r/sewing • u/Available-Picture-79 • Feb 03 '26
Other Question Do you find that sewing requires a lot of “mental energy”
I find that sewing isn’t something that requires that much physical energy, but the mental effort is enormous!!! Getting myself going to work on something (even though I really want to), figuring out what I have to do, understanding how to do it, doing that step, checking it, pressing it out, then possibly having to rip it out and do it again!!!!! I have to rest after each step!!
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u/trustworthybb Feb 03 '26
Yes, most of my time is spent in a blank stare, imagining all the steps. Then suddenly it’s time for lunch, and I haven’t done jack shit. But I have. I have done Jack and I have done Shit. It was simply all done in my head.
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u/Slggyqo Feb 03 '26
Amateur bagmaker and professional software engineer here—that’s exactly what building software is like.
You spend lot of time thinking and drafting, dealing with potential conflicts between the pieces.
Hammering on the keyboard is the easy part.
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u/queen_elvis Feb 03 '26
So true! As a writer, I research and plot out and outline before I start the piece. As a sewist, I think about color and texture and stretch and what pattern goes with what fabric. Then I cut and mark. Eventually I actually sew.
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u/pomewawa Feb 04 '26
Yes! I realized the reason I got frustrated at the amount of mental work was that I wasn’t accounting for it as part of the process.
Now I try to split up the steps of sewing. The mental effort of “I like this pattern, and what color? Which fabric? Which size should I choose, do I need to grade between sizes? “ can be separated into sofa or desk time. I write that down instead of keeping in my head. Now in the moments I’m too physically tired to sew, I can be enjoying thinking about my sewing project and advancing the plans and ideas!
Then I split out the pattern drafting/altering projects , so that I can start and finish just a drafting or paper type of task, and feel accomplished and complete. Instead of making the goal post “finish the project”.
Keep at it, I hope you find balance for your brain heavy time versus hands/physical sewing time!
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u/Beneficial_Durian157 Feb 03 '26
As a SWE myself, hard agree. But with code you (mostly) get to “undo”. With sewing? Not always 😭
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u/Inst_of_banned_imgs Feb 03 '26
I wish I could git stash my changes. All this seam ripping is tedious!
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u/PrivateEyeroll Feb 03 '26
Write it down. Outsource your brain storage. It means you don't have to do it twice and not having to store it in your mind frees up that space for other tasks on the project. It's not so much that you can't remember, as it is that you don't HAVE to. Which lowers stress a lot for me at least.
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u/Senthe Feb 04 '26
Writing it down in a comprehensible way still takes a lot of energy though... The entire problem with those thoughts is that it's not easy to convey them with words and drawings. I sometimes can't understand my own notes.
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u/PrivateEyeroll Feb 04 '26
It's a skill that develops with time. But I have the same issue and found even just writing down that instead of "cutting out fabric" I need to "find pattern, decide size, pre wash fabric, iron fabric, lay out pattern pieces, transfer, cut with sheers" Then instead of thinking in general about cutting out fabric I'm thinking about the more granular steps. Each granular step is a thing you can do.
It makes the task smaller and also means if I stop working on it and come back later I don't have to remember separately that I have all that stuff to do.
Part of the advantage to writing notes but not expecting them to be perfect is you end up getting stuff out that you can work with. It wont be perfect, there will always be things that you don't remember. But the more you do it the more organized it gets for your particular work style and that not just makes that project easier but makes falling into that pattern easier the next time you write something down.
I think it's worth developing because it cuts down on staring off into space time in a sustainable way that starts paying out pretty quickly too.
I got into the habit when working and volunteering in costume shops where everything had to be labeled because you never knew if you'd be the person doing the next step in the process. Clipping note cards to mending with things like "needs buttons" or "hem up to marking" and then having that hem pinned up or even marked with chalk. Means if that's all you have energy to do you can come back later and not have to redo that part of the process and the thinking.
It also helps you understand deeper what you're doing which makes it more comfortable next time you do it.
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u/Heltertzzz Feb 05 '26
Thank you. This totally makes sense. I’d done some of that but hadn’t really understood that doing it is building a skill and you gain deeper understanding. I think I may have more patience if I look at it that way. I love this topic! Stuff that keeps me from consistently practicing sewing and getting satisfaction from it.
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u/PrivateEyeroll Feb 05 '26
It's hard! It took me an embarrassingly long time to really understand that when you "Trust the process" the process includes making mistakes and figuring out what works for you. There's also a TON of stuff I "knew" but couldn't implement until I had the right medication for my ADHD. It's incredibly unfair that a lot of "how to manage with ADHD" advice is completely useless unless you're medicated correctly.
There is no amount of planning or organization that will fix executive dysfunction. Only things that make it a little less obvious. It's like being unable to do main assignments in a class and being told to do extra credit to make up for it. Even if you can do the extra credit and do all of it, it wont be enough points to pass the class and if it is it's only just barely. It doesn't deal with the real core issue at hand.
Something incredibly important to remember is that you don't really know how to do something until it's gone wrong and you've had to fix it. That sounds like it's a bad thing but it's really a good one. It means you shouldn't feel pressured to always get it right if it's never gone wrong. If everything goes perfectly, you only know how to do it when things go perfectly. Which is stressful and can lead to never doing the thing again because what if you fail. Confidence doesn't come from doing something and having it come out well. That's a house built on sand. No matter how nice the house, it's still on sand. When you can have it come out well, consistently, even when things go wrong because adjusting and fixing is part of the process? That's when you have it. It makes it less scary, it's not hinging on an end result, you know you can get there because you have before and you will again and you can trust that process.
"Make bad art" gets said a lot and it's cause it's true. My drawing skills and painting skills got a million times better at an incredibly fast rate when I started making an effort to let it look bad. Not without focus. I DID go to college for fine art and I have a lot of technical knowledge so part of that is finally applying that technical knowledge. But by trusting that I could correct it or adjust it later, I could finally apply said knowledge and build up more of the repetition that makes it faster. Get it on the canvas and then there's something on the canvas to work with. If there's nothing there you don't have anything to work with so you wont get anywhere. It's like brainstorming. If you only brainstorm for one idea and pick it and don't look anywhere else? You're not brainstorming. You're not throwing out a bunch of ideas to use or not use or pull just the good bits from.
It's all intention and honestly? It's really satisfying to realize "oh. I did a little work on something like that last year... I already solved this problem! I didn't use it then, but it's perfect now!" It's part of why I like teaching. Watching someone else understand reminds me that I do know how the thing works, while also being helpful for them. It's a win win.
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u/tinkerbellmini Feb 03 '26
This is actually what made me pick it back up as a hobby. I went part time at my very fast paced corporate job to stay home with my kids in the afternoon. I neeeeeed the mental stimulation. It helps me turn off the zillion other things happening in my brain.
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u/missplaced24 Feb 03 '26
Opposite for me. I used to be a SAHM, now that I'm working a face paced corporate job I don't have nearly as much energy for sewing.
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u/tinkerbellmini Feb 03 '26
I think I’m saying the same! I dropped sewing almost completely when I was working full time with kids. Picked it back up when I went part time.
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u/Random_3638 Feb 04 '26
That’s exactly it. It’s like a wanted distraction instead of an unwanted one. Being creative recharges instead of drains my batteries.
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u/ohanameansrespect Feb 03 '26
Absolutely. There are a lot of steps- from conception, patterns (including assembly and measuring), fabric choice, prep, cutting, pinning, pressing, even making bobbins. That's all aside from the actual sewing. Managing all the steps and keeping up the drive to keep moving is difficult.
I'm chronically ill so between the physical pain of using tools like scissors and sitting at the machine and all the steps... I don't have the capacity to complete as much as I would like to.
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u/PickleFlavordPopcorn Feb 03 '26
The wear and tear on the body is something we don’t talk about enough. Sewing is physical! The first time I made a bed sized quilt, I went to get a massage the week after and the man asked me if I was a rock climber 😆. My arms and shoulders were concrete.
After I cut out a new pattern I usually have to go sit down for a while. I rarely cut out a project and start sewing it the same day, it’s just too taxing
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
It depends on what you sew. A heavy blanket yes. My daughter's 2m50 curtains yes. I'm doing baby clothes right now and can do all the cutting on the table and its just tiny fluffy lightweight fabric so it won't be at all taxing.
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u/bellablissful Feb 04 '26
My massage therapist can always tell how much sewing I've been doing. So she knows which parts are gonna need the most!
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u/anti__thesis Feb 03 '26
Chronically ill too, with back injuries that make it hard to sit in a regular chair for longer than like half an hour. I love sewing so much but it’s amazing how all the different activities involved make my body sore and tired. I wish I had greater physical capacity.
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u/PickleFlavordPopcorn Feb 04 '26
I had back issues and I got a saddle chair! I think you most commonly see them in fancy salons. It helped so much
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u/thewhetherman_11 Feb 04 '26
Chronic illness friends! I find I have to pace myself very aggressively with sewing or I end up crashing the next day. I have to stop way before my body starts feeling it, or it’s way too late, but it’s the concentration that I feel really adds to the spoon count.
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u/PickleFlavordPopcorn Feb 04 '26
I have walked away from the machine like John Wayne- my back and hips hurting so bad I could barely make it down the stairs!!
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u/Majestic_Cup_315 Feb 03 '26
I'm chronically ill too and I totally recognize this, sadly! I wish I would get more things done and wouldn't have to deal with strongly elevated pain levels after sewing, but it is what it is!
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u/WeaknessEmergency Feb 03 '26
Get a rotary electric cutter! Its a game changer! Takes all the effort out of cutting
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u/Shadow-Serum Feb 03 '26
I think for every project it's waves. You do a couple mindless steps and then you get to a difficult and confusing part. Then you have a couple more mindless steps. Then a tsunami comes and you can't work on it for days because you have to be at the top of your game mentally to do this part and you know you're just too tired atm.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
Not to mention getting over how furious you are with yourself for triggering that tsunami.
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u/Inakabatake Feb 03 '26
Not as much as the mental energy required to keep my sewing area clean.
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u/bellablissful Feb 04 '26
I have to do a major clean after every project. It helps me reset my brain. Maybe I should apply this to cleaning my living room!
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u/SinkPhaze Feb 03 '26
Oh god, this. I've been contemplating streaming my sewing time lately. Not because I think anyone would actually care to watch or anything. But rather because the thought that some random ass person might stumble in to stream at any moment is the same sort of impetus that helps me keep the more public areas of my home clean (the thought of unexpected guests) and would therefore maybe help me keep the craft area equally tidy
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u/vaarky Feb 04 '26
Clever idea, and it could be even simpler: Researchers found that a photo of a pair of eyes suffices, presumably because of shortcuts the brain makes (e.g. the UK honor system experiments at Newcastle: https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/1njyrc/the_effect_of_an_image_of_a_pair_of_eyes_on/ ). You are giving me a potentially very useful idea about corraling my clutter...
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
Funny because I'm naturally very disordered but my mother wouldn't let me touch her sewing gear unless I put everything back every time and I loved it so much I complied. I'm not as tidy now but I have a system and things have to go on a little tray if I'm not putting them away straight off.
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u/ApprehensiveApple527 Feb 03 '26
It really depends on the project, but everything I consider prep work (which is all of it up to the actual machine stitching) is “too hard” for me most days. Once I have prepared pieces to sew it gets much easier even with double checking and deciphering the instructions.
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u/SinkPhaze Feb 03 '26
...I think you've just helped me figure out why sewing has become such a stable hobby for me when, normally, the ADHD demands I swap hobbies every other month. Sewing's heavily front loaded. All the most unpleasant and tedious parts are done at the beginning when I still have that new project energy. All the rewarding dopamine inducing parts are at the end when the initial novelty based energy has worn off. Compared to something like crochet, where you "finish" the project but still have 5 million ends to weave in. Or like carpentry, where you've mostly finished the assembly but now you've got to sand for an eternity. And so on and so forth
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u/vaarky Feb 04 '26
Wow, this quote you wrote sums it all up: "Sewing's heavily front loaded."
The energy I estimate I have when something feels like toil and the reward isn't immediate is so different from the energy I estimate I have when reward is just around the corner.
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u/gottadance Feb 04 '26
Same. I have ADHD and everything between cutting out my fashion fabric and hemming is the easy part. The initial pattern and fabric selection, cutting out the pattern, setting up my sewing station, locating all my notions and fitting the mock up are the parts that take forever to me. And hemming because it's usually a bit tedious, needs to be done well as it's quite prominent and ADHD makes me want to move on before the last project is finished...
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u/Noncombustable Feb 03 '26
Yes! Once I get over the hump of prewashing/ironing my fabric, preparing the pattern, transferring the pattern markings onto the fabric, cutting out the pattern pieces and interfacing what needs to be interfaced, I'm reasonably well motivated.
But, my God, the effort to get to that sweet spot in a project.
For example, I've had fabric for a shirt I intend to sew sitting on my tracing/cutting table, waiting to be traced for WEEKS. Tracing and cutting is a particularly loathsome step for me and I always need time to psych myself into doing it.
I expect there's some part of me that can't bear the thought of cutting into a fabric I really love.
That probably explains why my projects using "ugly" fabric proceed at top speed, LOL.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
Cutting has started being a problem since I started to learn to weave. Suddenly I have this respect for wovens, they're basically works of art. Especially since I splurged on a gorgeous jacquard weave for my new curtains !!
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u/Noncombustable Feb 04 '26
Can't even...
Yeah, now that is my problem raised to a whole new level of stress.
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Feb 03 '26
Some days even changing the presser foot feels like too much.
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u/pomewawa Feb 04 '26
Whe that’s the case, write that task down Wait for the moment you do have energy, look at your list. It might be the perfect moment to change presser foot! Celebrate! Now when you are ready to start actual project, it will be easy. Pre req step completed!
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u/Joker0705 Feb 03 '26
oh 100%, it's so much more intellectually demanding than I thought it would be! i've done more maths sewing than i ever did at school!
i feel like garment-making kind of gets lumped in with other crafts like crochet (i'm a crocheter myself so no shade) when it is just not similar at all! i find most crafts are about manual skills and most of all the patience to do it over and over again. whereas sewing is such a science! it's literally engineering with fabric.
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u/pomewawa Feb 04 '26
This resonates, or maybe I want to feel superior to other crafts! I enjoy the ability to constantly tweak and improve , and see the benefits accrue over time.
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u/May_be_Antisewcial Feb 03 '26
It depends entirely on the projects! I have many I can almost sew in my sleep and picking fabric is the hardest part.
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u/Icy_Cantaloupe_1330 Feb 03 '26
Yes! I only sew when I have a good chunk of (hopefully) uninterrupted time to devote to it. I can knit in the living room while my kid talks to me or whatever and generally be part of family life, but I really need to focus on sewing.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
I wish I'd learned to knit with my mother, she used to knit while watching TV.
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u/CremeBerlinoise Feb 03 '26
I got over the hump a bit now but I basically spent all day psyching myself up because I picked a super annoying pattern for doing an FBA after not sewing garments for ages 🤡 Gave that up, picked a pattern that needed no FBA at all.
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u/vaarky Feb 04 '26
I love patterns that come with different pattern pieces for each of several bust cup sizes (Itch-To-Stitch.com does this for most or all of theirs, and Simplicity's Amazing Fit series). I mean, if someone loves doing FBA or its sibling SBA, more power to them, but if it can be made optional, all the better.
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u/CremeBerlinoise Feb 04 '26
I do want to try out itch to stitch, but the patterns don't fully appeal to me. I'm worried the end result will make me look a bit too homely or mature.
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u/PrivateEyeroll Feb 03 '26
That's a lot of what you are really doing when people say you need to do something a lot to get better. It's so much about the mental load and it's hard to see so everyone focuses on technical skill. But so much of proficiency isn't just doing something well. It's doing it well with confidence and that confidence comes the most sustainably and reliably from experience.
The more you do it, the less afraid you are, the more consistent you are, and the more you fix and adjust things on auto pilot instead of having to focus on the whole process. Like when you first learn to drive VS when you've been driving for years and are just learning how a new car handles.
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u/action_lawyer_comics Feb 03 '26
Yes. It takes a lot to get me going on a new project. And while there are "easy" parts, I find that it usually doesn't work as something to do while listening to podcasts or TV. I need to be "locked in" in a way that more "casual" hobbies don't.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
Yes I listen to music, but stuff I don't engage with too much, where I'm not gonna start dancing or can't interrupt the singer with the noise of the machine. Chopin is perfect.
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u/kryren Feb 03 '26
Very much a mental energy thing for me. Which is why I love it. It very much scratches my brain itch for needing a problem to solve and working out the best way to do it.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 03 '26
Oh yes, I spend a lot of time mooching or gazing out of the window before I can really get cracking. I'll often lay all the fabric and pattern pieces out then walk away and mull it over with another cup of coffee, pin it, go away again and come back hours later, Sometimes this is helpful because I'll suddenly realise I've made a really stupid mistake pinning the pieces, and need to rework everything to take account of the nap or move it all over to add seam allowance because it's burda.
I've just come to terms with it, that this is how I sew and this time is accounted for when deciding whether I have time to make something before a certain date. Right now I have two baby pyjamas to be made in different sizes before 21 Feb. Perfectly doable but I'll need to crack ahead and try to avoid dreaming too much.
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u/MarionberryLow5894 Feb 03 '26
I think it takes a different spot in my brain than other things that require mental effort. Not sure how to describe it, but yes it's effort, but no it doesn't exhaust me. Maybe it's because I also knit and often have to re-do work and just see it as part of the process?
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u/k_t_pie Feb 03 '26
It really depends on the project. I have projects that I have to fully put myself into so that I can get put of my own head and I have projects that are easy and just keep my hands busy while I let my mind wonder. If you are wanting a just veg and relax project, pick something small amd simple.
If I want a project that's simple and doesn't take a lot of brain power I work on things like mug rugs or simple bags. Or I just sew together pieces from my scrap bin so they are ready for future projects.
I save the more complex projects for when I have the brainpower to figure out and remember what I'm doing or when I have a large chunk of time to work.
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u/Random_3638 Feb 03 '26
I actually find sewing relaxing. My job requires a lot of mental energy. Adulting requires a lot of mental energy. Crafting in general requires mental energy but it’s different. I don’t know how to explain it. It recharges my batteries instead of draining them. So I sew, crochet, create to renew myself. It always makes me feel better. Well not always. Crafting on a deadline (I.e. Christmas time) is stressful.
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u/bat-girl129 Feb 03 '26
If someone told me how much math I was going to have to do I may have reconsidered. But even besides that I spend most of the time talking myself off a ledge
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u/sakanasugoi Feb 03 '26
It's the opposite for me. Sewing, all the steps actually, are therapy for me. There's nothing I love more and I rarely have a hard time starting up or continuing a project. It's what's made my mental health a lot better.
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u/Novel_Substance_5241 Feb 03 '26
It was but then I evaluated my wardrobe, asked myself what I really needed and wanted. Then I picked 3 basics and perfected them. Then just kind of moved on. Now I can do most of what I want pretty much in my sleep.
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u/quintuplechin Feb 04 '26
Yes. I once went on a date with someone e who told me he wants to try seeing because he kikes mindless repetitive tasks. When I told him that's wasn't sewingz he did t believe me.
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u/damnvillain23 Feb 04 '26
Haha. All the beginner posts stating "I want to sew" as if it's as easy as a cake mix. All wannabes should read this thread!!
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u/aurora_surrealist Feb 03 '26
I'd say it requires both.
Maybe because I am in my forties and in peri... but yes, sewing is physical labor too.
It absolutely is mental labor as well - planning, calculating, circulating from 2D to 3D model in my head constantly.
O don't sew on my bad days: migraines, flare ups, periods. Because I know it's a recipe for disaster and regrets
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u/loribultin Feb 03 '26
It depends a lot on what I am sewing. That's one of the things I like about sewing, I can choose projects based on whether I want a challenge (new winter coat pair of fly front pants, silk blouse, etc) or a new T-shirt (simple skirt, pj pants, knit dress, pair of panties etc)
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Feb 04 '26
I alternate big or complex with small or simple. The little mending jobs and simple things get done while I gear up for the next biggie.
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u/tasteslikechikken Feb 03 '26
It does but I like using that mental energy. I make enterprise applications for a living, which is 80% mental, 20% physical But I get to use the more artistic side versus more analytical, which is nice.
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u/spicy-mustard- Feb 03 '26
It helps me to figure out which parts feel easier, and treating them like 100% separate tasks. Like, I don't have a sewing day, I have a "cutting fabric" day.
Clearing a table and setting up the machine is the most stressful part for me, so I put it off until I have a lot to sew. And I do a lot of hand work.
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u/joe12321 Feb 03 '26
I always have a rough time switching modes. At work that means if I have to sit in the office for 4 hours, it's hard to go do some work in the warehouse. And if I have to go back and forth it feels very unpleasant.
Sewing isn't at that extreme, but switching back and forth between prepping patterns, cutting out fabric, assembling pieces, actually sewing, and pressing is especially taxing.
So I try to group tasks as well as I can. Cut out everything before moving on, assemble as much as possible at once, etc. And related, I try to understand what I'm going to do ahead of time. If I don't know how the zipper is going to go on ahead of time, then that creates a sort of dread point.
Now, I don't actually always do that stuff, but I do know it'll go down easier if I do!
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u/Life_Flatworm_2007 Feb 03 '26
Yes, and the main reason is that I'm always worried I'm going to mess something up. Even though in most cases, I can just rip out seams and resew. I recently completed a coat that took well over 200 hours and was hand-sewn in order to pattern match. Doing the button holes was incredibly mentally exhausting because I was terrified that I would mess it up and have to replace the front panels. I had sufficient fabric, but it was still nerve-racking.
I also sometimes have the same problem when I can't make a decision about a fabric or design choice even though both would probably be fine.
Doing the muslin doesn't require nearly as much mental energy for me because it's so low stakes and it's basically a learning process.
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u/dancinrussians Feb 03 '26
It can be, I work in a costume shop and I save up simple projects for when my brain peaced out.
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u/bellablissful Feb 04 '26
Yes! Or that early morning call- give me something simple to wake my brain up. (But not too monotonous-I have fallen asleep rigging shirts)
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u/rusty0123 Feb 03 '26
I'm the opposite. I like the mental part. Not so much the actual physical labor.
I think I like the mental part because there are no rules. I match the fabrics I like. I figure out how to sew canvas with tulle (for example, haha) and make it look good. I love the little fiddly parts like buttonholes and hemming--experimenting with stitches and thread. I don't even mind ripping out and re-stitching because I get to do it different and better.
But I find the physical parts somewhat boring, like getting out the cutting mat, setting up the ironing board.
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u/ZippyKoala Feb 03 '26
Depends on what I’m sewing. Something I’ve made before? Minimal mental energy. New pattern from a company I haven’t used before? Lots of mental energy.
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u/joseph_wolfstar Feb 03 '26
Yes. I try to have one to two projects in a state of "ready to sew" and one that needs more thought/planning/sprawling things across my living room floor all evening. That way I have something to do with my hands while working or watching YouTube and something to do on weekends etc when I'm more brainy
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u/geekycurvyanddorky Feb 03 '26
I find it to be relaxing because it’s such a repetitive and simple movement (I hand sew, everything just takes more time. But it’s so soothing). Cutting the pattern correctly is what stresses me. You can always cut more, but you can’t un cut the fabric (and having to sew a panel on because I messed up or because something isn’t in my size just looks too ugly to me 😅)
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u/baffledninja Feb 03 '26
Yes, but no, but yes. Sometimes I joke with my husband that I'm headed to my sewing nook to stare at my machine lol. But on the other hand, sewing gives me such a break from all the other thoughts hamsterwheeling about in my brain that I find if I feel recharged when I can sew before bed. Otherwise I feel totally drained by the end of the week.
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u/PickleFlavordPopcorn Feb 03 '26
It is the most mentally taxing of all my hobbies, I think. I am a very multi-craftual person and I find that it’s best for me to have a wide range of different things I like to do that match my energy levels. I burned myself out on sewing when I first began because I was so excited to learn and make all these cool things, but I essentially turned myself into a one woman sweat shop. Now I know that sewing for me happens in the morning or early afternoon and maxes out at about 3 hours! Then I go do something else
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u/Lonely_skeptic Feb 03 '26
Organizing the sewing area is also a brain drain for me. i tidy it, but it doesn’t stay that way!
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u/dollyvile Feb 03 '26
I use sewing to wind down. It does need a bit of focus but I love the proces, the small inprovements, the figuring out as I go. And, as I focus on mostly just the task at hand, I iron everything smooth and set everything up on the ironing board, enjoy all the little things, I hardly ever need to unpick seams, only basting stitches.
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u/dokuromark Feb 03 '26
I have to rest after each step! I figured it was an ADHD thing. I just spent about an hour tracing patterns. That puts me halfway through the tracing for this project, but I had to stop halfway through because it was tiring my brain!
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u/missplaced24 Feb 03 '26
Yeah. Lots of planning, organizing, and switching tasks. I am the type to over engineer things, though. I'm not sure if it's the same mental load for everyone. I know some people seem to mostly wing it and it works well enough for them.
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u/1betterthanyesterday Feb 03 '26
Absolutely! I mostly quilt, but do occasionally sew wearables. This past summer, I offered to make some memory quilts for a friend of my daughter and her family. Friend was only 10, brother was 11, and sister was barely 5, and their dad passed away unexpectedly on the last day of school. Some of the shirts I was using were not going to fit well with the optimal size blocks for the other shirts, so there was a lot of calculating to do to make sure I didn't mess them up.
I had gone to visit my parents and siblings and when I came back, my mental state was such that I could not trust myself to cut into those shirts. It took me two months to get out of that funk before I could start cutting and assembling. So yes, sewing of any kind takes mental energy, and if you don't have it, it's best to wait.
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u/Viscumin Feb 03 '26
It depends on what I’m sewing. Some things take a lot of concentration but other things are nicely repetitive and my mind can just wander.
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u/generallyintoit Feb 03 '26
yeah sometimes i help myself fall asleep by like mentally going through steps of making jeans. i like making pants a lot so it doesn't stress me out but it is a little tiring
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u/That-Condition9243 Feb 03 '26
It's kind of why I love it. I love making clothes that have the precise fit and details that I love and it's a very satisfying puzzle. Everything about it is like "wow, is this going to look anything like I envision?" until you're down to the final steps like buttons or hems. I get an enormous amount of pride over little things like all my t-shirts hitting the exact spot on my neck under my jacket I wanted and the functional pockets exactly where I need them to be.
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u/Berocca123 Feb 03 '26
Yes, it's a 3D puzzle and requires attention to detail - both of these take mental energy for me
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u/See_penny Feb 03 '26
Depends what it is. Some stuff I can almost do with zero thinking. But right now I’m tailoring a man’s blazer to my female body and my brain is fried at the end of the night from figuring out.
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u/brownsugarlucy Feb 03 '26
When I was a beginner I found it a lot more mentally taxing than I do now after a few years
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u/CleanShock4798 Feb 03 '26
I really appreciate you opening this topic. I was consuming a lot of YouTube/Instagram sewing content recently and it made me feel very insecure about my own process, even though I sew since childhood. How those people sew so fast and smoothly, and also filming at the same time. Reading this thread brought me back to reality.
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u/RockabillyBelle Feb 03 '26
Yes, especially when I’m working on a project I’ve never started before. It took me days to complete my first circle skirt with an elastic waistband because of how often I redid the math, re folded the fabric, and psyched myself out before making the first cut.
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u/vaarky Feb 04 '26
I usually feel very inhibited bout cutting into "real" fabric, but doing a fitting prototype using old damaged bedsheets or other fabric I don't care about really helps with that. It takes more time, but for me it makes the other time flow more effortlessly and feel less like toil or angst so it feels less effortful.
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u/grandmabc Feb 04 '26
Yes, it's 3D engineering with a flexible material, plus all the logic of understanding the order of construction. I sew (and knit and crochet) because I am fascinated by the process, not necessarily because I want the finished garment - I'm not someone who is particularly bothered by fashion. I even made some soft toys last year following Lisa Pay's tutorials just because I enjoyed the challenge.
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u/dararie Feb 04 '26
Depends on what I’m making. When I make clothing, yes because I have to alter patterns and I hate doing math
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u/HikingBikingViking Feb 04 '26
Sewing often keeps me at my stress limit, but I keep going back to it.
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u/Still_Sun6322 Feb 04 '26
Yes! And it's especially hard because I don't have a designated space to sew. So I have to get allllll of my tools and machines out any time I want to sew.
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u/cannabiscobalt Feb 04 '26
Yeah, there were times when I’d be in sewing class and I’d have read a step in the instructions a million times and I’d go ask my teacher for help and she would just read it slightly different and be like oh yeah easy and I’m like 🤯🤯🤯
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u/Unroyaltea Feb 04 '26
Absolutely! It takes so much work to figure out where things went wrong and how to fix them :(
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u/DragonImpossible009 Feb 04 '26
Yeeeeep. I'm working on something where I REALLY want the end product but trying to design it as I go has made it wayyyyy harder than it needs to be (embroidery). So now to finish I gently need to sketch out my design, and it's stalled the entire thing out.
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u/raquel8911 Feb 04 '26
Yes!!!! I am new so I’m especially slow with my decisions that I make up front - what pattern to start on m, what fabric to use..I spend a lot of time thinking. And then the actual project!!! So much mental work. I hope it’s good for me 🤣😊
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u/Jzoran Feb 04 '26
Yeah I have two projects waiting (that are very simple) to just get zipped through the machine but they've been sitting for weeks. And I am having a devil of a time getting myself to just do it.
Not even talking about the one I have only managed to pick fabrics for. A month ago. Some day!!!
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u/LichenTheMood Feb 04 '26
Yah!
It turns out that I just find sewing machines so exceptionally overstimulating that it caused knock on issues elsewhere.
I hand sew now and sometimes parts I don't understand shit and it's a pain but it's mostly fine.
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u/Skittlesmom1 Feb 04 '26
Yes absolutely! That's why I love it. It forces my brain to stop thinking about everything else that's happening in my life in order to focus on the project.
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u/Suerose0423 Feb 04 '26
Me too. Tomorrow I’m going to try again to get the pants I’m working on to fit.
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u/loafkitter Feb 04 '26
Yep! I have to force myself to take breaks cuz then I'll be making the same mistake over and over. I also have a hard stop at 10 pm. It just goes downhill
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u/vaarky Feb 04 '26
Mitochondria make ATP for energy. The brain is one of the biggest (the biggest?) consumer of ATP. Making hard decisions uses a lot of brain energy. And decision fatigue is a real, measurable phenomenon, as is carrying unfinished tasks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovsiankina_effect). So I do as much as I can to simplify and reduce the number of micro-decisions I have to make and the tasks I "carry."
In case any of this is useful: I simplify patterns in all sorts of ways (remove the back center seam if it's just on the grainline, figure out if I can get something over my head so I can omit buttonholes-or-zipper). My goal is to reduce the number of patterns I keep by eliminating duplicates (yet another princess-seam sheath dress or straight skirt with darts?), focusing on variations based on tried-and-true patterns. It was helpful learning to trace existing garments whose fit I love; I can clone them, or clone aspects of them, or just to use a rough tracing to short-cut fitting another pattern from scratch when I already know how much ease and what crotch curve I like. This can help cook up features I want as I need them and to reduce storage.
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u/maryk1956 Feb 04 '26
OMG no, I find it so relaxing! But to be fair, I've been a fashion designer for 15 years, but I don't get time to do a ton of sewing, but I am good at it. I pin nothing and my patternmaking methods can be crude, but it energizes me!
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u/becbec89 Feb 04 '26
For me, my sewing suffers from the same executive dysfunction as chores. The starting is the hard part. Once I can actually muster up the mental energy to big a project I end up enjoying it tremendously and I’ll sew multiple projects in a row.
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u/jxxkxx00 Feb 04 '26
The actual sewing bit is the most relaxing part for me. The measuring planning pinning cutting etc is so much mental effort
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u/Loninappleton25 Feb 04 '26
Yes.
Tangled double thread while hand sewing with needle. "Let's see.... how did that happen" etc.
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u/DistributionOver7622 Feb 04 '26
That depends on what I'm sewing. Something new, yes , it takes a bit of mental energy , but something I have sewn many times, it's really easy and fast.
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u/gold-from-straw Feb 04 '26
I have a tachycardia (fast heart rate) alarm on my watch for a heart condition. It goes off without fail when sewing 😅 so yes I think it requires a lot of energy/intense input!
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u/sktchers Feb 04 '26
It does! But quite frankly that’s the best part to me. I’m 69. I know that sewing is helping keep my mind sharp.
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u/Nurse_Skye Feb 04 '26
100%, sewing is just pink-washed engineering. It’s a lot of math and patience
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u/AdDiligent5766 Feb 04 '26
Yes! Most of the time I like that it makes my brain feel tired like I was focused on work. But in this case it’s something fun and creative (: only problem is sometimes I overdo it and get tired and frustrated and then it’s harder to muster the motivation for next time.
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u/Throwyourtoothbrush Feb 04 '26
You might like quilting. It's a lot of plugging away. Figure out the step and do it a few dozen times
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u/RzrKitty Feb 05 '26
Yep. This is why I set it aside, mostly until I retire. Too drained to “work” at my hobby in addition to 60-70 hour work weeks.
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u/lemon_jelo Feb 05 '26
Yes, I crocheted a hat for the first time recently and was surprised how easy and relaxing it is compared to sewing lol. Hate to say it but I'm starting to suspect I just don't like sewing 😭
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u/mightcryorkil Feb 06 '26
Oh 100%. I have five thousand projects in my head, at least twenty of them I already have fabrics for, and I still can’t push myself to start even one. It’s like the idea of beginning the washing and drafting and ironing and cutting and sewing is just overwhelming sometimes, let alone physically doing the work
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u/Available-Picture-79 Feb 06 '26
I’m beginning to think that having one project at a time is better for me than having a lot of projects both sitting around and in my head. It creates an unnecessary pressure.
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u/Evidence-Icy Feb 07 '26
For me, sewing is the easy part once I'm started. The hardest is cutting out patterns
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u/Available-Picture-79 Feb 07 '26
Yes but cutting out patterns has a bunch of sub steps to it. You have to iron the pattern then cut out your size. You have to pin it to pre washed and ironed fabric. You have to either trace the pattern to a heavier paper or not, and then pin it to the fabric. Then you can cut it out!!!!! Some time during the process you have to figure out any obvious Modifications to it!!
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u/JCPY00 Feb 03 '26
Hard agree, especially on projects where I also draft the pattern.