Sewing With All 5 Senses Part 1: Sight and Touch

Podcast Transcript

Sarai

Welcome back to Seamwork Radio, where we share practical ideas for building a creative process so you can sew with intention and joy. And today, we have Haley back with us. Welcome back, Haley.

Haley

Thank you. I'm so happy to be back.

Sarai

So today, we're going to launch with part one of a two-part series called Sewing with All Five Senses. We're such sensory-seeking creatures, I think, and in very direct ways, sewing really feeds our senses of sight and our sense of touch. But if you can find ways to stimulate all of your senses when you're sewing, it can become an even more radical form of self-care than it already is.

Today, we're talking about how to intentionally enhance your sense of sight and touch, which are the two senses we experience the strongest when we're sewing. We're going to cover the elements that play into our sense of sight and touch and give you tips for how to embrace what feels good. And then we'll get into the other five senses, the rest of the five senses in our next episode. So I'm excited to talk about this today. And again, welcome back, Kaylee. We're so excited to have you back. It's been a while.

Haley

It has been a while. It feels like a lifetime because my life has totally shifted since the last time I was here. I had a baby, a baby girl. Her name's Frankie. She's really cute.

Sarai

Yay, Frankie.

Haley

But I felt the love when I was gone, and I enjoyed listening to the episodes, and I had a little bit of FOMO, but I definitely felt the love. I wanted to especially shout out our friend and listener, Don, who sent me the sweetest package for baby Frankie with receiving blankets and little burp cloths that he handmade. It had me crying because it was just such a sweet gesture. I'm just always so overwhelmed with gratitude for the community that we've created and all of the folks that we touch with our little conversations about sewing every week.

Sarai

Yeah. He sent us an email letting us know that he was sending that over. He sent it to the office and then Meg and I actually, we opened it before we give it to you to see what it was. We were excited to see it.

Haley

Yeah, it was exciting for everyone, really.

Sarai

Yeah, that was really Awesome. Well, we missed you for sure. Does it feel good to be back?

Haley

It does feel good to be back and get back in touch with the things that I like and make me besides being a mom.

Sarai

Which is kind of what we're talking about today. Grounding yourself with your creativity, with your sewing practice. So I'm excited to get into that. It's a good welcome back episode for Haley.

Haley

Yeah, I was excited that these were the first episodes that we're going to be recording together.

Sarai

Yeah, because it's all about taking care of yourself.

Haley

Yeah, I think we all need it.

Sarai

Absolutely. To get into the topic for today, when we're sewing, we are inherently really focused on our senses of sight and our sense of touch, right? So today, we're going to talk about how to further enhance those senses while we sew. So you get even more in touch with those senses and with your body while you're sewing. I think this makes your sewing time something you just look forward to more on a deeper level. There's also the three other senses, and we're going to get into those. We're going to cover those in the next episode, and those might be not quite as intuitive as sight and touch when it comes to sewing. So I think that'll be really interesting to talk about. So be sure to tune in for that next week. So let's get into talking about what this looks like for us. So what does your sewing ritual look like right now, Haley?

Haley

I have to be real. My sewing ritual is not very ritualistic right now. My sewing ritual is like run upstairs, sprint to my sewing room, and power through as many steps as I can get done in a very short amount of time, the span of a nap, typically. So that's usually I get about as far as heating up my iron and sewing a few seams. So it's not a very grounding experience right now. I think I've talked about before that I have my magic number for sewing time is having at least two hours to sew. And I feel like when I can get that longer chunk, it's intuitive to have more of a ritual, but I struggle to create one when I have shorter amounts of time. So maybe this episode will help inspire me.

Sarai

Absolutely. I think that is so true. And we can really, I think, tailor your experience with sewing or with anything creative to the amount of time you have as well. I've been doing this block method to work on creative projects, which is basically the Pomodoro method. If you guys are familiar with that, it's basically you set a Timer for 25 minutes, and then you take a five-minute break, usually with the Pomodoro method. Or you could do 50 minutes with a 10-minute break. You set your own time limits, but it's a way to create a little bit, just a slight sense of urgency and get started on something, which I find really helpful for things that are not that fun to do, but also with creative things and things that are fun to do, I think it's a good way to just get me into it and get started and not put it off, and also to use up smaller chunks of time. I notice that's very different than when I have a whole afternoon to sew or something like that. It just has a different feeling to it.

Haley

Would you say that's the cornerstone of your sewing ritual right now?

Sarai

Sometimes, yeah. I think for maybe during the week when I only have a little bit of time and I want to just get a little chunk done. I've been working on my dress for Stitch Fest, which is coming up this weekend, and I haven't finished it yet. So I'm trying to work on it a little bit after work in the evenings. And usually I don't have very much time in the evenings because I have a lot of other things to do. I've been using that method. But then on the weekends, if I do have more time, then it feels a lot more relaxing, and I can get into some of the things that we're going to talk about today, and it feels a little bit more grounding.

Haley

What would you say is, of the five senses, do you have the most trouble integrating into your sewing practice?

Sarai

That's a great question. I bring a snack. Yeah. But other than that, that's the one probably that integrates the the least. What about you?

Haley

Probably also taste because I'm always forgetting to eat when I'm sewing. Or sometimes it's not really forgetting to eat. I do this really unhealthy thing where I don't know if anyone else can relate to this, where you hold eating and going to the bathroom as, I can do that as soon as I finish the sipper. And you're like, Why? Why?

I'm torturing myself for no reason at all. And then all of a sudden, lunchtime has passed like three hours ago, and I'm like, why do I feel horrible? Oh, yeah. I didn't eat. So that one is probably the trickiest for me. It's probably the trickiest for a lot of people.

Sarai

Yeah. You know what I find? I always bring a granola bar because I have the sewing shed, so I go outside of my house to sew. So I usually bring a granola bar or protein bar or something like that, and they always have chocolate. So I'm always getting chocolate all over my hands. And then I have to go back into the house to wash up. So I feel like that's one reason I put off eating when I'm sewing.

Haley

I also eat granola bars when I'm nursing Franky. And Eric was picking up the nursing pillow pretty recently, and he was like, What is this brown stuff all over the nursing pillow? And I'm like, oh, it's chocolate. From my cherry almond chocolate granola bar, obviously. So, chocolate's great. Inconvenient, though. Now, maybe a slightly silly question. I don't know. Maybe not. Do you believe we have a sixth sense when we're sewing? And if so, what is it?

Sarai

That's a great question. Well, I think there's a sense of intuition that you get, especially once you've been sewing for a little while. I guess that muscle memory feels like a sixth sense sometimes.

Haley

Yes.

Sarai

Maybe not technically a sixth sense, but it feels that way at times, for sure.

Haley

Yeah. And I think also the accumulation of knowledge that we gain from each project that we execute contributes to our intuition. So it feels like we have maybe a mystical knowing of fabric and sewing or pattern making. But really, it's all of those experiences layered over time that give you a stronger intuition about what's going to work and what's not going to work.

Sarai

Yeah, but I think that's a good point because it does get integrated into your body, into your physical being. I think it's really interesting to think about how knowledge, and especially motor skills, knowledge gets really embedded in not just your mind but also in your body. Maybe doing some of these things we're going to talk about today might help you become more aware of that and maybe integrate them even more.

Haley

Yeah. I believe firmly that focusing on the sensations in our body helps us to integrate knowledge and emotions. There's science to back that up as well.

Sarai

It's science.

Haley

It is science. Look, we're just two women in STEM.

Sarai

Obviously.

Haley

Obviously.

All right, so I want to dig into these tips. I'm going to kick us off by talking about sight. So the first area that pertains to sight that we're going to talk about is creating a space that feels really visually inspiring. And the first element that I want to talk about is lighting. I think this is one that's overlooked in many spaces, not just sewing spaces. I'm very passionate about lighting. Lighting can create... It's great at creating ambiance, but also when it comes to sewing and crafts, it's really practical. We need to be able to see pretty well. And so this is something that's personal to you, what feels good to your actual eyeballs physically feels good, but maybe emotionally feels a little bit supportive. For me, I like my room to be softly lit and then have a task light so that I can get the best of both worlds. Soft, cozy lighting, intense spotlight on what I need to see really well. But you can also prioritize brightness and have strong overhead lighting if that's something... I know my husband, he hates soft lighting. I think it makes him claustrophobic or something.

Sarai

That's interesting.

Haley

And he likes to be able to see really well with everything that's going on. And I'm like, I don't need to know.

Sarai

I don't need to see that corner.

Haley

Yeah, exactly. I don't need to see what I need to dust. So I think tuning in to what lighting feels really good to you. And I think that a lot of the tips we're getting into is about tuning in to what feels good to you because it's going to be deeply individual.

Sarai

Yeah.

Haley

The next is tidiness and organization. I think that it's important to embrace your threshold for visual clutter. Are you the kind of person who likes to keep everything out on display? I call this the apothecary form of organization. Then there's people like me. I like to keep things stored away, except for the things that I'm working on right in that moment or I have in my immediate pipeline, because then it's inspiring for me. Next up is color. And thinking about how color affects your mood, there's psychology on how colors affect your mood. For example, some studies show that blue is linked to creative output, and red keeps you paying closer attention to detail.

Sarai

It's more science.

Haley

More science. I wasn't wrong. STEM.

But I personally would feel really overwhelmed in a totally red sewing space. So I think this is, again, personal.

Sarai

Oh, can you imagine?

Haley

It would be a lot.

Sarai

Like being back in the womb.

But some people might like that.

Haley

Some people might like that feeling. I don't know. Some people, I think, like being surrounded by deep, saturated colors, and it really helps them get in touch with their creativity to have lots of color around them. And then other people like to have a blank canvas color that's more stripped back so that they can really play with their imagination and focus in on what is directly in front of them. Guess what type I am?

Sarai

Definitely type B.

Haley

Yeah, definitely type B. I think you are, too.

Sarai

Yeah, I am. I like a clean, bright space, light colors. My house is not really like that, but my sewing space, my creative spaces are, and my offices, too.

Haley

Are there visual elements that you particularly enjoy in your sewing space?

Sarai

Definitely natural light. That's really important to me when possible to have natural light. I also like cozy lighting. I think that's really nice. If you guys want to see a tour of my sewing shed. I have one from about a year ago on our YouTube channel, but we're doing an updated one that's coming out really soon that has everything that I've added since and how I've organized things. I also have a video on the YouTube channel about some organizational hacks that are really cool that I did in my sewing shed. So head over to the YouTube channel if you want to see those because there are some really cool ideas in there that I've been continuing to incorporate that have been really awesome. So like you, I like to have things pretty much stored away with a few things on display that inspire me right now. I especially like to have projects I'm working on put away when I'm not working on them. But then I'll leave things out when they're still in progress. So it's a little bit of a mix, but I don't mind a little bit of clutter while I'm working.

But then in between, I like to have everything very tidy, neat, and just open and airy. That's what inspires me.

Haley

Yeah.

Sarai

And those light colors.

Haley

Yeah. I think we have a very similar style I think some of the visual elements in my space that I particularly enjoy. I like my wall, the things that are at eye level to be more muted and stripped back. But I also like a space without color is for me a little bit boring. So I like to incorporate color on my rugs. And so I have a busier, more colorful rug in my space so that it has a sense of color and a coziness and sense warmth. I also have plants in my space to make it feel... I don't want it to feel too sterile. There's that fine balance between the two. And then mood boards. I really like having mood boards because it's an easy thing to cycle through, having a rotating selection of imagery to look at.

Sarai

Yeah, absolutely. That's one of the things I talk about in the upcoming sewing shed videos. One of the things I need to change is the rug. I got that light color, and you've seen it. It's a light colored cotton rug. I got it because it's machine washable. But yeah, dirty feet coming in and out, lots of mud, dogs going in and out. It's not really compatible.

Haley

Patterned rug.

Sarai

Yeah, definitely need a pattern rug.

Haley

It hides all of the little tiny threads for better or for worse, and pins also for worse. Let's be real.

Sarai

Yeah. That's one thing I want to change. I don't think I could keep plants alive in there very easily because I don't go in there all the time. I'd worry about that. But I was thinking about making some paper flowers or something to go in there to dress it up a little bit. That would be fun.

Haley

That is fun.

Sarai

Those little joyful moments throughout a space, I think. For me, when I go into that space, one of the things that feels really happy to me are the little cafe curtains that I made for the windows, the lace. They're just so pretty and flutterry, and they make me happy every time I go in there. Sometimes there's just one little detail that just brightens up the entire space for you and makes you happy to see it.

Haley

Yeah, when I'm decorating and thinking of spaces, I like to think of little vignettes, little moments that my eye can pause and enjoy, whatever, like small thing. I think thinking big and small when you're imagining spaces is helpful. That brings me to my next tip regarding space is to make sure that you're bringing elements that bring you visual joy. And this is more focused on those smaller elements like we were talking about. So this includes things like plants, wall art, furniture. If you have the space, a little cozy chair or cushion in the corner where you can get cozy and sketch, rugs, books, mood boards and sketches, and a place to hang your mood boards and sketches so that you can feel inspired to use them more regularly. I think that these are all joyful little moments you can add to space.

Sarai

Absolutely. All those things are, I think I have incorporated into my sewing space in some way or another.

Haley

A plus.

Sarai

Yeah. I also like candles, but I've mentioned this in some of our podcasts before and also in those videos, but I don't feel comfortable with candles in my sewing space. So I have those little LED candles throughout, which is nice and gives a little bit of relaxing, cozy vibes without being at all dangerous.

Haley

Yeah, I think candles are controversial in the sewing space for sure. I sometimes will indulge.

Sarai

Yeah. I think if you're going to be there and you're going to notice if you leave it burning, whereas if I walked away and forgot about it, it would be a problem.

Haley

Yeah, totally. It depends on your setup for sure.

All right. And then finally, we can't talk about our sense of sight without talking about fabric. And this is a pretty simple tip. It's just work with fabric that have colors and patterns that you love to look at. I think that sewing for dopamine... more often sewing things that... I think sometimes we can get wrapped up in the wardrobe staples, and that's all great. I love sewing a wardrobe staple, but just sewing something that makes you smile when you look at it. That cannot be underestimated. I think that the more that you can identify your sense of personal taste and work within that, the happier you're going to be when you're sewing. And as a bonus, you're probably going to be happier when you're wearing the object as well.

Sarai

Yeah, I think that's definitely true. And sometimes those wardrobe staples, you can find ways to make them a little bit more exciting for you.

Haley

Right. That's a great point. If it's something that maybe isn't super exciting to look at as you're working, it might be an opportunity to pause and consider how you can make it more enjoyable, even if that's something like adding a colorful seam binding or including like something hand embroidered on the inside, just so it has that little extra element that brings you joy when you look at it.

Sarai

Yeah, sometimes it's those little details. I don't think wardrobe staples, they are a little, they're not that exciting, but I think there's almost always a way to make them a little bit more exciting or interesting to you or just feel special to you. So it's a special everyday staple instead of just a white T-shirt or whatever it is.

Haley

Right.

Sarai

Yeah, absolutely. 20m

Well, let's get into the sense of touch. So that's something that often we are... Obviously, it's a big part of sewing, but I think sometimes we neglect to notice it as much as sight, which is something that just as humans, we're geared towards our sense of sight naturally. The sense of touch is something that you really can bring more attention and awareness to when you're sewing in order to ground yourself and also just feel more comfortable while you're sewing. I have a few things that you can think about while you're sewing to bring you a little bit closer to that sense of touch. The sense of touch is something that, for me personally, it's something that I really try to incorporate and noticing it throughout my day because it is so easy to ignore.

It can really just ground you and make you feel like you are a physical creature in a physical body instead of just in your head, which can happen to all of us. I think also with sewing or any creative activity in particular, you can get into your head a little bit. That can lead to sometimes even some negative emotions if you're overthinking things or just feeling anxious about things. Bringing yourself back to your physical self, your physical body, can be a way to unwind and remember that you are a human being instead of just focusing on the issue at hand.

The first tip that I have is to make sure that you're wearing clothes that you feel comfortable in. A lot of times when we're sewing, we're sitting for long periods of time. Sometimes we're standing for long periods of time, but oftentimes we're sitting. Sometimes you might even be on the floor cutting things out, so having to move around and have a lot of extra mobility. Just make sure that you're wearing things that you feel comfortable doing that in, and that can be different for different people. I'm often sewing in leggings and a T-shirt a lot of the time.

Even when I'm filming YouTube videos, sometimes I'm pretty dressed down for those. I think just staying comfortable and making sure that you're physically comfortable and able to move around is the first step and can just make the whole experience a lot better for you.

The next one is the temperature of your space. This is a big one for me. Since my space is in a shed, it does have some temperature control, but that's something I have to keep on top of. You want to find your own ideal working temperature and see what feels good to you. Obviously, everybody feels a little bit different. Some people run a little hot, some people run a little bit cold. Personally, I run a little bit cold. I'm often cold. If that's the case for you, you might want to wear slippers or bring some slippers or even some thick socks. For me because, again, because I'm in a shed and I have to walk through, at least in the cooler months when it's rainy, so I have to walk through muddy areas. I always keep a pair of slippers in my shed that I can change into and take my shoes off.

That can be really helpful and keep you really comfortable and keep your feet protected from stepping on any pins or anything like that, too.

Haley

So practical.

Sarai

Yeah. If you get cold, you can also use a space heater just around your feet, if that's helpful for you, if your feet tend to get cold. If it's hot, obviously, you can turn on a fan, but just don't point it at your cutting table. That can be a bit of a problem. Just keep an eye on what makes you comfortable and you can adjust accordingly in your space. My former sewing space, which was my office, it's my current office, has windows that face south, like big windows that face south, which is great. There's a ton of natural light, but it also gets hot in the summer. So it would become really uncomfortable, and I would avoid going up there to do anything, to sew or do anything else because it was just so hot up there. These kinds of things, these matters of comfort, might seem obvious, but if you're not consciously thinking about them or doing something about them, then they can actually prevent you from doing the things that you enjoy doing. It's just something to keep in mind.

The next thing, which is also comfort-related, is to consider the ergonomics of your furniture and your tools to some extent. Is your table the correct height, for example? Is it causing you problems? Is your cutting table in particular, I think, because you're standing at it for long periods of time. If it's not at the correct height, it can be really uncomfortable. You might also want to think about your chair. If you feel good sitting in your chair for a long period of time or not. There are a lot of options for chairs, and people prefer different things. I have a rolling stool for sewing, which I really like. I find it really comfortable just the way I sit. It's very comfortable and easy to move around in. That's something to consider. Some people need a lot more back support. It's just something to think about whether your chair is preventing you from staying comfortable.

The next thing is the quality of your tools. We talk about this a lot, but if something is going wrong with your sewing, It's always either your tools or it's your technique. It's one of those two things. So your job is really just to diagnose which of those two things it is and find the appropriate solution. Thinking about your tools, if you're having issues with your tools, there's almost always a solution for that. Your tools should be something that are comfortable to use. They should be really enhancing your sewing and not creating obstacles in your sewing practice, making it easier for you. If they are causing problems, then it's time to replace them or to upgrade them.

There's always a solution. There's usually a better tool for the job if you're finding there to be an issue with your tools. There's usually something you might not have even heard of before that will do a better job. Or sometimes you just need to replace what you have, for example, your rotary blades. If you're having trouble cutting, I know years ago, I would just, for some reason, I don't know, I just hated replacing the rotary blades. It just seemed like a pain, and I would suffer through much slower, more painful cutting for some reason rather than just replace them. That's something to think about as well.

We've talked a lot about tools and your environment, but there's also the textural quality of your fabric that you're working with. I think this, for me, is a big one when it comes to sewing. There are some fabrics that are just an absolute joy to feel in your hand and to work with, and there's some that just make you feel icky when you touch them. So knowing what those are for you can be really helpful to enhance that feeling of touch while you're sewing. And for me, personally, a lot of synthetic fabrics just don't feel great to touch. Some of them do, but some of them don't. And having that awareness, both while you're sewing, but also even when you're buying fabric, is really helpful because you'll just have a better experience all around that way. I think also when you're wearing it. I know there have been things that I have made that used a fabric that was not my favorite in terms of touch, and then I just don't really like wearing it, and it just sits in my closet.

Then finally, consider the climate you're in when you're sewing. If you're in a certain season, sewing out too far outside of that season can feel not as good. If it's really hot and you're trying to sew a winter coat, that can feel really gross. Just think about that. I like to sew a little bit ahead of the season, but not too far ahead so that I'm still excited about what I'm making and it's still... the process of sewing it still feels in line with the seasons. Rather than totally out of line.

Haley

I also find that if I can wear the project I'm making in the very near future, I'm much more likely to finish it.

Sarai

Yeah, absolutely. It's more motivating that way. But I think also it just puts you more in touch with the seasons that you're in and what the rest of the world is doing all around you. Can connect you to your senses that way as well.

Haley

I think that's a beautiful way to think of it.

Sarai

All right. To recap what we covered in today's episode, we talked about the first two senses that we're covering of the five senses, and then next week we're going to talk about the remaining three. So today we talked about sight and touch. So for the for the sense of sight, we talked about two things. We explored your workspace and the esthetics of your actual sewing projects. To keep your space visually inspiring, we encouraged you to investigate lighting, tidiness and organization, color, and decor. Then for the sense of touch, we talked about five ways to keep yourself physically comfortable: your clothing, the temperature, ergonomics, the quality of your tools, and the textural quality of your fabric. That's the episode for today. What's your big takeaway from today, Haley?

Haley

I think that my big takeaway is that, and this is like something I'm working on in general in my life, is that when we get stuck in our head in the more cerebral part of what we're doing, that we miss out on so much. And I think that when you're a really thoughtful person, that is one of the things we have to be extra cautious of. And grounding ourselves and our senses can be a way to just connect to the moment, but also bring emotional regulation. Just even talking about this, our sense of sight and touch, I just found a very soothing topic to think about and ponder. So, yeah, get out of your head. Feel your feelings in your body.

Sarai

Absolutely. I think that's great. I think the other thing that stood out to me is thinking about which senses you're naturally more, you give more attention to. I think many people give the most attention to their sense of sight. That's really natural for human beings, not all of us, but for a lot of us. It's very easy to neglect a lot of our other senses. For me, the sense of touch is one that I have to consciously remind myself of. But even with your sense of sight, I did this color walk the other day. I saw this exercise online of when you go for a walk to look for one particular color as you're going through your walk, and that just brings more attention to your physical surroundings. I thought it was really cool. It was very relaxing for me because it really does ground you in your senses. Paying more attention to your senses really does change your whole way thinking and really change your whole perspective. I think it can bring a lot more creativity to your day. For me, in particular, I feel like there are certain senses I need to bring extra attention to because they're not as natural. Paying attention doesn't come as naturally as certain other senses, like sight and probably hearing as well.

Haley

Yeah, I'm curious next week to dig in to the other three senses.

Sarai

Yeah, absolutely. That'll be really fun. All right. Well, we talked a lot about spaces today and setting up your space in the way you want it. I mentioned a couple of videos that we have on YouTube. We actually have quite a few videos on your sewing space. If you want to check those out, you can get a tour of my sewing shed and some organizational tips that I've started to incorporate. It's really fun. We also have the ultimate guide to setting up your sewing space, which is a free download. It's a free mini guide and has tons of tips and ideas for creating a better and more functional sewing area, no matter how much space you have. You can download that for free at seamwork.com/go/sewingspaces. You just give us your email and we'll send it to you. It's totally free. It might give you some really good ideas for setting up your space.

If you like this episode, we would love it if you would leave us a review. We have a review today from Anna Koschka, and she says, I'm really loving this podcast to listen to in the car going home from work. Such soothing voices and such inspiring tips. I sew historical costumes for fun rather than modern clothing, but so much of the sewing tips and motivation are just as applicable to what I do. Thanks, ladies.

Oh, that's really nice. I hope my voice is still soothing. I'm coming off a little bit of a cold, so hopefully it's not too gravelly for you guys today. You can also find us on YouTube at Seamwork Video. You can follow us on Instagram at Seamwork. If you'd like to join Seamwork and become part of our private community, plus get access to hundreds of sewing patterns and dozens of sew-along classes, our podcast listeners get a 50% off lifetime discount when you join at seamwork.com/go/podcast50. And that's it for us this week.

I'm Sarai.

Haley

And I'm Haley.

Sarai

And this is Seamwork Radio.