Tips: How do I sew so fast?

A friend asked, how do I sew so fast?  And how many hours a day I sew? 

I'm not sure how many hours a day I work on a project. I want sewing to be a fun, no pressure exercise so I made a concrete decision to not keep track of my hours. 

The question made me think. There are a number of factors that contributed to my efficiency and output: 

(1) I converted an underused bedroom in my empty nester home to a sewing room. Yes, it is a cliche. But the first time in my life I can cut, sew, press, fit & alter and store fabric, patterns and notions all in the same room. I keep my machines out. I keep my cutting board out on the table. I have a place to put and organize planned projects. And I did not need to put everything away between sewing sessions. Huge time saver! Huge!

(2) I organized my patterns and fabric. Patterns are organized by type of garment or craft project. Fabric is organized by use and fabric type. Bottom weights together. Fabric for tops together. Fabric for dresses, jackets/coats, etc collected together and placed on open shelving where I can see it. 

(3) I often select natural fabrics (cotton/linen/wool/silk) with just a touch of Lycra so I can omit closures such as zippers. I had an unfortunate incident with a back zipper when I got caught in a dress. Naturally, it occurred late at night so I did not feel like I could knock on a neighbor's door for help. I went to the police station on my street and was lucky to find a female officer who laughed about the problem and came to my rescue. Although we laughed heartily about my plight, I worry about repeating it. So, the less zippers in my garments the better. 

(4) I often omit pockets. My daughters hate this habit, and I know many on PR would agree with her, but I dislike pockets as they require fabric I often do not have and emphasize my hips in a way I like to avoid. I've made a bunch of sling bags that I use in place of pockets. 

(5) I often omit lining. I tend to purchase fabrics that are opaque and do not need lining. I know lining can make a garment last longer, but it also makes the garment hotter. I think it is criminal to buy silk and then have polyester lining next to my skin. When I splurge I soft fabrics, I want to enjoy the softness against my skin. Garments made in the 1960s (when I learned to sew) rarely had lining as the custom was for women to wear slips under dresses in the 1950s and 1960s. I made some lovely silk half and full slips for when I need a lining under my dresses. This works better for me. 

(6) I have separate sergers and coverstitch machines. I use my serger for seams on most garments. I decided (when I undertook my now 12-year RTW fast) that most of the time for most of my garments I am sewing RTW not couture. 

 (7) I learned some really great techniques for better sewing efficiency in these two classes: sew-better-sew-faster-garment-industry-secrets and sew-better-sew-faster-advanced-industry-techniques. I really like Janet Frey's emphasis on BOTH improved technique and efficiency! 

(8) I watched little TV or movies during my de-stashorama. Every movie delayed was 2 hours sewing. Every binged show avoided was 10-40 hours sewing. 

(9) My habit has always been to try and complete RTW type projects in a single day or two. I read pattern instructions, cut and alter the patterns in one planning session. I cut fabric and sew it up in the next session or two. When projects get frustrating, I set them aside, sleep on the problem and try to complete the following day. 

(10) I use TNTs and slopers a lot. Using well fitted slopers and TNTs allows me to concentrate on designing and sewing rather than pattern assembling and fitting. Although I have sewn many patterns, I am still much better at sewing from blocks, copies of RTW in my closet and TNTs. I still love patterns and read them a lot for ideas on construction, design and assembly, but I find myself really thinking about why I select a pattern and evaluating does it make more sense to begin a new pattern or alter a sloper. 

(11) I am a life-long learner, and I love learning ways to improve my techniques.  Although I had clearly defined goals, I want sewing to be fun, so I allow flexibility in crafting my projects. A favorite instructor once said, "When you make a mistake, either hide it or accentuate it." Mistakes are often the best inspiration for invention and creativity.

Thank you so much for your support and interest during my journey! :)