Life was so much easier when I was a knitter, and just a knitter…
But juggling so many crafts can actually have the adverse effect on me than what crafting should… it kind of stresses me out when I have a few different projects on the go. It’s not just the knitting basket beside the fire that’s shaming me now; it’s the little cross stitch in the corner of the living room that I desperately want to finish but the second arm of the cardigan in the office where I pick it up sometimes on my lunch break is trying to get my attention. Not to mention the little air dry clay trinket dishes that need painted or the Christmas cards I intend on getting started on soon. Sewing seems to be winning out – I don’t have any UFOs in the sewing room – but this seems to be at the detriment of everything else I do (or want to do). However, that does not mean my sewing world is in order – I am constantly distracted by the latest pattern or fabric delivery and my priorities just don’t know their place anymore.
I set out my sewing plans for autumn last month and I’m scared to see how far off the mark I am…
Ok, I’ve looked back. It’s not as bad as I thought –
- The Hinterland is not made yet – it might not be since I’ve acquired too many new patterns to go back to the old ones yet.
- I made my Adrienne Blouse – in fact, I’ve made three.
- I haven’t made the 40’s wrap dress that I wanted to make with this fabric:
However, I have made another New Look 6301 in a Halloween print as well as finishing the toile of the Closet Core Patterns recent release, the Elodie wrap dress. The images are poor quality as I haven’t worn them out but just for reference but I’ll write a proper review of the Elodie as soon as I get the momentum to make the final dress.
If you are planning on making this one, be prepared for the most tedious cutting of pattern pieces – have I ever mentioned I hate flat lay? Well, I do. It causes me stress! So while I cannot wait to make the final version – I’ve a ditsy red rose on black viscose that I have been saving for weeks from Rainbow Fabrics for this – I am just dreading the cutting process! I think the tracing and cutting took me 3 hours alone…
4. The Colette combo of Brooklyn and Elmira has been disbanded – I made the Elmira and while it is a lovely pattern it came up way oversized. The pattern notes said, if between sizes size up. BIG MISTAKE! It has so much potential – it’s wearable but when tied it’s just too much fabric at the waist – it’s in the ‘work from home, no-one will notice’ section with the Elodie toile. You can’t tell but that thing is full of flaws. I’m not even tempted to adjust the Elodie because I used the triple stretch stitch on the machine and unpicking it would just destroy the jersey anyhow! Lesson learned – never take a pattern at its word. So as the Elmira isn’t perfect, I haven’t bothered with the Brooklyn, yet. There’s always another time.
5. The party dresses I planned to make still go unmade but that’s not to say I haven’t started preparing for the Christmas season. I’ve made another Kosedo Lima dress, for example, that screams festivity!
Is it a bit OTT? Maybe but it is for Christmas!
So my autumn sewing plans have not entirely failed and autumn isn’t over yet by any means so there’s still a chance some things will be done…
But to get back to the original point of this post – the curse of the WIPs.
I wish I was a monogamous crafter – that I could just focus on one thing before moving on to another one. Instead, like a magpie, I get taken in by a cute cross stitch chart or a particular shade of wool or that latest deadstock fabric that pops up in Instagram stories – I’ve some Kate Spade taffeta and ex-Zara white viscose with gold lurex on their way to me. Then they all arrive and start competing for my attention and I just can’t choose!
Currently, the reasons I have unfinished projects are:
- Knitting a second sleeve is the most tedious thing – it’s the same with socks which, I’ve just remembered, I have one of in my knitting bag from about 3 years ago. You’ve just completed a part of the pattern and you have to do it all over again… A friend recently advised me to knit one arm, then do all the other pieces, followed by the second arm. Next time I will employ this tactic.
- I’m waiting for materials to finish a project – I started an advent calendar panel for Minerva Makers but I keep forgetting to order some wadding and backing fabric (I don’t have any Christmas cotton in my stash as I didn’t sew until this year).
3. Lighting is my main reason for putting off the cross stitch – by the time I finish work now and take the dogs out, it’s dark – and while the lighting in the house is good, there’s something about natural light that makes it easier for cross stitch. But it’s just so cute that I want to get it finished and framed and up on the kitchen wall. I think, by nature, cross stitch projects are WISPs (works in slow progress) and there’s nothing you can do about that.
There are so many reasons for crafting projects being forsaken for new ones: in my case, it isn’t even that I have forsaken a project. I just keep starting things simultaneously.
I need to focus on getting these done and make a pledge not to start anything new until they are! And then I’m going to try crafting monogamy. It can only be good for me… and my house, which has projects littered all over the place.