Recently, we asked our Facebook fans if they had any (many?) UFOs and, if so, what was the main reason they hadn’t finished.   By far, the most frequent response was “not enough time”.   I can relate!   We all have different lifestyles and responsibilities that require our attention, so the same tips and timesavers won’t work for everyone, but you’ll probably find a few tricks here that will apply to you.  Hopefully you’ll be sewing more soon!

Label your pieces.  After cutting fabric for your quilt, label it right away.  When you cut it you know what piece it is, but halfway through the pattern you may so remember so clearly.  You’ll save time not having to re-measure or re-read the cutting instructions to see what’s what.  It will be easy to know which piece to use next.  No guessing, and no incorrect seams that require ripping.

Use sewing time for sewing.  As you come to them, set aside tasks that don’t involve actual sewing.  Make a little pile of them or put them in a basket or plastic box. Rip out those stiches or remove that stabilizer when you are sitting in from of the tv or waiting for an appointment.  Even ironing.  Just sew!  If you work on a few projects at once you can sew one step for each project and do the ironing when you get a spare moment.  Then you’re ready to just sew next time.

Put it away.  A place for everything, and everything in its place. You’ve heard that before, right?  It’s so tempting when you’re time is limited to just set things anywhere. Then when you need it, you waste minutes looking for it, moving fabric, looking under patterns, looking where it should be but isn’t.  It’s annoying and feels time consuming to take a moment and put something in it’s place but keep doing just that and it will soon become a habit.  The payback is sweet – when you need something you’ll be able to lay your hands on it right away!  and with no frustration!

End your sewing session with a couple minutes of prep for next time.  Set up for your next sewing session.  If you are using a pattern, mark your place so you don’t have to waste time looking for it.  Set up the next step in your project with the next pieces to stitch, right sides together, ready to feed into the machine. Or write yourself a note about where you are and leave it right by your machine.  You know what’s next when you’re right there, but leave and live – feed the kids, or visit the grandkids, or go to work – and all kinds of things crowd that sewing info right out of your brain!

Use your scraps.  Scraps of time, that is.  Don’t discount the amount of sewing that you can accomplish in just 10 or 15 min. Plus you’ll get a little sewing buzz to help you through the day.  This works best for those who have a dedicated sewing area or sewing room because everything is out and ready.  If you have to clear the dining room table and pull out your machine it is a little harder.  But try clearing the table and setting out your machine first thing in the morning.  See how many little scraps of time you actually can use.  If it doesn’t work, at least you cleared the table!

If you have any tips or suggestions about finding time to sew, we’d love to hear them! Leave a comment! Please!

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