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Wednesday, 27 May 2015

10 Minutes in the Sewing Room

Quick and Easy Sewing
Often I want to sew but I am just too tired or I can't find a big enough time slot.  Sometimes all I can find is 10 minutes in my day - not enough time to start anything major but enough time to escape to the sewing room.  Here are a few of my favourite '10-minute' tasks for those moments when time is too brief but the desire is strong.

1.         I wind bobbins. I have my favourite colours and I wind a bobbin or two of each. 

2.         I tidy up part of my fabric collection.  I don’t attempt to tidy the whole lot – just one colour or one fabric range.  
My CD rack ALWAYS need a tidy!
3.         I sort some scraps.  First I toss those itsy-bitsy pieces and then I sort my scraps according to size or colour or both. Just a few at a time - it feels so good.

4.         I sharpen my pencils – whether they are chalk, lead or colouring pencils.

5.         I clean my feed dogs.  I slip off the footplate and dust those dogs with a small brush.  My machine runs better because of it.

6.         I wipe down my sewing desk, any shelves and the casing of my sewing machine. 

7.         I pick five fabrics that go well together and put them aside, ready for my next project.

8.         I buy supplies on-line.  This is the time when I replace worn out scissors, seam rippers, pads, marker pens, purchase general batting, white cotton and printing ink.  Anything that I use regularly.

9.         Sometimes I have enough time to make something really, really, quick and simple.  Check out the 'Across the Pond' tab above and 'Tutorials and Freebies' for some good little patterns.
Coasters are very quick to make.  This one is from my Hobby & Fun Book.
10.       I wander the boards of Pinterest.  My fail-safe search term is to enter anything preceded with ‘fabric’ in the search box.  It could be ‘fabric patchwork blocks’ or ‘fabric key rings’, ‘fabric table runner’, ‘fabric pincushion’, ‘fabric houses’, 'fabric Easter' – the choice is endless.  I then pin any I like onto a board entitled ‘Fabric Eye Candy’.  (Be warned this task can grow and spread like a rash and before you know where you are you've spent 30 minutes and the dinner is burned - again!)
Visit The Patchsmith's Pinterest board.
11.       I connect with my quilting tribe.  I leave a comment, ‘like’ a photo or write a very short blog.  Connecting with other quilters has led me to make many wonderful friends around the world. (p.s. 'quilting tribe' to me is anybody, anywhere who sews, stitches, quilts or creates)

12.       I plan a quilting trip.  This could be to an upcoming exhibition, quilting class or to a much-loved quilt shop.  It could even be meeting up with a quilting friend (they are the best times).   

So there you have it - snatched moments from the Patchsmith's day.  What do you do when you can only carve out a short amount of time for yourself?

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10 comments:

  1. Christine B27 May 2015 at 20:41

    Thank you for sharing those tips Amanda! Lots of good ideas there! :) x

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    1. The Patchsmith28 May 2015 at 09:43

      Thank you Christine. I spent 10 mins reading your blog today and have located the little stitchery design - perfect as a 'on-the-go' project as you very finely show. xxx

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  2. Amy DeCesare27 May 2015 at 20:59

    I love these wonderful ways to use a few minutes of time toward sewing. My favorite thing to do when I don't have time for actual sewing is to read through my Patchsmith patterns and dream up my next mug rug!

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    1. The Patchsmith28 May 2015 at 09:42

      And that is why I am making you 'tribe leader' (giggle). xxx

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  3. Nora28 May 2015 at 12:40

    I'm the same...sadly the gathering fabric for a later project pile seems to get big with no chance to actually DO anything! Keep trying I say! At least I get to smooch and caress the piles of fabric and there's nowt wrong with that! Off to ogle your tutorials :) xx

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    Replies
    1. The Patchsmith28 May 2015 at 12:49

      Caressing fabric is a very good use of 10 minutes Nora and one I indulge in regularly.

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    2. legato195828 May 2015 at 13:42

      Nora, I thought you were going to say," At least I get to smooch and caress my Husband !" teehee
      I believe that fabric caressing lowers our blood pressure!
      Susie

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  4. legato195828 May 2015 at 13:50

    I love your "10 minutes" of connecting to your sewing room activities! I know that I will begin to wind bobbins, and will clean up my "patterns to try" pile regularly now. I don't like stopping to wind a new bobbin in the middle of a project.
    Your Patchsmith patterns are perfect for keeping in touch with sewing, even when there isn't a lot of time. You can do what you have time for, rest it, and pick it up and work some more... and even carry it with you for the hand stitching touches/binding.
    Susie

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  5. Julie Cefalu28 May 2015 at 15:58

    Such great ideas, Amanda! I seem to be overwhelmed much of the time when I'm in my sewing room. I have a scrap pile that has turned into a mountain. 10 minutes a day could do wonders!

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  6. Lara B.30 May 2015 at 22:14

    A very wise use of time Amanda! I am curious how you keep some of it, such as connecting with your tribe, Pinterest and shopping, contained to ten minutes. LOL, I get sucked into those vortexes and spend hours before I even realize it.

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