourfrom NPR and Balanced Bites.)

As for strategizing and working more efficiently (listening to TV shows is not geared at increasing efficiency, just enjoyment!)...
My take on this : Hmmm. I think I enjoy listening to songs while crafting because they don't distract me much. Some movies I have seen before frequent times is a good media to enjoy whilst crafting / sewing.

5. Cut out more than one project at once. (But not more than a manageable amount.)

For most of us, cutting is a pain because unless you have a tall, large, clear table to use, you may be doing it on the floor or on a cramped table space, and you may have to move things out of the way to get enough room. Also, cutting is often the hardest part of a project, and you need concentration (or at least the right mindset and a big chunk of time) to do it right. Big chunks of time and concentration are not always rich around here. So I like to design a few projects and let them accumulate in my cutting list, then cut out 2 or 3 at once. (Sometimes I'm even using the same pattern for a couple of them, which is extra handy--only have to get it out once and can sometimes use one lining as a pattern for the other dress!)

My take on this : Yep. do it like an assembly line. Cut 3-4 projects at one go.