Top 10 2012 New Year’s Re-SEW-lutions

In December we asked you to share your 2012 New Year’s Re-SEW-lutions on our BERNINA USA facebook fanpage, and judging by the wonderful response there are a whole lot of you planning on sewing with a purpose this year. So, without further ado, here are your TOP 10 Re-SEW-lutions!

Happy New Sewing Year!

10. Learn to sew or learn a new specific technique.

We love to sew, and we’re not surprised that more people want to learn how, too! Taking classes can be a wonderful way to get started and to learn new techniques. Why not visit your local BERNINA Dealer store to find out about upcoming classes? Our store finder will help you locate a Dealer near you.

9. Learn all about machine embroidery.

We LOVE machine embroidery here at WeAllSew.com! From embellishing custom accents for your wardrobe to creating one of a kind gifts and even quilting in the hoop, the possibilities with machine embroidery are endless. If you are an absolute beginner, try taking a class at your local BERNINA store to find out what it’s all about. And if you’re a beginner who’s already embroidered one or two projects and are eager to learn more, check our our free Embroidery Classes at our BERNINA USA website.

8. Sew more garments.

What better way to get inspired to sew your own garments than to become your very own pattern designer?  My Label 3D Fashion Pattern Software makes your dream of getting a good fit when sewing garments come true! Check out all that you can do with 20 built in patterns, and fit your garment on your 3D Mannequin that conforms to your own personal body measurements. Print your pattern in the comfort of your own home, cut your fabric and sew! 3D animation lets you view your patterns with both selected fabric and embellishments. Your body … your fit … your label! Click here to see all that is possible with My Label.

7. Clean and organize your sewing space.

A clean sewing space can inspire you to get stitching and help you be more productive! Need some help on getting organized? Check out these sewing room organizing tips from allpeoplequilt.com. Looking for inspiration from other successfully organized sewers? Check out the Operation: Sewing Room Organization group at Flickr.com.

6. Sew more for myself.

Sewing for others is sometimes the most rewarding thing about the sewing crafts!  If you’re not sure what to sew for yourself, try getting inspired by talking to friends that sew or looking at some of the new sewing books hitting the shelves. If you get inspired by seeing what others are stitching up, try browsing some sewing, quilting, or crafting blogs. We’ve got a great inspirational list of blogs right here at WeAllSew.com!

5. Sew more in the new year.

Finding more time to sew is always easier said than done! A tip that works best for many sewers is to set aside some uninterrupted sewing time either weekly or once a month. Or why not invite a friend over to sew with you, or host a sewing get-together for friends and family on a regular basis? You might also check to see if your local BERNINA Dealer store has some kind of open sewing time where people can get together and sew on whatever they want to bring.

4. Sew to serve others.

If you are resolving to volunteer some of your sewing time to help others this year but don’t know where to start, try checking out some of our Sew to Serve posts for ideas. Many local organizations, like hospitals, Veteran’s organizations, nursing homes, homeless shelters, and animal shelters may accept handmade donations too, just call and ask how you can help. Sewing to serve others can be rewarding when shared with a group, and a sewing for charity party or event might be a great way to mark this resolution off of your list!

3. Learn how to use all of those nifty features on my sewing machine.

Resolve to take a class to learn how to use certain stitches, techniques, or accessory feet in the new year. And, once you’ve learned something new, try to incorporate it in a project! You could even make a check-list of machine features that you see listed in your manual and want to get better acquainted with, and check them off as you go. Get on the email list for your local BERNINA Dealer store so you will be the first to know about upcoming classes, and if you don’t see a class that you’d like to take, make sure and ask about it!

2. Use up my stash.

You’ve been collecting fabric for years, and now is the time to use it! We’ve learned that the best way to use up your stash is to review what you’ve got and to keep it organized! Sort through your stash and get rid of what you know you won’t use; donate the fabric to charity or resolve to use it to sew to serve others. There are many methods to organize your fabrics, check out a few from Threads Magazine, Sew4Home, and a great tip on folding from The Happy Zombie. And find more great information on stash busting in this great article from Whipstitch! Time to whip your stash into shape and use it up!

1. Finish up all of those UFO’s!

This is by far and away the top resolution for 2012! Here at WeAllSew, we know all about unfinished projects (what, me sew more than one project at a time?). We’ve found that keeping your projects organized is a great way to stay on-task until a project is finished, and here are some of our best tips.

First, take a look back at all of your unfinished projects. Do you really want to finish them all? Maybe that skirt you started making in 1987 isn’t quite in style anymore, or the baby you were making that quilt for isn’t really a baby anymore! Consider “breaking up” with some of your projects and re-use or donate the fabric to make way for new sewing projects.

To help avoid UFO’s: Find a method to organize your sewing projects. I use a write-on/wipe-off board to list all of my current and future projects, and if I want to add another project I can quickly see if I need to change my priorities or even get in gear to finish stuff before starting something else. Some sewers use bins or bags to organize all the fabric, patterns, and notions for a project, and can look to see how many projects are in the works. Still others use handwritten lists, bulletin boards, clip boards, and even computerized lists to stay on top of what is in progress.

Once you’ve organized your projects, try to use some of our tips listed in number 5 to find more time to sew, and dedicate some of your sewing time SPECIFICALLY to your UFO’s!