If you're like me, you have much to do and too little time to do it.
A lot of the work I do at Chateau Sew & Sew is behind the scenes. For example, if you shop our website, chateausew.com (and I hope you do!), any mistakes or blunders you notice are mine...mine ALL glorious mine.
I also handle the financial side of the shop, aka, the checkbook, which, unlike the website, can't have (too) many mistakes!
And now, with everything going on, schedules are unpredictable, making it even harder to stay on track.
What I am trying to say is this...my sewing time is limited, so if I want to finish my sewing projects, time must be on my side. Here's how I make it so:
My number one tip? STAY ORGANIZED. We've said this before in previous blogs and emails, and we can't say it enough. It's key. I try to keep all my pieces in Ziploc bags (from sandwich size to 2.5-gallon bags - they come in real handy). Use painter tape instead of a Sharpie to label each bag -- that way, you can reuse them several times.
By organizing everything in clear, labeled baggies, finding a missing piece of your project, or extra fabric, or thread is a cinch! Group baggies of similar items in space bins or baskets and label those two. If I need to move to another project, everything is already gathered and can be stored until I can jump back and finish.
My second tip? Create a PROJECT SCHEDULE/LIST you can reasonably stick to! Sewing should be relaxing and fun. I make lists of everything from which supplies I need, to what fabric is supposed to be used for what piece (collar/pipping). I do this because if I have to leave a project and come back weeks or months later, I won't have to rack my brain trying to remember what I was doing and planning.
Lastly, DO THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FIRST. If I feel like I'm over the most challenging part of the project, the rest goes more smoothly, and I'm much more likely to finish on time. I get the satisfaction of a FINISHED project instead of the dreaded UFO (UnFinished Objects), which in turn spurs on more new and different projects.
Do you have tips for being productive? Please share them with us.