The time has come...

I hate cutting things out. It's my least favorite part of sewing. In order to make the whole process less annoying, my dad built a wheeled platform for an old desk that is our cutting table. The platform puts it at a really good height, and allows a lot of storage space underneath. Last year on the day after Thanksgiving, I braved the crowds (even got up early!) and bought a large rotary cutting mat (30x60 inches) so that we no longer have to use two smaller ones butted together. I also now have two rotary cutters--a regular size and a small size--to make those tricky curves easier to deal with. I recently bought a soapstone marker after remembering that it's much better than chalk, disappearing ink, pencil, or transfer paper (although each one of those has its place and can be very useful for certain fabrics) and I've really enjoyed using it. I have a magnetic pin cushion, my ninja scissors (the earlier version of the pair I linked to), pattern weights, a wall-mounted TV, a DVD player, a stereo, a nicely climate-controlled room with easy access to snacks (the storage room) and company (the family room).

And yet I still have a hard time getting motivated to cut anything out. Once it's on the table and I know how I'm laying out the pattern, I'm very quick at it. I learned some shortcuts (cutting little slashes in the seam allowance instead of cutting out darts) that have made it even faster, but I still don't like the whole preparation bit of it.

Maybe this weekend, if I have a spare four hours, I will put in my new Fred and Ginger DVDs and force myself to stay in the sewing room until I've cut out at least two dresses and some pajamas. IF I have a spare four hours... *sigh*