Hi hello how are
you?
Me? I'm not so good.
You see, I seem to have lost my sewing mojo!
How could this have
happened???
Well I blame it on
this little scamp of a dress. Currently titled "the big chiffon mess"
It's just not doing it for me.
I know it will look
good in the end because it is chiffon and very forgiving, but right now I just
don't have the energy to be dealing with fussy little bits and details. Not to
mention I never really had enough fabric for this dress in the first place and so
things like the facings have to be replaced by organza and the ruffle at the
bottom is non-existent!
The whole project is
making me feel very ho-hum.
 |
| Gosh! Even the photos are uninspiring! |
 |
| Can you see why I'm not in love with it? |
A little part of me is
saying "It's ok, just put it away for another time when you have the
energy to deal with it, and let's make something fun!" But the OCD side of
me (which is not normal for a Piscean) is saying "keep going till it's
finished, even if you wanna cry!"
To make things harder I bought some really pretty paisley cottons recently and they are tempting me with their arabesque goodness to make something more fun and wearable!
The chiffon fabric itself is so lovely and is still up for sale on Fabric.com so I could always start again? Or hack up the dress and instead have a maxi skirt? Chiffon doesn't take well to unpicking so it would have to be a scissors type hacking!
So any-hoo. What do
you think? Should I keep working on it even though it's not very fun any more? Or
should I put it away for now and work on something else - with the risk of it
becoming an Unfinished Object!?
Thanks for popping in!
Cat xoxo
Thanks for popping in!
Cat xoxo
It's a tough call, Catherine. I've run into the same block myself when working on various projects or even blog posts. In the end I think you will reap greater rewards by seeing it through to completion. Setting a problematic task aside (sweeping it under the rug, as they say) only makes it harder to deal with when you return to it IF you ever do. My advice is to become fascinated by the challenge. Identify specifically what is preventing your from finishing the dress, what it needs more of or less of and continue tweaking it until it's done. Project ahead to the feeling of satisfaction you will have when you can proudly model it here on the blog.
ReplyDeleteGood night, dear friend Cat, and have a wonderful Wednesday!
thanks for the advice Shady. I'm usually quite good with pushing through to complete things, but i'm just not feeling it. And if i force myself to do it i might get a bitter taste in my mouth while working on it. Which means that ill probably try to take shortcuts and screw up the sewing.
DeleteYour advice is very good though and i will remember it for next time! =)
Sorry to hear you've lost your sewing mojo! I was working on something at the weekend which should have been straight forward however the fabric had a mind of its own and was really testing my patience so I've scrapped it. Maybe take a little break from the chiffon and come back to it later? I've done that plenty of times and it seems to help having a little break.
ReplyDeletethanks Sarah! I've decided to put it away for now and maybe save it for spring weather - which should give me plenty of time to work myself back to working on it!
DeleteThat sucks about your project? What kind of fabric was it?
It was a thick vintage cotton (I think it may have been a sheet in a former life) and it just kept slipping around when I was trying to put the zip in - so annoying!
DeleteDefinitely give it a rest if it's not fun anymore! The dress and the fabric look lovely but the hacked up maxi skirt sounds like a perfect alternative! I've never sewn with chiffon but I've watched a friend struggle and can feel your pain! x
ReplyDeleteThank you! It really is a lovely dress so far, but im feeling so uninspired from it.
DeleteI think ill go ahead with the dress, but maybe later this year!
And yes, chiffon is a b*tch
I understand how you feel, when I dread doing something I end up wanting to avoid it which just doesn't solve anything and just makes me more stressed. I think it depends, if you finish it is it even going to be something you'd wear or will you always be unhappy with it? If so, maybe give up as it's not worth stressing over if you're not going to enjoy the end result. But then maybe you'll end up loving it so much more because of how much more trying the process was. Perhaps just take a break with another project and go back to it in a week or two and see how you feel about it then?
ReplyDeleteThose paisleys you bought are beautiful, I particularly like the colours in the orange/pink/green one on the left.
Thanks darl! I agree i dont want to end up hating it, and i think ill love it in the end if i sew it with a happy mind not a mind that feels obliged to sew it! Ill pop it away for awhile, maybe wait till spring =)
DeleteThe paisley on the left is my favourite! ive decided to use it next!
From experience I can say WALK AWAY and come back to it fresh, later!!! Chiffon is a bastard at the best of times, I'm impressed at your using it! I'm waaaaay to nervous to go anywhere near the stuff!
ReplyDeleteHa, I'm a Capricorn and very hard on myself and just a teensy bit OCD at times!!!
XXX
Thanks Helga! i agree, im going to pop her away and think of a nicer name for her instead of "the chiffon mole." maybe she'll be my best friend in spring
DeleteIm supposed to be really easy going being a pieces. i must have like Taurus rising or something like that to make me so pushy!
I say walk away - if you're not loving it, and its causing you heartache - its not worth it anymore. Maybe a maxi skirt is the way to go?
ReplyDeletethank love! I think i will come back to the dress later on. If it mess it up through some silly mistake, it may just have to become a skirt!
DeleteDump this project! I hate getting bogged down in a sewing project that is not working out. Sew something that makes you feel good :)
ReplyDeletethanks Bessie! i totally will sew something that makes me feel good! xo
DeleteI say finish it! You've come this far! If you need to, put it aside and work on something else, but definitely finish it into something wearable. One day it might just be the perfect thing you need to wear!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy! I know i know! theres only the sleeves and buttons and yoke and hem to do! Im going to put it aside for now, maybe later this year ill take it out again =) maybe in time for spring
DeleteThis fabric is fantastic. From the photos, it looks fine! I tend to stay away from light fabrics like chiffon because of the same issues you're having. I've been sewing for about a decade now and there are still some fabrics that I just don't sew very well. But you're learning and that's the great thing! Always try something new.
ReplyDeleteIt really is such nice fabric - for a chiffon it has a really good weight too - nice a swishy!
DeleteI know what you mean I avoid very stretchy jersey cause i dont have the right machine - but sometimes if i want to make something so bad, ill embrace the new fabric and hope it ends well! the chiffon went well for my Barbara dress, but i think i was just over it when i was making this one.
Awh I know the feeling. That fabric is gorgeous though. I think setting it aside for a little bit and coming back is totally fine! Sometimes it just keeps the project enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI totally will! maybe when im having that creative wind that i get during winter. cold weather is great for my creativity!
DeleteAnd yeah - if i hate it while making it, ill hate it when wearing it!
What a dilemma! I think perhaps leave it for a little while. I don't think it is good to get too stressed out over things that don't need to be done immediately. Work on something else in the mean time perhaps that is more enjoyable and you may get your sewing mojo back. Just as long as you do come back to the chiffon dress - I think you can do it, and maxi skirt still sounds lovely if it doesn't work out! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYes, i agree! I will definitely come back to it, perhaps when the weather suits it more! Hopefully my Charlotte dress will make things more fun again
DeleteThanks Lucy xo