#100DaysofSewing and Thesis Writing

I saw the hashtag "100daysofsewing" on Instagram awhile ago. Honestly, I didn't really research it or try to find out if it was  a challenge from another blogger, or sponsored website, or what. I just saw it and liked the idea. So I decided to go for it.

It was off to a rough start. My machine was acting up, and I got about 10 days into it and decided I couldn't stand it and sent the machine to the shop. When I got it back, it worked a lot better (still not perfect, but much better than before) so I started the count all over again.

Then things went swimmingly for awhile, until I realized that we had a vacation scheduled in the middle of the 100 days, days 30-34 to be exact. I made plans to bring some hand sewing stuff, but in reality it didn't happen.

So... I'm going to start again this week. While it's a rough two weeks I have in front of me (thesis needs to be complete, turned in, and defended) I think the sewing will help. Why?

It will provide a few moments each day that are just for me. I will be making something, and that is what I love to do. Even if the finished product isn't going to remain in my possession, it will become something new.

Sewing a little bit each day allows me to see progress happen each week. As frustrating and stressful as this whole thesis deal has been, I often feel like I am starting over from square one on the 90+ pages I've written. Since starting the #100daysofsewing I have completed 7 projects. The 8th will be finished in the next couple of days, and I've started one other 'big' project. Those 29 days produced more sewn items than the previous year. Seriously.

I'm able to finish half done projects, and start new ones. I love finishing projects that are just sitting around. It's great to see something that was 'abandoned' for whatever reason, picked up, taken care of, and given a new life. It's even better when I have a new home for it to go to!

Stash busting. Yep. STASH BUSTING. I don't have time to keep going to the store to get new fabric for a project idea right now. I am forced to use fabric I already have, or to come up with new ideas that suit the fabric I already have. It's actually kind of fun.

Finally, money. You heard me right, money. Since stashbusting is a huge thing for me this year, as I go through the fabric I find some pieces that I don't think I will ever use, or that I had a specific idea in mind for it when I obtained it several years ago. In these cases, I take pictures and I list on various sites for selling (eBay, Craigslist, even Instagram).

Also, since I'm producing more than before, I have plenty of new items ready to be put in the Etsy shop once I re-open it (after thesis stuff is done). I'm working on a new Etsy item policy for myself since we are so limited on space it's difficult to store everything without explosions happening each time I need a new skein of yarn or fabric from the fabric bin.

I almost forgot; this project has led me to have 5 Christmas presents already done and ready to go. 5! It's only June! The productivity has me ready to tackle the rest of the presents asap, this way when December comes it will already be taken care of and I can relax and enjoy the month.