Monday, August 13, 2012

No sewing Mojo, and uncreative contests

EDIT:  I wanted to make a note that the contest rules have been changed so that the key piece only has to "go with" your other pieces, and does not have to be worn with every piece.  Yay for that change!

I am still not sure if I will be participating, but I think I'll give it a go. :)
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Original post:

I haven't been blogging much, and I've been sewing even less.  Yes, I made the Dr. Horrible coat, but even that took me over a month, and I got NO comments at all.  Not one.  I feel like I'm living in a vacuum.  Even James just kind of said "cool".  One month of work....cool

I just seem to have lost the mojo.  I still have a desire to sew, but I look in my sewing room, and pick out fabrics and patterns, and then end up doing nothing.  I don't quite know why.

I had been looking forward to the "Mini-Wardrobe" contest at PR, even already having picked out matching fabrics and patterns, hoping it would help motivate me to start making some of the things I have been planning to make for too long, but the rules are extremely limiting.  When pointing this out, I get a lot of "Think outside the box!" and "contest aren't just about YOU" type of comments.

Well, the the contest rules are a box you aren't allowed to think outside of, and I know contests aren't about ME, but they should encourage people to sew, not discourage them.  I know I wasn't the only one who found the forced layering or else forced topper key piece to be extremely limiting, about half the people commenting clearly agree.
Leggings are not me, and I don't have time to make a jacket (which you MUST make, though many people don't seem to understand this yet) AND pants, AND 3 other things in only 4 weeks.  The people who think they can use a button up blouse as their key piece...let's see how they feel when they realize that it is impossible with the rules as they are.  Jacket and/or pants, those are your options, with jacket being the far superior option.  No dress allowed at ALL unless I make the jacket my key piece, which forces me to make pants as well, and I can't make both, I just can't in 4 weeks. :(  VERY LIMITING!!

Well anyway, I still hope to make my jacket, dress and a top soon, if I can find the motivation.  It would be nice to have a community to work with, but it seems PR is becoming more and more...elitist?  I don't know, just not very supportive.

Maybe I'm just overly tired.  Since James has started school I am tired all the time, and kind of lonely, heh.  

Well back to...housecleaning and playing with Liz I guess.


12 comments:

  1. Linda, I am so sorry you are feeling this way but I understand completely. In fact, I replied on that thread, and then deleted my comment when there was a slight "slapdown". I am finding the community limiting and a time suck. I am receiving more inspiration on Pinterest and blogs. Perhaps it is time for you to sew what you want and blog about it?

    Another member got piled on for expressing her fashion opinion...I think there were 16 pages of posts and she only responded perhaps 5? times. A friend of mine was pretty much forced out of a contest recently. Those posts have mysteriously disappeared. It isn't a supportive environment right now. I don't know why-probably just the mix of people at this time.

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    1. Mary, thanks so much for you supportive words! I did see your comment in that thread before you deleted it, and I'm also sorry that it made you feel that way :(

      I haven't really gotten into Pintrest, but I will go and give it a look, it certainly sounds interesting.

      I know you and I weren't the only people having issues with the contest. Reading the thread, the vast majority of people were either confused, or felt limited, and so I decided to start a mini-wardrobe sew along (in the sew along section) where we can make what we want without weird rule limitations. I hope you get your mojo back as well, and, come join in the sew along. It will hopefully be more supportive and fun. :)

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    2. Oh yeah, also wanted to say I read that slapdown you mentioned. Nice of someone to say they think our comments should be deleted. As if people have no right to express their own opinions if they aren't all sunshine and rainbows.

      I don't blame Pinky (I like Pinky a lot, honestly), she's really just trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and I don't envy her position of contest manager of that contest right now, but whatshername was pretty dang rude! :?

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  2. (((HUGS)))
    I'm sorry that you're feeling this way! I find it hard to get my mojo back in a vacuum as well, and it doesn't sound like the PR group is being very helpful. It's funny, as I was reading along, you mentioned the contest, and I thought, "Linda is so good at contests! That is just the thing!" What a letdown that the contest rules and the other participants are fighting you.
    If it helps, I've noticed that commenting seems to be decreasing on blogs in general. I know that I have been really lax about it personally. I blame my iPhone, since I read blogs there now and it is such a pain to click over from Google Reader and then try to type in a comment and do the Google verification on the teeny phone keyboard. I only comment when it is something big (like this! I wanted to give you a virtual hug!).
    The Dr. Horrible coat was awesome, BTW. You do great work!!

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    1. Also thanks for your support ~hugs back~. Yeah, normally contests are just the thing to spur me back into a sewing mood when I'm feeling out of it, but this one (and a few of the people involved) seemed bent on driving some of us further away, instead of addressing our very real concerns.

      As I mentioned in my reply to Mary, I've just decided to start a sew along for those who feel the same as Mary and I (I know a bunch in that thread seemed equally disenchanted). We'll see if I get any participation. If not, well, maybe just putting together a storyboard will be the thing to get me stared.

      P.S. I'm also terrible about responding to other people's blogs. I read them and then think a comment like "that's fantastic!" is just going to sound lame, so don't post. I should remember that everyone needs pats on the back now and then, and not be selfish with them. And thanks about Dr. Horrible! It was a lot of work. :)

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  3. Linda, you do such lovely work. I have gotten more sporadic about reading and responding to blogs. I have the same sort of train of thought as you. I want to make a brief comment, and then decide that it is lame and don't leave it. I'm sorry you have lost your sewing mojo. Maybe sewing something cute for Liz will inspire you. PR threads sometimes seem to get taken over by pushy people who are looking to control the discussion and don't want disagreement. I avoid most discussions on PR.

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    1. Thank you very much Becca, that is so nice of you to say!:)
      Yes, sometime PR threads can be the domain of the more aggressive types, and when that happens, I'll just go my own way. :)

      I don't have any sewing plans for Lix atm, though with her first year in school coming up shortly, I should. But really, I feel like sewing something for me right now. Selfish perhaps, but what I need right now.

      Oh, I am re-making some of Liz's clothes (adding length, ruffles, patches, to make her old clothes new again, but nothing completely and truly new on the table)

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  4. Gosh - I was looking forward to participating in the wardrobe contest again - it was so much fun last year! But I haven't really checked out the rules or comments beyond a glance at the first page; I've just been mulling it over in my head (time/energy...do I want to commit...that sort of thing)

    I guess I'd better go check it out before spending any more time thinking about it! Sorry for any backlash or rudeness you received - I wouldn't want to stick with that either. Guess I won't say any more until I check out the thread, but I appreciate the heads up on the restrictions - you may have just saved me some angst.

    And here's some {{{{hugs}}}}} in the meantime :)

    ARRRRGGGH I hate the word verification! I'm trying for the third time.....

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    1. Jilly, I know what you mean with the word verification. Sometimes the letters blur together or are unclear, so frustrating! lol

      I don't mean to discourage you from the contest. If you have plans already, you might find they don't fit the new rules, but then again, they may. :) If you want, you can always join the mini-wardrobe sew along I started, here:
      http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/board.pl?pn=1&t=71443
      No prizes, but good company! Already have a number of people showing interest in just a few hours since I posted it, so I bet it will be very busy and positive and fun, which is just what my spirit (an apparently many others) needs right now! :D

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  5. I wasn't 'up' on all the happenings with the PR, but just sat and read them all. My goodness, all that hassle for just a mini wardrobe. Heaven help them if they ever thought of entering in a bridal competition!!!
    Good on you for heading out on your own (with a fair few followers). Life is way too short, and busy, to fit into other people's boxes when it comes to our enjoyable creative outlets.
    Love your storyboard and looking forward to following this journey with you...

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  6. I've lost my sewing mojo, too. I have finally stopped taking on projects for clients, but I still have a set of curtains hanging over my head (pun intended). Mix that with various summer holidays, more responsibility at work, a long commute, and the re-start of my exercise routine, it seems I have no energy left for sewing. This week I am trying to sew a funky orange cotton dress to wear to a wedding with a friend, and I should be upstairs sewing right now, but I just don't feel like it. Who knows why. Perhaps I will catch the sewing bug in the fall. For now, I'm not worrying about it. I hope you find yours, too!

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    1. I bet summer does have a lot to do with it. It's much harder to sit indoors and sew when the sun is shining, and there is a cool pool of water and a nice book waiting outside, calling your name during your free time.

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