Making time to sew with little ones.
Making time for sewing with little ones
Are you a mom? A spouse? A pet-parent? A full-time employee? Or just a person that can’t spend every waking minute sewing? If so, I get it. In a perfect world, I would sew all day long…and as long as we’re living in a fairytale- all of my fabric would be free. But real life looks a little different, with 3 young kiddos (4, 3, & 1yo) who create mountains of laundry and toys, a husband who deserves my attention, and a house that doesn’t clean itself. All of which, are enormous blessings. Wanting a little time and space to pursue a hobby doesn’t mean those blessing are being taken for granted, it just means that I’m human and so are you.
Below are 8 tips for those of us hoping to find a little time for sewing, without letting our worlds fall apart. Some of these strategies are from personal experience, some are tips from the Young & Millennial Quilters Facebook group. Hopefully they can provide encouragement and structure to begin creating space to pursue your passions and hobbies.
Tip 1: Find a way to keep your sewing area set up. This might feel impossible, but hear me out. It is so discouraging to waste precious quilting time on the setup and breakdown of a work area, but with a couple changes you can really streamline the process.
- Tackle 1 project at a time. If you are digging through the mess of several half-finished patterns, it will take much longer to locate the items need to continue in your current project.
- Compete each step of a pattern before starting another. It is tempting to switch back and forth between steps, but it results in so much wasted time. Don’t sew half of your HST’s, then take a break to press and trim them before completing the rest. Instead of setting up the cutting mat, locating the rotary cutter, retrieving the ironing board, heating the iron, then pressing and trimming, commit to completing one task (sewing all of the HST’s) before moving on.
- Invest in stackable bins with lids to store tools and fabric. A complicated organization system is a recipe for disaster, especially when clean up needs to happen quickly. Create a system so that when is time to clean up, you quickly place all of your tools into one or two containers. Store the non-essential notions (like extra fabric, thread, rulers, etc.) in a separate closet or cabinet. These bins are strictly for the items necessary for the next step of your project. This one is huge but has wheels!
Tip 2: Don’t waste the “alone time” on tasks that can be accomplished with other people are around.
- If your children will play while you chain-piece blocks, but can’t be trusted around sharp tools, do the cutting at nap time and save the sewing time for when your children are awake. If the idea of using a sewing machine with your kids close by makes your eye twitch, then switch to hand binding or hand quilting during the times you have an audience. If you don’t have children, but have a partner or pet that want’s your attention in the evenings, save tasks like design or computer work for when you are on the couch watching a show together.
- “ I switched to EPP [English Paper Piecing]. Hand stitching is slower but it is super easy to pick ip and put down with little around. You can travel with it. You can just do 10min here and there.” - Jessica Bree Thompson
Tip 3: Use your screen time wisely.
- Yep, I said it. There is nothing wrong with creating a system that maximizes your child’s screen time with your quilting projects. I’m going to let you in on our family’s TV schedule (because I love you guys), but you have to promise not to judge. On average, my 4 and 3yo have about one and a half hours of screen time a day - some days it’s less, some days it’s more. After lunch, before naps, we put on a movie or show, while I put my 1yo down for his nap. Then I beeline it into my sewing room. I work for about hour, take a break to put the big kids down for naps/quiet times, then can usually work for about an hour and a half more before someone wakes up or it is time to start dinner prep. It’s not a foolproof system, but it has worked for us.
Tip 4: Help your spouse or partner to discover their own hobbies.
- During my husband’s residency, I started sewing to keep from driving him and myself crazy while he studied. Now the roles have reversed. The minute that our kids are in bed, I sprint to my sewing machine while he wants to relax and watch a show together. So lately, I’ve encouraged him to pursue hobbies, or better yet tackle house projects in the evenings. As a word of warning, this is a double-edged sword. He has gotten excited about remodeling our kitchen, and is now busy painting cabinets, removing countertops, and relocating our stove. However the timeline on these projects is still up in the air, and life without countertops is not ideal. Maybe start with refinishing a Facebook marketplace find before jumping into a kitchen remodel.
- “Nap time or after bedtime. Plus a supportive husband who gives me time occasionally. (And has lots of hobbies to reciprocate.) I have 2 year old twins and work full time as a Navy Physician.” - Laura Barrett Marosy (Basically if this superwoman can find time to quilt, anyone can!)
Tip 5: Find a way to include your children in your sewing time.
For this one, I am going to pass on some tips from the FB post:
Tip 6: Set aside some “sewing space only” toys or activities.
- Select a few toys that are reserved for play during your sewing time. We bought this little Playmobil set as a gift for my daughter’s birthday. It will be a “sewing room only” toy, to play with when she doesn’t nap well. It doesn’t have to be something new, but set aside a few books, puzzles, or interactive toys that feel like a treat. Here is a storage system that would be perfect for toy storage in the corner of a sewing nook.
- “I plan on ‘controlled’ messes. Give them a specific activity that I plan on cleaning up after my time of sewing. Somehow, if I expect to clean up a mess afterward, it’s less of a stress than if it’s a surprise mess!” - Shauna Call Westy
- For this one, I am going to pass on some tips from the FB post:
Tip 6: Set aside some “sewing space only” toys or activities.
- Select a few toys that are reserved for play during your sewing time. We bought this little Playmobil set as a gift for my daughter’s birthday. It will be a “sewing room only” toy, to play with when she doesn’t nap well. It doesn’t have to be something new, but set aside a few books, puzzles, or interactive toys that feel like a treat. Here is a storage system that would be perfect for toy storage in the corner of a sewing nook.
- “I plan on ‘controlled’ messes. Give them a specific activity that I plan on cleaning up after my time of sewing. Somehow, if I expect to clean up a mess afterward, it’s less of a stress than if it’s a surprise mess!” - Shauna Call Westy
- they’ll ever be. That doesn’t make hard moments easier, it doesn’t make busy seasons less overwhelming, and it doesn’t magically create time for all the tasks you’s like completed, but it is a good reminder that whether beautiful or challenging, “This too shall pass.”
Do you have any other tips that help you make time for quilting? Share them in the comments! We’re all in this together.
