Monday 30 May 2011

Tilly's Sewing Productivity Project

So, you may or may not have seen Tilly’s Sewing Productivity Project. It’s pretty ingenious. If my interpretation of it is correct, it has been set up to encourage us to evaluate how we spend our free time, and to see if we can fit in more of the main thing we love doing: making shiz! Tilly has recognised and acknowledged that most creative people often put their favourite activities at the bottom of their list of things to do, when really something that can provide such satisfaction/stress-release/outlet for creativity/therapy/etc. really does deserve to have more time spent on. After all, the positive effects will no doubt spill into all the other areas of our lives, right? I know that after even half an hour pushing forward with a sewing project makes me feel happier, contented and more productive generally, and therefore probably a more positive person, at least in the immediate short term. If days go by and whatever reason I’ve been unable to spend time sewing (on MY stuff, not the sewing I do at work), I find myself feeling antsy and frustrated, and certainly unfulfilled.

So, I’ve been analysing very unscientifically my current sewing schedule. I don’t have the motivation or technical ability to make any amazing graphs like Karen has! Anyways, I would say that I usually sew for approx. 40mins of every lunchtime (Mon-Fri inclusive). I am lucky that I have access to sewing machinery and table space at work, so even though it would probably be healthier to spend my lunch break going for a walk around the nearby park, I much prefer to work on a personal sewing project. I walk to and from work which takes 35mins each way, so I kind of feel that’s taken care of anyway. I don’t sew every evening, but usually grab maybe 40mins a couple of times a week. I rarely sew at the weekends as I tend to visit friends and spend time with my boyfriend, and more recently going for a jog instead as this is stuff that I can’t do much of during the week so I try to pack loads into my weekends (funds permitting). Result: approx. 4 hours 40 mins a week spent sewing my own projects.

There are my observations, what are my aims then? What would I like to change? I’m pleased with how my personal sewing is going, but I’d love to get more done and make a dent in my stash. That’s a subject I want to address in another separate post in the near future. Also, I always seem to have a backlog of projects I want to do and I’d love to tick many of these off so I’m freer to develop new ideas. For example, I’m actively avoiding looking at the Modcloth, Orla Kiely or Anthropologie sites at the moment in case they throw up more inspiration for plans and schemes. AS WELL AS THAT though, I want be able to accommodate those very spontaneous projects when the right fabric and pattern suddenly come together and cry out to be made even though there are already four projects half-finished calling out for my attention! I’ve had a couple of those recently which I’ll blog about soon.

In fact I think the paragraph above has been pretty telling as I wrote it: what I really should do is spend more time blogging and expressing myself that way. I have a backlog of completed sewing projects to blog about along with lots more areas I want to explore write about. I usually find the process of writing for my blog an awesome way to clarify my thoughts on a subject, in a way that I would probably never bother to try to do if I didn’t have a blog. It’s a surprise to me how important writing has become to me, and I really don’t think that is currently reflected in how often I’m blogging at present.

So how am I going to find more time and energy for sewing and writing? My midweek evenings need to be utilised better. Less messing around on the internet, though what I get up to which makes the hours whizz by as they do, I couldn’t say right now! And less of this:


Frikkin’ Governor of Poker 2!

7 comments:

Stacy aka Stacybeads said...

Whew, it's a lot to ponder. Today is a holiday here in the U.S., so I've been spending the whole day with my sewing machine. I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time my machine has been on since before Christmas. I keep saying I don't have time to sew, as I currently have two jobs. But I see other sewing bloggers out there who have full-time jobs, and children, and they still manage to crank out great-looking garments on a regular basis. So do they have some fantastic secret for time management? Or am I just an unusually slow sewist? I need to think about how I can get more sewing into my life, because it would do me a world of good in so many ways. Getting back to blogging and reading sewing blogs has definitely been motivating me to make sewing a higher priority, but I just need to figure out how to do that.

Debi said...

LOVE this post! Had no idea you liked to play online poker! How fun :) I agree that a little time each day is really great!!

Tilly said...

I spent today meeting a hero of mine (a radical film archivist - I won't bore you with the details) and walking around San Francisco, one of the coolest cities in the world. What I really wanted to be doing was sewing. I'm not sure if that's sad or awesome.

Inspiring that you sew in 40 minute bursts. I should try to do more of that - I tend to save it up until I have a big chunk of time to dedicate to it, mainly the weekends.

Carolyn said...

I think creativity is like a drug, and we are drawn to it even when we don't really have time. Today I was working (from home) and skipping over to the stove every now and again where I had some dyeing projects on the go at the same time. Couldn't help it, I was dying to do some dyeing, hehe!
Dinner? Hmmm, maybe I'll get around to it, hopefully...

Law said...

I'm totally the same as you in the sense that i waste my evenings faffing (read watching Home and Away, Come Dine With Me repeats and other such trash tele) and browsing the internet. My boyfriend has actually turned off the modem to try and make me focus on things i need to do (like studying)!!

I must admint, you started the year with some really interesting ideas and discussion post, on consumerism and the like. As one of your blog readers I'd love to hear more from you on those topics, and on fun stuff like all the cool clothes you've been making!

xx

Hanna said...

This was very interesting to read. I'm in the same boat with Tilly, I also do my sewing on weekends when I have more free time. My biggest obstacle is that I don't have my sewing machines and other things during the week because i don't have room for them in my small flat in town. So everything sewing related is stationed at my parents house 60km away, and i try to visit as often as I can, but my sewing progress tends to be rather slow. I've been trying to figure out ways to do some progress on my projects during the week, but nothing has helped so far.

Unknown said...

Blimey, I'm exactly the same if I don't get my "fix". All antsy and twitchy. The hallmarks of addiction my friend!!!
Px

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