If you are friends with me on Facebook, which I have to assume most of my readers are, you’ve seen the seemingly endless posts about costumes, costumes and more costumes. I am so burnt out. My fingers are numb for poking them with pins. I can’t see the sewing room floor for all of the fabric scraps on it. To be honest, I don’t think I want to see the sewing room floor, or any part of the sewing room, for at least another year. I really am that burnt out.
I’ve completed the Renn Faire costume that was a commission, and Bill’s, Caleb’s and Daisy’s halloween costumes. Mine is not yet complete, but will be, hopefully, by tonight. Pictures of all these costumes to follow, I promise.
I’d really like to sit back and rest for a minute, but, well that’s not going to happen. The first of many baby showers is coming next weekend and I have a quilt to complete. I guess the cure for sewing burn out is more sewing. At least, I hope it is.
The best cure for burnout is to do something purely for yourself. No deadlines, no obligations. Just play with your fabric again.
Well, I did set myself deadlines, but at least I’m working on something new. I think for me its important to work on a few small projects that i can complete quickly and that don’t make a ton of mess so I don’t get bored and frustrated.
Burn-out is a toughie. I see further up, you’re going to try and break-through with NaNoSewMo (hee!); I sometimes switch to non-sewing projects for a week or a month at a time, something creative like bookbinding or chicken-scratch. The other things I do are what you’re suggesting, knocking out a bunch of quick projects, for that feeling of accomplishment, and sometimes I put things on hold and do what Patricia suggests, which is move to a pure “Me!” project.
I think I’m busting through it pretty well. It helps to have a goal for me and smaller projects that I won’t get bored with. I’m trying to put together some items to have in my shop for “Small Business Saturday”, so smaller quicker projects are essential. I also gave myself a bit of a repreive on holiday gifts, making only about half this year. That way I won’t get bogged down as much worrying about who will like what.