Sparking your sewing inspiration in 3 easy steps
Sometimes when your sewing inspiration is running low, and you find yourself sitting at your sewing machine with nothing but a mindless stare. Don't worry, you're not going crazy, this happens to most of us, and while it is irritating, it's not a bad thing. Sparking your sewing inspiration can be one of the best parts of sewing, because you get to explore and expand your realm of sewing knowledge and collect new ideas for projects.
Pinterest meet sewist, sewist meet Pinterest. You two will become best friends. I know that when I'm running on fumes, Pinterest is the first place I go to spark my sewing inspiration fire. Filled with creative imagery, designs and textureal references, Pinterest is the place where my ideas come to life. Start collecting inspiration here and you’ll soon be off at 100mph on your sewing machine. I have started several boards with “sewing inspiration” “to make” and “dream wardrobe” . Here I can collect a broad range of ideas, categorise them and reference back to them whenever I start a new project. It also comes in handy to track what your signature “sewing style” is, making the decision of starting a new sewing project less hassle.
Fabric stash
“Look within when you are without” simply put, go look in your fabric stash. As a sewist, I don't even have to second guess if you have a fabric stash, I know you do. So get in there and spark your inspiration. Falling back in love with what you already have is the best way to get those creative juices flowing, it also helps that you already have the fabric right in front of you to get sewing straight away. No wandering into several fabric stores for you ! This is also a great opportunity to tidy up your fabric stash and maybe do a bit of decluttering. I use to have this rule of “If I don't sew with this fabric within two years (I was being very generous) I have to get rid of it” …… I don't even have to tell you how that went, not very well as my fabric stash has grown to fill up half a wardrobe since making this “rule”. Do as I say, not as I do, I guess.
Get online, get inspired
Get online and look at what other members of the sewing community are doing. Check out hashtags such as #memadewardrobe and #Imademyclothes. Here you will find other members of the sewing community that are sewing their wardrobes, get involved and check out the caption and descriptions to see if this sewing pattern is available to buy and get sewing ! Gone are the days where you had to flick through those stacks of pattern books at the fabric shop and decide then and there what you were going to make, now you can make a collection through screenshooting, following accounts and saving posts to your own little collection digitally of your future sewing projects.
Well there you have it, three easy and ideal ways to get you back on your metaphorical sewing horse. Go and get sewing !
Annie x