Sewing Chatter: How do you find time to sew in the summer?

It’s difficult for me to identify! I live in a southern state and even though near the mountains, it’s hot and sunny this year especially, which I can’t tolerate much anymore. Also, I am unemployed with lots of free time, and have a huge stash of fabric and patterns. So this year at least time is on my side. Also, counter intuitively, my makes are long sleeved and log legged, because sunscreen is uncomfortable and somewhat ineffective. I am spending lots of time indoors, sewing clothes, albeit lighter weight and of simple design and construction. I mostly sew in the afternoon and evening when the AC is running. Mostly I try to keep myself from sewing too much, because I have no of other things to do that I ignore…like job hunting.

I find that I get more sewing done in June and July than any other time of the year. I hate it when it gets above 80F and the past few Summers in the Willamette Valley have been far too warm for my liking. I do outside and gardening chores in the morning and then household chores and sewing in the afternoons if we’re home. In the winter we’re always busy with school and the holidays and I end up knitting more because it’s more cold weather friendly and transportable. Any way you look at it I’m a slow maker so more sewing generally means 2-4 things a month instead of just one. This spring and now summer has been dominated by my need for lightweight summer tops and some dresses all in the same pattern but different fabric for my daughter, my niece, and the girl I babysit.

I also seem to get a lot more sewing done during the summer. I’m still in college and I work, so summer is when I have the most free time, and in winter I knit a lot. I think most of the things I’ve made so far have been summer things because they’re a little more beginner friendly. Working up to all seasons though!

I actually get more time to sew in the summer. I work full time and am raising two kids alone so the school year is crazy with after school activities and homework. Summer is the time when we all get to relax a bit and I can spend an evening sewing.

London is pretty short on summers so – not having a garden – I must admit that I get the parklife calls if the sun has it’s hat on! But I love that summer commands quick, small, light, unlined projects and those can be run up in an evening when it’s cooler. Or sometimes if I’m tired, I’ll go to bed really early so I can at least get an hour or so’s sewing done before work.

Ha! Like others have said, I am experiencing hotter summers – in the Meditteranean – and I easily get heat stroke and burnt so I prefer to swim etc early morning or after 6.00. Give me home with a fan or the ac if needs be…. I sew much more in summer because we work half days for three months:) Don’t be jealous, we make up the time in winter….. I just wish I could bear to touch and try on woolly stuff because now is the time I could tackle long term things like a tailored jacket, but I cannot bear to touch anything but linen and cotton. Same with knitting, in summer it’s cotton, linen or bamboo. And I embroider in summer – never in winter.

I see quite a few of us have the same plan- sewing can wait for cooler evenings or early mornings. That’s what I do, too! For the days when it’s incredibly hot I turn on the AC and work in my studio because I don’t tolerate the heat very well. I do find it tough to find time to sew most years, with other things competing, including the urge to set up a canvas outside and paint. I just try to balance it and not make my sewing list too long! There’s plenty of time to sew when it gets cold again, but summer is only for a little while!

I am definitely outdoors more in the summer — I always think, yeah, I’ll have more time, and then 3 hours later and I’m still in the beer garden at the pub or whatever. I think for me, there’s also a certain amount of guilt for being inside on a nice day, which can cut into sewing time. I’m trying to overcome it (my husband loves to watch football, so we have an indoor hobby each!) but some days are harder than others.

I have been so overworked and tired I haven’t even wanted to sew all winter, until now! I spent all winter huddled on the sofa with knitting and just the though ofnopening the sewing machine made me irritated. My job gets easier in good weather and I’m finally finding the energy and want to go back to the sewing machine. It feels grrrreat. What actually got me going though, is that I am moving in a month and thought I wouldn’t have a dedicated sewing space – so I thought “better sew while I can”. As it turns out I will :D but now that I’m at it I don’t want to stop!

I don’t have any advice though. Just roll with the seasons and do what feels right. I was full of self imposed guilt all winter and that’s just unnecessary.

Birdsong and sunshine have meant that I haven’t woken up with the alarm in weeks. Instead of trying to get back to sleep (impossible) I’ve had a go at early morning sewing until it’s “time to get up”.
It took a little getting used to. My first bash saw me taking 20 mins to fill a bobbin, cursing that the machine had broken, mentally writing a letter to Janome, until I realised that I had threaded it up wrong. FAIL. But since then, all good and I’m finding little and often is getting me though my pile of unfinished garments.

I’m a slow sewer to begin with, so I’m usually making something as needed to supplement my wardrobe. Since I work full time, my main sewing time is on the weekends, if I can squeeze it in around errands. And I’ll admit the heat has been sapping my energy; not having central AC in the hot and humid weather has been draining, particularly when I am unable to get a decent night’s rest for several days in a row. We’re also prepping to move house in a few weeks’ time, so a lot of time and space has become dedicated to packing and boxes. My brain wants to sew more, but the rest of me is tired!

I sew a lot more during the summer than during any other season – I go to college, so autumn, winter and spring are always very busy – I spend my summer holidays sewing to make up for that!

I get distracted from sewing over the summer but for different reasons. I live in the tropics so it’s hot all year round here. Sewing in the heat is not a problem. However, over the summer the children are off school and we travel more from home so it’s harder to make time and have space (or the tools) for sewing. This year I am planning to sew with my children when at home and pack some crafting I can do on the move with the children, some hand sewing or something different like sketching. The summer is when I focus on shopping for fabric abroad, for making sewing plans, gathering ideas from shops and other inspiration abroad. Then in September armed with my new fabrics, new notions and new ideas I get back to my sewing.

I absolutely love to sew; however, summer is the time for family, friends, traveling, relaxing, gardening, etc. Sewing extremely is important to me, but in the end, family and friends come first. What good is having a knock-out wardrobe and no one to share it with?

I, too, have more time to sew during the summer. It’s finally warm and often too hot to be outside during the afternoon. I enjoy it more and squeeze in time for “sew” many more garments.

Well, I’m a teacher, so summer is my golden opportunity to spend more time doing “me” things…and that always includes sewing! Honestly, since having a baby a year and a half ago, sewing time has been really hard to find, so I am eager to work on at least a couple of new projects this summer.