The other day I was in my studio sewing on my machine. After taking the fabric off I realized I had sewed the wrong sides together; I would have to unpick the whole thing. I was so cross with myself, how could I have done something soooo stupid! What a waste of time! Yes, that's the crux of the issue TIME.
As a Mom of a very active 3 year old boy I don't get much time to devote to my business. The time I do get is therefore very precious and I hate wasting time knowing that the sound of little feet will come along any minute to put an end to my industry. Don't get me wrong I love my family very much but getting that work/life balance right is so hard and in my case, ultimately, work is always on the losing side.
With this in mind when I am not making mistakes on my sewing machine here are some of the ways I manage to save time:
1. I try and keep my studio organized and tidy, it saves time looking for things and cuts down on accidents.
2. I stow any products that need to be hand sewn in a basket, together with the needle, thread, and scissors. I bring this out at night and sew in front of the TV.
3. Similarly, I collect together anything that needs ironing in a pile and do it all at once in the evening in front of my favorite show.
4. I bring a flask of tea and a bottle of water into the studio with me in the morning to cut down the trips to the kitchen for refills.
5. I make a quantity of products at the same time, cutting them all out at the same time, then making them up stage by stage until all of them are completed.
6. I throw ingredients into a crock pot early in the morning then dinner will be ready on demand and the extra stress of preparing dinner has been taken away.
7. I try and go shopping for supplies in the evenings or weekends when my partner is home to babysit, therefore freeing up those precious weekday/daytime making hours.
8. Similarly, I try and do a couple of hours of paperwork/computer work at the weekend when my partner can take the little one out. The accounts always get forgotten and doing a couple of hours a week saves me loads of time later on.
9. In order to stay on top of things I always keep lots of lists; lists of supplies to buy, lists of outstanding orders, lists of events to plan for, then when the opportunity arises I can plunge right in.
10. I never try and do any work when my family are home, the distractions are just too stressful and I end up making mistakes that set me back even further. Close the studio door!
11. Having said that, when things get busy I sometimes utilize my partner to help with packing and postage.
Good luck and good making!
by Sarah Omura, SO Handmade
