Okay, so there's only so much time you can squeeze out of a busy schedule. However, remember that you make time for the things that are important for you, we don't always like to face up to that. However, setting priorities and especially with something technical like patternmaking and making a commitment to laying one brick at a time, will allow you to reach your goals.
I'm already a quarter of the way through my patternmaking book and it's thanks to a great little program called TimeDoctor. It's free and what it does is help you stay focused on you're real priorities, not all your distractions. You'll be able to keep track of how you spend time on the computer and different tasks you list in you current schedule that way you have a little reminder and a way to get a bit self conscious about letting yourself swerve from the things you're supposed to do.
Well, I use it for sticking to my article work and when I've got milestones for article work completed that's when I'll use any bit of extra time to get busy with my patternmaking. Every little bit helps.
And a wonderful thing happened a few weeks ago, when I was working on developing the panels for the princess panels for the torso blocks, I discovered how to create the pattern for one of my own designs. This was a pivotal moment for me similar to how it felt when I first realized the secret to making successful cream puff dough. Or how to save your computer on your own from a virus. The knowledge of how to create something from scratch is very empowering and it definitely has increased my resolve to complete my study of Connie Amaden Crawford's "Patternmaking made easy".
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tell Yourself You Can Teach Yourself Patternmaking No Matter What
Improvise, Compromise and Keep Thinking and Working
I was working on my patternmaking studies on the kitchen table, a couple months went by and the surface of the table never saw the light of day. Was my husband happy about it, no way, he didn't say anything if he seen me working on the patterns, but not having a place to comfortably eat is not okay.
So my patternmaking came to a dead stop more or less, learning how to do it was left up to the desire in my head while I struggled with my article writing. Quite frankly making me more depressed as time goes on. I would love just to focus on learning patternmaking and make oodles more money from that later on. That's my hope and part of my dream, but not convenient reality.
I had this little motto running around in my head, echoing at me through lost time, "you make time for the things that are important to you..." and Shawn Connery's line from the Rock, "Losers always whine about their best..." Don't you just hate that? But it's true I guess. So what did I do, took me a couple more painful sad months to think of the idea. I took 4 boxes and an about 3.5' x 3.5' piece of laminate board and laid it on top, viola! I've got my worktable. Than I thought I might be able to get started getting serious with my patternmaking studies. No more having to set it all up and then putting it all away.
It didn't work out, I still had no time, I needed another table for my patternmaking supplies as well as my art supplies so I stacked another 2 boxes and laid my brother's framed Chinese painting over it, voila! Another table. This spare bedroom is now my studio too. I still had no luck with my time though, so another few months went by and I hadn't yet been able to get back to my patternmaking.
This is basically what I've got to deal with, regular family housework, keeping up with appointments so I can take care of my little sister, feeding (including breastfeeding my daughter at any time of day or night), changing, dressing and consoling my two little kids, taking care of my 4 cats, shopping, article writing (not so great source of income) and then find the time to do other things, like reading or patternmaking.... "NOT" happening, especially with 5 hrs average sleep...However, a solution did come to me a little while ago (just a few weeks ago actually), but that's for another post on my blog. Till my next post....
Have a wonderful day,
Ayisha
I was working on my patternmaking studies on the kitchen table, a couple months went by and the surface of the table never saw the light of day. Was my husband happy about it, no way, he didn't say anything if he seen me working on the patterns, but not having a place to comfortably eat is not okay.
So my patternmaking came to a dead stop more or less, learning how to do it was left up to the desire in my head while I struggled with my article writing. Quite frankly making me more depressed as time goes on. I would love just to focus on learning patternmaking and make oodles more money from that later on. That's my hope and part of my dream, but not convenient reality.
I had this little motto running around in my head, echoing at me through lost time, "you make time for the things that are important to you..." and Shawn Connery's line from the Rock, "Losers always whine about their best..." Don't you just hate that? But it's true I guess. So what did I do, took me a couple more painful sad months to think of the idea. I took 4 boxes and an about 3.5' x 3.5' piece of laminate board and laid it on top, viola! I've got my worktable. Than I thought I might be able to get started getting serious with my patternmaking studies. No more having to set it all up and then putting it all away.
It didn't work out, I still had no time, I needed another table for my patternmaking supplies as well as my art supplies so I stacked another 2 boxes and laid my brother's framed Chinese painting over it, voila! Another table. This spare bedroom is now my studio too. I still had no luck with my time though, so another few months went by and I hadn't yet been able to get back to my patternmaking.
This is basically what I've got to deal with, regular family housework, keeping up with appointments so I can take care of my little sister, feeding (including breastfeeding my daughter at any time of day or night), changing, dressing and consoling my two little kids, taking care of my 4 cats, shopping, article writing (not so great source of income) and then find the time to do other things, like reading or patternmaking.... "NOT" happening, especially with 5 hrs average sleep...However, a solution did come to me a little while ago (just a few weeks ago actually), but that's for another post on my blog. Till my next post....
Have a wonderful day,
Ayisha
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