Designer's Block

Open Sourcing Sewing Blog

C9858e259d243befbe916ba6ad9c071e0af504a6

...We all experience it. Sometimes, when I'm sewing, it seems as if somethings just out to get me...I've stitched the wrong sides together or can't figure out the best way to line the dresses I am to send out in 1 week (ahhh), or I just can't get into the groove. When this happens, the world is not over as it seems. You just need to escape for a bit. Take a field trip, either mental or an actual journey, for 15 minutes, and all will seem better... Inspiration for me comes in all shapes in forms, including an awakening conversation, or the way the street lights shine and glow on the street at night after its been soaked with rain, books (I was given Taschen's Fashion History, which covers18th century to contemporary fashion and always excites my imagination)...and walking. I love to walk out my front door into the streets of New York and just drift.

Many times, when I have slipped into an unconscious stroll, answers will strike me "Aha! That's how I'll line that dress, it's not as complicated as I thought..." and so forth. I love to go to vintage clothing shops, like Malin's on North 6th & Bedford avenue in my neighborhood, there's always something there to spark my interest. The owner, perpetually silhouetted in 1980's flare, is so kind and always fun to chat with. The dog park always makes me smile, then sad, because I really want a Shiba Inu (but I'll get one if I keep working hard). And films, I love films, last night I watched "The Red Shoes" (1948) by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger- stunning. I have been asked by a well known American magazine to design a t-shirt for a giveaway...my head has been swimming with ideas and now it's time to go to the drawing board.

What do you do to let out some steam or become inspired?

image courtesy of flickr

A YOUNG DESIGNER'S DIARY

Posted by alisondahl

18 Nov 2008 02:30 PM

TAGS: escape, design, block, stuck

Comments (11)

COMMENTS (11)

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kgallagher3 Ï Posted 18 November 2008 at 2:48 PM
has too much schoolwork to sew..grr

I chug a Diet Coke and then take a 20 minute nap, when I wake up the caffeine has kicked in and I feel recharged :)
Nomaliza Ï Posted 18 November 2008 at 3:21 PM
http://sketchandsew.blogspot.com

I always do the cleaning...with 4 small kids around you can imagine how messy my house is...after the cleanup, the house is clean, my heart and mind feel relax and then only I can have better view of whatever that bothers me before...
LazyStitch80 Ï Posted 18 November 2008 at 4:22 PM
frustrated: I need printer ink

I usually get inspired by looking at other people's creativity.... Chocolate helps. Organizing my sewing space and materials get my juices flowing too. When I get started on a project I have a hard time stopping with that one, but since I have three kids (8, 6 &5) stopping is nessisary. And then getting started again can become the tricky part:)
gedwoods Ï Posted 18 November 2008 at 5:18 PM
trying to avoid it all unravelling

Sewing is what I do to get inspired as a break from my other design activities :) When even that doesn't work, I'm down to the bottom of the barrel - although a walk or a good DVD will help!
EmilyKate Ï Posted 18 November 2008 at 9:06 PM
stoked about flickr up for swap!

Your method made me laugh, kgallagher3 :o) I never thought to try it on purpose, but the few occasions I've had caffeine right before going to sleep, I've had that thing happen where I'm half-asleep-half-awake and my thoughts are racingracingracing and I think of a millions ideas I want to try!

I am also another one who gets fired up by seeing other people's creativity... or if I look at a book or website and find out about a new technique I can't wait to try it...

I am sure my fella would love if I was inspired by cleaning like you Nomaliza :o)
sewella Ï Posted 19 November 2008 at 1:12 AM
taking a break

I make myself a cup of cocoa and read my favourite sewing and knitting blogs. That has never failed to boost me up.
easbrooke Ï Posted 19 November 2008 at 5:36 AM
finishing skirts, making gifts.

In relation to designer's block, I sometimes experience writer's block at my job and it can be really frustrating. I am bad about procrastinating by either searching the Web obsessively or doing other activities that are not productive. And those nonproductive activities don't seem to help me out. So I'm trying to do more relaxing and productive things like switching to another project or task or taking a walk outdoors. Hitting the gym seems to help too.
Mirela Ï Posted 19 November 2008 at 7:12 AM
http://mirela.etsy.com

I seem to take breaks from sewing when I come to a halt and even if I have a thousand thoughts on the following projects and way too much inspiration I can't recollect to actually do it. So I get distracted with knitting or crocheting projects that of course take longer and are a lot more meditative given the repetitiveness of the stitches. This makes me miss sewing a lot so I sew with a new found energy after such a period of time off. It may not be designer's block, just a pause. For inspiration I go back to my huge fabric stash and browse the patterns collection to find the right matches.
whimsykid Ï Posted 20 November 2008 at 8:58 PM

I like buying a fresh new fashion magazine or book that I've never read before, or look at my favourite fashion blogs. Those usually are great goldmines of inspiration. I also enjoy abandoning any frustrating projects and picking up something completely new and different. Switching gears helps.

And p.s. I have a shiba! They're the cutest dogs ever...
MarmotaB Ï Posted 21 November 2008 at 1:30 AM
making sloper for my sister

I'm trying to find inspiration from other people's work, but when that fails, walking is really the best solution. My usual walking route is to the outskirts of my little hometown, to a row of poplar trees among fields and meadows with small marsh. Looking at the flowers and trees and into the sky always helps a lot.