Dear Topaz,

My inspiration comes from having young grandchildren and making them quilts, communion dresses and doll clothes. I also am pretty much self-taught with some courses here and there over the years. I also find a lot of inspiration in these forums especially the quilting forum. Lot of good ideas and free patterns on-line if you have time to surf the web. I stick with simple things that aren't too involved and most of everything I sew or quilt is for family and friends and sometimes for myself. I sew a lot in the morning before I leave for work as I'm usually too tired when I get home and have too much to do. Hope you find your lost passion and good luck.

Geri

ps I also subscribe to the Clothilde Magazine and they have some cute ideas in it.

I look around and see what is available in the stores if I like something I will look closer as to how it is done and figure out if I could do something similar. Once I recover from the sticker price shock of store bought, inspiration takes over and I go looking in my stash. I admit my projects are never "earth shaking" but I love to have things admired by non-sewers or other sewers .... I also feed off other sewers and we swap ideas and creations...yes, some days I'm too tired to sew but find it a good stress relief just to even mend a few things some days. I've always loved sewing so I guess that passion has never left me. I think of my grandmother and her ability to create such wonderful things for all the grandchild from basically nothing - leftover flour sacks, bits of fabric from worn out things...she was my inspiration to learn to sew, and knit and crochet and rug hook, etc etc. *sigh* I still miss her and when I see or do something I still think how she would have loved today's fancy embroidery machines and such. So go looking for your inspiration...and you will find it...somewhere and in unexpected places.

My inspiration comes from STRESS!!! and the need for extra money! Most folks on this board know my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer 2 years ago. My sewing is my sanity, I even took a machine to the hotel I stayed at when he was in NICU because we could only visit for a few minutes every 4-6 hours. I have always loved the uniqueness that a handmade garment has. That inspires me to do something for myself. I enjoy going in my sewing room and looking at the TONS of fabric and seeing what I can make that's pretty and that makes me feel better.
Hope your spark comes back!
Susan in Bama

I get lots of ideas from magazines. Have you looked at Threads lately? There's always neat techniques to try in there.

Maybe you could try joining a group. I'm a member of American Sewing Guild, and our neighborhood group meets every month and we have a class, do a project or do community service work. Sometimes I go for the companionship, sometimes I really think the project is cool. Maybe finding a local sewing group could help get you interested again. There's probably lots of quilting groups in your area, maybe the fabric stores have lists of them.

I put the link for ASG below. Click on "Chapter Info" and scroll down to your state. Maybe there's a chapter near you. As far as I know, most chapters have neighborhood groups in cities surrounding the main chapter. Even 60 miles away, so if there's not a main chapter in your town, there might be a neighborhood group.

Here is a link that might be useful: American Sewing Guild

I guess I have sewn all my life, I love color and fabrics, I look at lots of magazines, use to window shop and like budster, the shock of the prices usually sends me to the machine, now I search the internet for ideas, my sons are all grown up and their kids are getting there too. So I sew quilts and stuff like that, right now I am on a jacket for a DIL , it is a Art type with stitching and embroidery, and it is a design as I go idea, it is hard when you have outside work, as well as at home, but start small, a purse or something, and be sure to check this forum, lots of good ideas. rene

I think you said a lot when you mentioned you went back to work. I have been sewing most of my life - self-taught although my mother,without a doubt, was the most creative woman ever born (I frequently say that I was raised by the original Martha Stewart!) She sewed beuatifully, but I didn't have the patience to have her show me things....I had to do it on my own. She did, however, set an incredible example for me. When I was a young mother and staying at home with my children, I made most of their clothes. When I went back to teaching, I didn't sew very much....Perhaps a lot of your lack of inspiration comes from the fact that you are tired from working all day. Completely understandable. I got into quilting a few years ago and it was the shot in the arm I needed...there were so many new toys out there! Rotary cutters and paper piecing....wow! I was quilt obsessed for two years and now am going back to clothing. My sewing has gone to another level - I create items of much higher quality and have learned to enjoy the process of creating truly special items. Give yourself a chance to adjust to the long hours of work. Perhaps a small project or new skill would help.... I played with ribbon embroidery for several years so I could have a project that didn't require a lot of set-up or time. Your passion is still there, it is just taking a rest.

I have been going through my sewing things and I came across some material that I bought last year. Looking at the material and the pattern I began to get excited again. YeaH!!! Now I have to find a "corner" in my living room to set up my sewing machine. I do believe that my passion is just resting(thanks DonnaH).

I stayed up late on Friday cutting out a pant suit and then I got up early Saturday to made the pant suit. I feel my old self coming back and I am glad about it. My next project in making canopies for my daughters beds. Joann's Fabric had a sale this week and I bought some material to make me some more summer outfits out of.

My inspiration comes from need. Whenever I see something that interests me but I have no immediate use for, I put it in my ideas folder. Then, when it's time for a gift or I'm redecorating a room or I need an outfit or I need to replace something, I browse through the folder.

Sometimes just a walk through a fancy department store is all it takes. I can't be the only one who sees something and thinks, "$149?! I can make that for under $10."

Topaz,
Glad the spark is back!
Susan in Bama

Ahhh...now there will be no rest for the weary as your inspiration decided to wake up! Have fun!

I will usually make myself something because I don't want to pay retail prices. It doesn't always turn out, but that's part of the fun! It's always a learning process and even if I end up with something I don't really like, I am not too disappointed, because I look at it a good way to pass time. Plus I always feel good when I make something for my girls and they are appreciative (like the bonnet I whipped up for old fashioned days last week). My DD loved it and so did her friends (and she told everyone I made it : ) !).

Inspiration also comes from magazines with overpriced RTW.

My latest inspiration is 2 fold. The first is old pattern quilts (I search on ebay.com under quilts). If I can get a good picture of the item I can use it to make a similar pattern. The second is the need for lighter summer clothes...I buy fabric when it is on sale and usually get a good 4 - 5 yards. I like to make skirts and tops. If there is enough extra fabric scraps I like to make sleeveless tops as well for the hottest of days. My other idea to use up dress fabric scraps now that I am growing my hair is to make matching hair scrunchies with the fabric and elastic. Anything else, if suitable gets into the quilt stash for future projects.
I don't like retail prices and given my yoyo weight, I like to incorporate a LOT of elastic into my patterns so I can get more mileage out of my clothes.

Really happy to hear you are looking at your sewing again. Sometimes simple, shorter projects perk me up again, like placemats or new curtains, table covers. It's amazing what a small colour change with fabric can do for your mood.

Keep us posted on your activity and holler if ya find a lump of fabric screaming at ya!

Cheers,
McPeg

Hello Ladies, I am still sewing not every day but I am getting some clothes made for the summer. I have cut out a black sleeveless pantsuit I hope to done by Saturday. I have a large window in my dining room and it needs some kind of window treatment, but I do not know what to do. I sometimes hinder myself because I can be indecisive at times. So the question is how do you decide when there are a lot of choices???

I sleep on it......then see which is more cost effective and what just makes more sense in the long run....with window coverings...well, if I see a style I like (say in a pattern book - I will decide if I want to purchase the pattern - I've been lucky to hit sales and get these at a discount..or have come across some at garage sales or thrift stores and will pick the pattern up then)....I make a mental list of what I want the covering to do...do I need to get rid of lighting (for tv watching...), do I need sheer, semi sheer.....do I want to draw the curtains closed or maybe have just the appearance of full curtains. Then when the decision is down to what I need the covering to do, then I make the choice. My window coverings are never very expensive (the ones I do myself) so if something doesn't work or I decide I don't like it...I change to something else. Price, what style works best and fabric I have determine alot of my choices....then when I want to change something....well, the old coverings might end up restyled and in another room. This is what works for me.

You mentioned that you have never taken any classes. Having sewn all your life, you certainly don't need them to teach you how to sew. However, a class in a new technique can get you excited all over again about something you love, because you see it with fresh eyes. And the excitement of yor classmates can be infectious.

If not a class, have you ever attended a sewing event? Look in Threads or Sew News for ads of upcoming events. Being in the company of others who share your interests can be very inspirational. And you will be on the forefront of all the latest techniques.