Hello sew-friends! It's that time of year (again! already!) when everyone is setting goals and resolutions to make this year the BEST year ever. And while in some ways I think that's great, part of me also feels like it's a lot of pressure. And that it's a way of saying that our past experiences and our past-selves were not good enough.
So, instead of giving life advice on how to make goals that makeover your life. This little post is just a light hearted look at ways that we can approach our sewing practice. Above all, I believe that sewing should make you happy. I want you to find joy during the process of sewing as much as from the use of the things you make.
If you're looking for ideas on how to change things up with your sewing practice, then keep on reading. If you want a resolution randomly selected for you, pick a number between 1 and 25 before you scroll down. Or, check out this reel on IG and tap for a random pick. Or, if you'd like more control, read through the list and pick the ideas that speak the most to you.
All of that said, I believe I have achieved one successful resolution in my lifetime and it was sewing related. About 10 years ago, I had become completely overwhelmed by works-in-progress, unfinished, discarded projects and fabric scraps. I had upwards of 20 projects waiting to be finished and just the thought of it was overwhelming. So, I made a resolution to complete or discard the WIPs and from then on to only have one sewing project at a time. Remarkably, it worked fairly well.
I believe I was able to keep this resolution because I felt and remembered the consequences of not keeping it. So, my one piece of advice if you want to make a serious resolution is to pick one that is doable and that will make you feel better. Not having lingering projects and focusing on only one at a time works for me and makes me feel good.
Now, 10 years later, it's time to do another reset and complete a bunch of WIPs. But, I feel confident that I can get back on track. (I moved mid-2023 and have not been able to unpack yet. But, once I do unpack I would really like to finish up those lingering projects.)
In addition to wrangling my WIPs, I'd also like to do more exploring with my creativity this year. I'm not sure how that will take shape but I'm generally planning to have more fun and try out different things.
25 Sewing Resolutions to Make in 2024
In 2024, I will...
Sew something for the first time
Always make a muslin
Use only fabric from my stash
Only buy fabric secondhand
Sew a gift for someone else
Sew for charity
Try a new pattern
Sew only stash patterns
Learn more about pattern adjustments
Make time daily/weekly/monthly to sew
Plan less and sew more
Use my oldest stash fabric, even if it's scary
Use a type of fabric, material or notion that I've never used before
Track the amount of fabric used this year
Blog about every project I sew
Share photos of all of my projects, even the funky ones
Take time to enjoy the process of sewing
Tidy my sewing space every time I finish a project
Use all of my scraps
Sew something that scares me
Properly press and finish all of my seams
Let go of imperfections
Sew a pattern that's been in my stash for more than a year
Sew things just for fun
Sew things that are useful
Pin the image below to save this list for later.
If you’re looking for a calendar to help plan your sewing this year, check out my FREE printable monthly calendar. It’s free to download when you sign up for the newsletter. If you’re already signed up, check out the the newsletter for a link to the Sew DIY Resource Library. And if you’re not signed up, you can do so below.
You might also enjoy using our printable sewing planner. There are two design options. They each have the same pages, but different fonts and colors. Design option 1 uses blue as a highlight color and sans-serif fonts. Design option 2 uses yellow and a script font along with the sans-serif. You can check them out below or in the shop here.
