Hi Reader,

When I first started The Ruffled Purse (my website) around 2019, my goal was to help people learn how to sew, become confident on a machine, and discover the joy of sewing.

Over the years, people of all sewing levels and interests have found The Ruffled Purse.

As a result, I write the Snappy Scissors newsletters to educate and inspire people with different skill levels and sewing interests.

I've always felt an internal tug-of-war to do more for the people who want to learn how to sew and, at the same time, do more for the people who have the sewing skills but are looking for ways to reduce their stash footprint.

I've been unable to decide which direction to go, and I realized I needed more information.

A few months ago, I wrote that I was thinking of making some changes at The Ruffled Purse.

In that email, I included a link to a survey to find out who was reading the Snappy ✂️ newsletters and what they needed help with.

Hundreds of responses came in, and it became clear immediately which way I needed to go.

Some results from the survey:

• We want to be sewing more consistently. (42%)
• We want to be finishing more projects. (53%)
• We have stashes we want to use but haven't made a dent in them. (68% have stashes that fill one or more rooms)
• We want to use fabric we already own. (63%)

A couple of other interesting results were:

• We know how to sew. (78% have intermediate to advanced sewing skills; 20% are confident beginners)
• The type of sewing respondents do. (They could pick more than one.)

With these results, the path forward for The Ruffled Purse has become apparent --providing solutions to transform fabric stashes, unfinished projects, and creative overwhelm into a fulfilling sewing life now, not someday.

I'm curious. How do the survey results and direction I'm taking The Ruffled Purse fit with sewing in your life?

Please reply to this email and let me know. I would love to find out if what I'm working on and planning for The Ruffled Purse will benefit you.

a list

Have you ever thought you would sew more if your space was organized?

I used to think a main solution to making time to sew was organization, so I figured out how to organize and set up my sewing room to create a space where I love to sew.

Did the organization help? Yes. When I'm working in my space, everything has a home, and I can put my hands on what I need when I need it.

Unfortunately, organization didn't automatically transfer to more time sewing.

The survey results I shared with you reflect what has been happening in my own sewing life.

In April, after sending out the survey, my husband and I were working on some home improvement projects that had me tired both mentally and physically.

I needed a break and had the itch to sew.

When I walked into my sewing space, I flipped through some patterns I had earmarked, haphazardly sorted through some fabric that was piled up, sorted some scraps that were left on my cutting mat, and then walked back out.

What I didn't do was sew or, at the minimum, move a project forward. This wasn't the first time this had happened.

I asked myself, "If I wanted to sew, why wasn't I?"

Since it was fresh on my mind, I sat down and made a list of what was getting in the way of my sewing.

Looking at my list, I realized that only 2 of the 14 things I wrote down had to do with organization - the flat surfaces were covered with things that needed to be put away, and fabric I had recently acquired from an estate sale needed to be washed before being added to my stash.

The rest of the reasons were related to decisions like:

• learning a new technique to move forward on a project
• having to figure out next steps on WIPs and UFOs
• choosing fabric
• not sure what to sew
  • what new project to start
  • which of my many current projects to work on
  • what UFO to finish

I realized I was experiencing decision fatigue, and my urge to sew came at a time when I was already exhausted.

Sewing is my happy place and was supposed to be a break from home improvements.

Sadly, it was easier to walk out of my sewing space than to make one more decision.

Making the list was actually a relief. I had an answer to why I wasn't sewing. I realized I was overwhelmed with decisions and didn't have the bandwidth to make one more, even to do something I love.

The next time you have the urge to sew and don't, I encourage you to make a list of all the reasons that are stopping you. Do the items on your list have anything in common?

Identification of similarities is the first step in making changes in your sewing life.

Sewing Rhythm™

Since the survey and my epiphany, I've been working on how to reduce decision fatigue so sewing can become a part of regular life and not something to squeeze into the cracks.

My goal is to have a researched, designed, and tested solution by mid-November.

My work is focused on using scraps and stash we already have, as well as creating systems and routines to reduce decision fatigue, increase momentum, and make meaningful progress on our sewing projects no matter what is happening in our lives.

It's basically a Sewing Rhythm™ for everyday life. I've done the research and designed a plan. I'm now starting to test it.

If you would like to learn more about the Sewing Rhythm™, click HERE. You'll be added to a special email list where I'll share behind-the-scenes looks with you once or twice a month until it's ready in November.

Chain piecing

Years ago, when my mother lived in Michigan, she told me about a woman in her quilt guild who made beautiful quilt tops.

During one work session, she saw the woman winding thread around a bobbin by hand.

Mom asked her why she wasn't using her machine to wind the bobbin.

She looked at my mom with a puzzled expression and replied, "You can wind bobbins on your machine?" 😳

The woman knew how to use her machine because my mother had seen her sewing on it.

How she didn't know that bobbins could be wound on the machine makes me wonder how much time she spent winding them by hand. 😢

What I learned from that story was never to assume what people know or don't know, no matter how much experience they have.

I'm currently working on two more quilts made out of baby clothes. The mother who has commissioned me to do the work selected a herringbone pattern.

I found a free pattern at Christa Quilts, which helped me with the measurements and will be handy for keeping track of the layout.

As I started making half-square triangles (238 for each quilt), I thought of the woman in my mom's Michigan quilt guild.

If you don't know about chain piecing, you need to, especially if you quilt.

Whether you are new to chain piecing or need a refresher, you can check out the blog post HERE.

That's all for now. Until next time...

Summary

In a nutshell, here's what you can do to make the most of this edition of Snappy ✂️.

Intro section: How do the survey responses line up with your sewing life? Hit reply and share your situation with me.

A list: 1. Take action and create a space where you love to sew with the Sewing Space Playbook. 2. Make a list of what is getting in the way of you sewing.

Sewing Rhythm™: Click HERE to get a behind-the-scenes peek as I create something brand new: systems and routines to reduce decision fatigue and make scrap and stash sewing a part of everyday life.

Chain Piecing: Learn this technique to save time and thread.

Upcoming event

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