Friday, January 6, 2012

Friday Confession


As I've been reading through the blogs in my blog roll for the past few weeks, I've been feeling more and more alone on this one...  but I have not taken the time to review 2011 or set specific goals for 2012.

Don't get me wrong - I know that periodically taking stock of where you are and looking ahead to where you want to be can be powerful tools for improving your skills.

And, unlike Calvin (above), I know that I still have a loooong way to go before I will be happy with my sewing skills...  If that thought slipped my mind, my recent dancing dress experience was a vivid reminder!  :(

But I'm just feeling so stressed - so much of my life is dominated by goals and timelines and evaluations...  Sometimes I just want my sewing to be fun and pressure-free.  Even though, in general, I do get a lot of satisfaction in achieving goals and improving my skills.  

So, do I sound as "house divided against itself" as I feel?  ;)

Okay already, enough about me!  ;)

How about you?  What is your stance on using the end of the year to taking stock and setting goals for your sewing?  Do you do it?  If so, why?  If not, why not?  If so, how was 2011 for you in your sewing? And what are you planning for 2012?  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eh, don't get too hard on yourself with it. Sewing as a hobby is supposed to be stress free after all!

I do it, but mostly not because I want to say I did X, Y and Z but because it's a stress free post for me for the end of the year. I don't really get all into it, and it's pretty generic. It also falls in the dead air zone of the blog between Christmas and the new year and is one of a collection of posts about mostly sewing stuff before I get back into sewing. Or that's the point anyway.

As to the goal: uh, actually sewing. I did not do a lot of that this last year.

Unknown said...

I generally do not officially take stock, as you say, but I do find privately I do a bit( a house divided as you say). How can you not help thinking about it when as you say so many create posts about it, provide planners, etc.

I could not agree with you more I have enough deadlines, goals , and pressure in my life, and it does frustrate me when my personal sewing gets caught up in that...but its hard to avoid.

My motto from Aristotle is " Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work" so do whatever it takes to make it pleasurable for you:)

marysews said...

I don't normally "do" new year's resolutions, but I've been considering one for how I eat. Yeah, nothing to do with sewing, at all!

CarlaF-in Atlanta said...

I need to learn how to make alterations to patterns that fit my body. Period. That's not a goal. I believe it boils down to experience and learning. In the past, I've set goals and I didn't meet most of them because I have sewing ADD. This year, I'm just going to go with the flow and see where it takes me.

Anonymous said...

I haven't made New Year resolutions for many years and those use to center around dieting and organizating my life. I felt they were too stressful to keep and drop after a few weeks. Too negative. But this year I did make a few resolutions. One has to do sewing and that is to finish the unstarted and UFO's/PIGS cluttering up my Studio and mental list. I didn't look back at 2011. That too can be negative.

However, the first thing to get done this week has been to clean up the Studio so I have room to sew. With that done, I can start my first project tomorrow.
Linda T

Marie said...

I have a few goals - it is about trying to improve myself rather than something to stress over. Usually the goal is based on something inspiring I have read or extending and improving the way I do things.

My goals are not things I wish I could do, like I am going to sew every day or I am going to produce x amount of garments a week.They are just items on my to do list that I would like to do.

Last year's goal was to use more fabric than I bought. This year I have a few little goals but nothing that is impossible to keep.

patsijean said...

In addition to getting more exercise this year (I ordered three Jane Fonda DVDs designed for older people--I used her original workouts to great success in the 80's)I plan to join this year's SWAP. I have the garments planed, a list of new techniques and materials I will be trying and have shopped my stash for all but one piece of fabric. The new fabric is a lovely insect print from Spoonflower http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/154724
The SWAP rules involve developing a set of TNT patterns and I already have one of the jackets started.