New Year, New Sewing Goals!

 Maybe you make sewing resolutions, maybe you don't! If you do, there are a few ways to approach sewing resolutions. You might want to think about these questions when deciding on your sewing goals for 2022.

1. What do you want or need? This can provide direction for creativity or identify gaps in your sewing knowledge or wardrobe.
2. What have you learned from previous successes and failures? If you have UFOs, why are they unfinished? Maybe it's time to put that UFO back on your to-do list.
3. What values are important to you? Are you working towards a capsule wardrobe? A more ethical one? Are you on a budget? Working within your personal constraints can paradoxically provide opportunities for greater growth.
4. What do you wear all the time? Are you interested in copycat sewing?
5. What types of things do you really LOVE making? What do you dislike making? If you hate making pants, you don’t have to put them on your list just to feel like you conquered some new technique.
6. Are you influenced by the seasons? Maybe your Make Nine list only includes summer patterns. Or winter woolens.
7. Look at your calendar. Time isn’t found, it’s made. How much time can you make for each of the projects on your list?
8. Do you want to stash-bust? Why or why not?
   
   
9. Is there a completely new-to-you type of project that you want to explore? 
10. Do you have time and patience to explore new techniques, fabrics, or styles?

1. MakeNine Challenge

You can adopt the #MakeNine Challenge that started life on Instagram as "Best Nine." In this challenge, sewists plan to make nine projects over the course of a year that is depicted in a 3x3 grid. The joy comes in being able to check off those projects as completed during the year or provide feedback for not completing a project. If you've been saving photos of patterns, fabric, or fashion inspiration, you can use one of these apps to help you refine your sewing project ideas. 

If you're not ready to commit to specific sewing patterns or projects, you can create your list of MakeNine Challenges by focusing on types of projects or project themes. This could give you more latitude to sew an A-line cotton skirt instead of a guipure lace skirt that requires couture-level techniques when you're not quite ready for that. Or maybe some Ghillie pants to use up sewing scraps.... Or maybe not. 

You can download a PDF from Home Row Fiber Co. for your projects here. Make Nine Worksheet

2. New Year's Resolutions

For this one, you create a list of what you want to accomplish in your sewing journey over the next year. You can listen to a podcast on sewing resolutions, read 

Reddit has a number of sewing resolutions that might hit uncomfortably close to home.

I will not start a sewing project three hours before I need to wear it for a special occasion.

I will not save every tiny scrap of fabric on the off chance that I "might be able to use it someday.”

I will actually pin everything, even if it’s “just one straight seam how hard could it be.”

I will not buy new fabric until I’ve at least started the project I bought the last fabric for.

I will actually check how much thread I have in my bobbin before I start sewing. Every. Single. Time.

I will make a muslin instead of wondering why all my projects suck don't turn out as I expected.

I will try to keep my sewing room neat. It doesn’t have to be spotless, but it does have to be navigable.

Using the questions posted above, you can develop sewing resolutions that work for you.

3. Too much fabric, too many patterns, and nothing to wear. Maybe you just need to sew with a plan (SWAP). Planning what to sew is just as important as resolutions or challenges. Maybe you have some special events coming up in 2022. Rather than waiting three hours before those special events to cut out and sew your projects 😂, you plan ahead and enjoy the sewing journey, unless you love those adrenaline-filled last-minute sewing projects. Anita by Designs discusses this on her blog and this approach to sewing might appeal to you. 

I love the concept of creating a sewing project kit. By keeping everything together in one location until I have a chance to sit down and sew, I create less opportunities to lose or misplace the small bits and pieces that I need to complete my project. For sewists who do production-style sewing, cutting everything out in advance and pulling projects to sew as you have time may be one way to accomplish more sewing.

You can download sewing planners from many locations simply by searching for "sewing planner." You can also purchase sewing planners on many online sites. Seamwork offers a visually appealing sewing planner for free. This sewist uses a bullet journal to track her sewing projects. 

However, no matter which system you decide to use to track your sewing goals or intentions this year, don't substitute organizing activities for actual sewing! 

If you have sewing intentions for 2022 or advice for other sewists, let us know in the comments!