Do you ever have a gigantic project that’s so big you’re a bit scared to start it? Maybe you’re aspiring to make a coat, but you’re having visions of cutting out 50 some odd pieces (an accurate portrait) and having to keep them all straight. Maybe you’re ready to pitch the gross 1985 hunter green and mauve curtains that came with your house in favor of your own much prettier, much more stylish curtains, but then you realize that you’ll have to wrangle 20 yards of fabric to do so.
Today, I’m pumping myself up to take on the sewing room couch. I’ve had it since high school. It’s got good bones, it’s barely used, but the navy just doesn’t work. It sucks out all of the light in the room, and since I sew in my basement, light is at a premium.
Whatever the project, it takes some nerve to make that first cut that’ll start the process. The best thing to do is just start. Gather your materials, get your patterns ready to go, take some preliminary photos if necessary. Do something that will push you past the point of no return.
I started by ripping off the cover to one of the cushions to use as my pattern. It’s sitting on my floor now. Being a type that can’t handle clutter, I will be able to stand it sitting there, untouched for 2 days, maximum (it’s already nagging at me as I write–I have to get some masking tape to label my pieces as of 5 minutes ago).
How do you get yourself to start a big project? Do you have any special steps that you walk through when you need to get motivated? Do you know of any quirks that you have that you can exploit to help you achieve your lofty sewing goals?
~E Made This! 
I started making a slip cover (a new learning project) over a year ago. So scary – I still haven’t finished! I’ll be watching your progress hopefully it will motivate me.
So brave! But I like your strategy for forcing yourself to get started. Good luck!
Thanks! I think it’ll be fun once I get going.
The end result always gets me through all of the enormity of the fabric wrangling that happens in home dec projects. I hope you get to finish your slipcover! I’m sure it’ll be great and you’ll learn a lot.
Whew! That’s an ambitious project! I have made covers for couchs but nothing that big! I guess a piece at a time is the only way to get the job done!
Upholstery is mostly just big…it takes up a lot of real estate in a work room! But piece at a time and some good tools and it goes faster than it seems like it should. I can’t imagine making a slipcover. It’s a lot easier to drape and staple! LOL!
Yes I had the same problem with “big”. The cover was HUGE!