- That I will wake up at 6:00 a.m. and go to the pool
- That I will not eat cookies/ microwave popcorn / frozen pizza for dinner
- That I will not read blogs, personal emails, or PatternReview.com while at work
- That I am the same size as last year and my skirt shrank in the wash
- That I have a totally normal size collection of nail polish
- That I will sew pants
And the biggest lie of them all? That I’ll sew a wardrobe / SWAP.
Despite this massive lie, I still made myself late for work this morning pulling out a collection of fabric I would like to work with this summer.
So what if it sits on the sofa all sunmer while I sew anything that’s not khaki, denim, brown or a combination of the two? These lies make me feel productive and organized. We all need our little crutches to get through the day, right?
Dare I ask, what lies do you tell yourself?
Miss Celie's Pants 
Hey, I have that brown dot fabric. I tell myself a whole bunch of lies every time that I buy fabric. I have tons of fabric from two Falls ago that I haven’t sewn yet. UGH! I can’t wait to hear the lies I tell myself at PR Weekend when we’re at the fabric stores. Hoo boy! Those will be some big ole lies!!!
Did we buy it together? I got in in NY last summer. Sigh. I have fabric from last year’s Philly trip that may *still* be in the bag.
That if I sew four items a week, I could be done with my fabric stash in 7 weeks and buy more fabric. As if I would ever sew four items in a week.
LOL! My new one last week was “If I sew one garment a week, I’ll get through my stash in a year’. Like I can sew one garment a week. Pshaw.
I admire anyone who can commit to a “swap”.
I can’t even lie my way through that one…….
My biggest sewing lie to myself is “I will make all those BWOF styles I have tagged as must haves in my pictures folder” even though the total is 175 and they go back to 2006, which are starting to look a little dated now. Oh whats that I hear? The mail guy just delivered my May BWOF – make that 176, 177, 178….
Oh. This lie I know well. The worst is I have fabric matched to patterns from 2002.
I have some of those dating back to 1999, but amazigly still don’t find them dated!
That’s actually one of the things I love most about BWOF.
Even though they have pieces that are on and often ahead of trends, there is such an array of timeless styles. Even in issues going back to the early 2000’s you can still find spare, contemporary and stylish things you can wear today without looking like a bad retro who did it and why. I find collar styles,jacket lengths, and off and on trendwear like jumpsuits to be the time capsule giveaways. Other than that BWOF can be a staple. I shall not part with my 2001’s!
You’re so adorable! At my age, I have come to the realization that it’s hopeless. I think I’ll go make some popcorn.
Home Style w. real butter is my fav!
I think it is that “I will so such-and-such a pattern next”. Then I get diverted and sew something completely different. Sigh….
I don’t even know why I line up patterns. I don’t sew what I say I’m sewing next. Evah.
I do this, too! But at least I’m (slowly) making my way thru the stash. It’s got to be MUCH harder when you have an entire, totally awesome fabric store at your fingertips, Gorgeous! (that would make me totally crazy… in a good way!)
Ummmm….you basically just named all of my lies, with the exception of the nail polish one. Actually, if you just changed that to “I will actually do my nails every week, even though I can never wait until it’s properly dry before I muck them up” you’d have me in a nutshell. Maybe add: I will clean out my sewing closet TODAY.
Ah, yes. The cleaning my sewing room lie! As for my nails weekly, that was my lie until 2009!
The “wake up early and [insert form of exercize here]” lie! Oh I know this too well. I tell it to myself every night. I am telling it to myself right now.
My big sewing lie though is the sheath dress. As much as I want to and am determined to make it, I keep defaulting to things that require less “fit”… or that are more fun! But one day. Soon. Really.
Up until recently my biggest lie was ‘I won’t have any wine tonight’, but due to a challenge at the gym I have managed to live up to it a few days a week in the last few weeks – who knew miracles happen!
Oh, golly. I don’t know that I can even form the words ‘no wine after work’. I should. But, I can’t!
I tell myself a similar set of lies to you, especially the one about the skirt shrinking in the wash. I do get up early and exercise, so it must be that my clothes are shrinking, it’s the only thing that could have happened.
Lie to myself numero UNO (and it’s a biggie): I’m not buying anymore fabric until I’ve made a dent in what I have. I tell people it’s my substance abuse problem.
I would have to make 20+ garments to see any kind of dent in my current stash, but I probably still accumulate an average of 10m per month.
I have (perhaps unfortunately) discovered in the last few years the delights of thrift store fabric shopping, where you can find delicious vintage wools, cottons, silks for next to nothing – and I’m talking actual yardage here, not refashioning clothing. I’m a victim of my own expertise: I feel that no one will give such fabric as loving and appreciative a home as me, as if I were rescuing a cat or something.
I read of all these thrift store fabric finds and started hitting mine. But, have never found anything great. I would have to see 30 garments to see a dent in my stash too. Oy. That’s again why I told myself no fabric in 2010!
I won’t start anything new til I finish this project I’m sewing….
I’m going to tidy up my wardrobe and only keep what I really wear…
I won’t call him until he has called me….
hehehehehehe
Lol! I did clean out my closet last weekend. But, I have not cleaned out my drawers. Those are stuffed with many many things I never wear anymore.
I can’t even see the forest through the trees enough to be able to identify the many many sewing lies I tell myself.
But this week’s biggest like seems to be, “I won’t finish the bag of Milanos in one sitting. again.”
My lies look much the same as yours! Swap or not you must make something from that white and gold (sequinned?) fabric!
Yes! There is a Patrones pattern that I’ve got pegged for that fabric. Which I bought in LA two years ago.
My lie right now: This weekend I am going to sort out all my old clothes that I don’t wear anymore and place them in bags for donation. Half-filled bags have been wandering aimlessly around my apartment for about 3 months now. I just step around them.
Also: No more new patterns until I’ve made the ones I have- except I just bought 3 online.
As for no blogs or PR when I’m at work- take a guess where I am right now? Not even going to bother trying to lie about that one. It’s a lost cause.
That I’ll get time to sew!
That Uni won’t take over my life again, like it does every semester.
That I’ll actually read all those sewing /knitting / craft books I borrowed, cover to cover, no skimming…
My perpetual lies:
The sewing room is a mess only because I’m very busy this week. Next week it’ll be spotless.
I’m going to the gym three times a week. That not working out this week is just an exception.
‘I won’t buy fabric just because it’s a good deal’is a pretty big one too, but I’m working on that
You know we should start saying different things to ourselves and then we might be happy and not beat ourselves up.
Mmm, tomorrow I will sleep in and then pull the laptop onto the bed to read blogs and emails while drinking coffee.
Tomorrow at work I will continue to check updates…hehe
Then I will come home and sit in front of the TV with wine and cheese!! Ahh, thats better.
I don’t lie to myself, EVAH! So I can’t comment on that! ROTFLOL! However, I want to know why you can’t sew those pieces of fabric individually. Why do they have to be a SWAP? Why can’t you just pick one and a pattern and go for it? Ummm, why?
Sigh. Because I get bored with the colors or something else comes up that feels more interesting. I sew about 10 percent of the things I tell myself I’m going to sew. Sad, but true.
Your fun! Lies, lies, lies! I tell them to myself ALL the time but like you it is what keeps me going! My biggest lie, I will go to bed early!!! H A H A !!!!! Whatev!hehe
Shorty
Let’s see… I’m with you on the 6 am & go to the gym/pool. And on the “I will sew pants” one. Then I end up at Target or Ann Taylor and just buy their pants, even though they fit “OK” and not “great”. And then I swear that next month, I will totally sew myself some decent work pants. Sigh.
“This is a must easier project than the last one and won’t take long to sew.” (Emerging from under the fabric pile about two weeks later, and completely unnerved.)
I’ll sew this weekend! HUGE lie, because my husband and son, being male, feel they must eat constantly-though apparently they are unable to feed themselves so I must prepare said constant feast and of course clean up after it since “man-vision” prohibits them seeing dirty dishes. But every week I tell myself that I’ll somehow break the mold and actually get to sew with my guys in the house…Even the male cat gets in on it, by lying down on my fabric, rolling tummy up, and waving his paws around while purring at me in an attempt to get affection. How am I supposed to resist that?
Ah, that I can miraculously manage to spend several hours sewing a day, workout, practice accordion, clean, and cook a good dinner as my 1 year old “entertains” himself.
Right. I always think I’ll sew after work. Instead, I eat microwave popcorn and watch TV with a glass of wine.
That sounds a great deal more romantic than it probably is. 🙂 What kind of wine goes with microwave popcorn?
I like to myself all the time about getting up early to blog/sew/sketch…that snooze button and snuggling with my husband gets me every single time…
Oooh, lies. What a fun topic! At least you are honest with yourself about your lies, if that makes any sense.
Lies I tell myself –
1) I’ll use that yarn this year.
2) I’ll spin that fiber this year.
3) With a 2-year-old and twins due in 6 weeks, I have time for hobbies.
4) My basement is clean and my garden is weed free.
5) The cat did not just throw up in the living room. Again.
Haha.. many of the ones you listed are lies I tell myself. 🙂 Some additional ones, I can wait until the last minute to sew, knit, make a present for family and close friends… especially near the holidays like mother’s day and Christmas!
I will sew down my fabric piles.
I did not just order, like, 100 yards of fabric because I’m not an idiot.
I have some place to wear everything I want to make.
It’s almost as bad as the classic Salesman’s 3 greatest lies: “It’s on the truck, it’s in the mail, and I’ll respect you in the morning.” My fabric knows I lie.
I love this post.
My husband keeps lying to me (!), that he thinks I can devote an hour every single day, to working through all the examples in the five books of the Bunka Fashion Series Garment Design Textbooks, and then start my own business doing custom stuff…. How delusional is he?! (But I really should, just like I should pass on that glass of wine…)
That I will read those sewing books and techinical articles in sewing magazines that line my sewing bookshelf…before I attempt the new technique (as opposed ot afterwoads when I am trying to figure out what went wrong).
Oh totally! I kinda hoped just buying the books/mags would magically give me the skills. 😀
My lies are very similar to yours!! The only difference is that I don’t have a lot of nail polish any more. Now that I have kids, I don’t bother painting my fingernails any more. I just paint my toenails in funky colors!
I DO NOT LIE TO MYSELF(!!!!!?????). I HAVE GOALS. GOALS THAT I DON’T EVER MEET, BUT GOALS NEVER THE LESS (who am i kidding with that one?).
Ah, my workplace totally solved one of those. I got in yesterday, after a day off, and tried to load up a blog. To get the “this content is filtered” message. All blogs (blogspot, wordpress, etc) – now blocked. Thank heavens I can still load up patternreview, because going cold turkey is not fun.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are good for you. Therefore, the entire batch of oatmeal raisin cookies is really, really good for you.
We won’t talk about the three bags of fabric that is going into a rummage sale to make room for the new. And we won’t even think about the yarn.
Oh – I tell no lies…I absolutely do not eat sweets – and that includes chocolates (oh wait, that wasn’t chocolate in my mouth!)….I sew everything I need when I need it with the ease and schedule of a true lotus-eater…and last but not least, I get up every morning and go for a 6 mile run!
I also live in the world of thin thighs and sensitive men!!!
I tell myself I’m going to fix at least one item before I start a new one. And that I can close Tweetdeck for at least two hours of my computer-time each day… Sigh. Yeah right.
There’s no shame in having a healthy nail polish collection! So rock it.
I’m NOT going to spend the evening sittin at the computer – again !
I have too much fabric for my space, so not more buying until I have some room (but, don’t we all have piles on the floor ? no ?)
I will clean the sewing room after every project, before I start the next one.
I will practice and learn to rethread the darn serger in less than 1/2 hour (who the heck am I kidding ?)
Oh my. I’ve been deluding myself with “I’ll sew myself a wardrobe” for at LEAST two years now. And I reiterate it every time I go shopping and can’t find something I like!
I personally like your Lie #4 and I think it applies to me as well. Other lies I tell myself:
1. I will not buy more yarn or fabric until I use up a good portion of what I already have.
2. I will sew or knit every day.
3. I will make a Martha Stewart-esqe meal (from her mags, of which I am a subscriber) every week.
4. I will go to the gym today (always have my gym bag ready to go in the trunk of my car)!
I also love the May issue of Burda and am planning to make the top you showed in your last post — unfortunately, I don’t have the “right” fabric for it so I’ll have to buy some new yardage!
Oh my, I started a new job this week and yesterday was my first day with a computer. You have no idea how proud I was to make it through ONE DAY without checking facebook or a blog. It gets even more out of control when I’m working from home, but it’s not like I’m not still a productive worker! I should maybe just prove it first at my new job. Dur.
1. I will turn off the TV in the living room and get in the sewing room, and use the TV tuner on the computer, that I ran the cable for.
2. while in the sewing room, I will either get to sewing something or start cleaning out projects (sewing and non-sewing) that are over 10 years old and not started or finished.
2.5 while in the sewing room, I will not sit reading blogs and get nothing of my own done.
3. I’ll use this fabric (or yarn, or needlework items) soon. Really.
I’ll just keep it to the sewing related ones. The rest would be way too many.
*big grin* yes, I do the same thing, I’ll have a similarly beautiful stack of fabric that I’ve sorted and laid out to “do something with”. The stack will lay there for months and months….I think I do it every season….