As our household welcomes more and more children I am finding that my private sewing time has greatly diminished. I can usually squeeze in one measly little hour where I can sew all by my lonesome on the weekends, but that just isn't enough time to get much accomplished. So, I have been learning how to sew without absolute silence and solitude.
I tried sewing while just letting the children play around me, but that was way too distracting. I kept making mistakes because my attention was not even fifty percent on what I was doing. I decided I needed to give the children a "sewing" project of their own that would keep them focused on their work, and not on trying pester each other or get into trouble.
I gave them each a small pile of fabric scraps that were too small to transform into any future projects. I also gave them each a roll of cheap tape. They started taping their scraps together to make all sorts of things. One made a flag (a pirate flag that he later shot canon balls at). The other made a gun (to aid his brother in the pirate scuffle). This project kept them happy, focused, and relatively quiet. The 20 month old was napping and the baby was playing on her blanket. I got in a good hour of sewing. If I have this sewing time several days a week I will be able to make some real progress again!
The key to using this tip successfully is to give your children something that will engage and entertain them. As parents, we can so often be tempted to just turn on a movie to get them out of our hair for a bit. Resist this temptation! In the long run, it will be worth it. Even putting a book on tape in the cd player is preferable because they will be using their brains.
Another idea would be to set the children up at the kitchen table to play with play-do. My kids don't get too many opportunities to use play-do. However, if I was desperate for some sewing time, I would pull it out.
You will be surprised at how much progress you can make with just a few hours a week. Just like with most hobbies, consistency is the key. Figure out what works for keeping your children occupied, and you will find your sewing time!
I tried sewing while just letting the children play around me, but that was way too distracting. I kept making mistakes because my attention was not even fifty percent on what I was doing. I decided I needed to give the children a "sewing" project of their own that would keep them focused on their work, and not on trying pester each other or get into trouble.
I gave them each a small pile of fabric scraps that were too small to transform into any future projects. I also gave them each a roll of cheap tape. They started taping their scraps together to make all sorts of things. One made a flag (a pirate flag that he later shot canon balls at). The other made a gun (to aid his brother in the pirate scuffle). This project kept them happy, focused, and relatively quiet. The 20 month old was napping and the baby was playing on her blanket. I got in a good hour of sewing. If I have this sewing time several days a week I will be able to make some real progress again!
The key to using this tip successfully is to give your children something that will engage and entertain them. As parents, we can so often be tempted to just turn on a movie to get them out of our hair for a bit. Resist this temptation! In the long run, it will be worth it. Even putting a book on tape in the cd player is preferable because they will be using their brains.
Another idea would be to set the children up at the kitchen table to play with play-do. My kids don't get too many opportunities to use play-do. However, if I was desperate for some sewing time, I would pull it out.
You will be surprised at how much progress you can make with just a few hours a week. Just like with most hobbies, consistency is the key. Figure out what works for keeping your children occupied, and you will find your sewing time!