Confessions of a Chaotic Stitcher: My Sewing Month Isn’t Planned And I’ve Made Peace With That
Every so often I see makers on YouTube or Instagram laying out their neat sewing plans for the month ahead. It always looks so satisfying: a tidy stack of fabric, patterns chosen, everything mapped out like a menu.
But here’s the thing: I don’t plan my sewing month. At all.
Unless I’m sewing for work (teaching, writing patterns, filming tutorials – those go straight into the work calendar), my personal sewing is completely chaotic. I pick up what I fancy when I fancy it. If a fabric on the shelf starts calling my name, that’s what I’ll sew, and don’t talk to me about those reels that pop up on facebook that show you a new trick, tool or trick, I’m all over that! If I get halfway through a project and lose interest, it gets pushed aside for something shinier.
The result? A lot of works in progress. Some call them WIPs, some call them UFOs (unfinished objects) – I call them my little sewing breadcrumb trail. Each one tells a story of what I was excited about at that moment.
There are downsides, of course. Sometimes I look at the pile and feel guilty, like I should “finish something before I start something new.” But honestly? This is just how my creativity works. The spontaneity keeps sewing joyful for me.
That said, I’ve found a balance:
Work sewing = planned. I block it into my schedule because deadlines matter.
Fun sewing = free-flowing. I let myself follow my whims, even if that means ten projects on the go at once.
And I’ve made peace with that. Sewing, after all, is meant to be enjoyable. I don’t want it to feel like another to-do list. The projects will get finished eventually and they don’t ever feel like a weight around my neck (though this is all different in the run up to Christmas - why do I insist on making presents?!).
So this isn’t a blog post full of carefully curated sewing plans for October. It’s a confession: I’m a chaotic stitcher, and I’m embracing it.
How about you? Do you plan your sewing month like a pro, or are you in the “chaotic WIP collector” camp with me? I’d love to hear how you approach it.
And if you’re nodding along to this, you’d probably feel right at home in the Sew Much Fun Collective. It’s a place where we celebrate both the finishers and the chaotic stitchers, with a new project each month to spark ideas and a gang of sewing friends to cheer you on. No pressure, no perfection — just plenty of encouragement and fun.