I know that when the weather gets really hot, we're supposed to be outside enjoying it. Sitting in the garden with a cold drink. Walking the dog early in the morning. Making the most of the sunshine while it lasts. This is a typically British way to view the Summer and one that can actually do us more harm than good.
So if you're like me, and want to avoid overheating we’re probably better off retreating indoors and heading for the sewing room when a heatwave hits.
Not because I don't enjoy being outside, but because sewing rooms can become little havens during hot weather. The world slows down. The garden can wait until the evening. And there's something wonderfully satisfying about spending a few quiet hours making something with your hands.
The challenge, of course, is staying cool enough to enjoy it.
Over the years, I've accumulated a few tricks. Some are sensible. Some are slightly eccentric. All of them have been tested in real-life sewing conditions.
1. Cool your hands regularly
One thing I've noticed is how hot my hands can become when I'm sewing.
They're constantly moving. Pinning. Unpicking. Handling fabric. Guiding seams through the machine. Pressing.
When I start feeling a bit overheated, one of the quickest fixes is simply running my hands and wrists under cold water for thirty seconds or so.
It sounds ridiculously simple, but it works. Cooling the blood vessels close to the surface of your skin can help cool the rest of you down as well.
2. Give your feet a spa treatment
This is perhaps not the most glamorous sewing tip you'll ever hear.
I have been known to sit at my sewing desk with my feet in a bucket of cold water.
There. I've admitted it.
It may not be elegant, but when the temperature is nudging towards thirty degrees, it feels wonderful.
Even standing barefoot on a cool tiled floor for a few minutes can make a surprising difference. Our feet work hard all day, and cooling them down seems to send a message to the rest of the body that everything is going to be alright.
3. Turn your fan into an air conditioner
A fan is helpful, but sometimes all it seems to do is move hot air from one side of the room to the other.
One trick that works remarkably well is placing a tub of frozen water, or a couple of frozen bottles, in a bowl directly in front of the fan.
As the air moves across the ice, it creates a much cooler breeze. It's not quite air conditioning, but on a particularly hot afternoon it can feel surprisingly close.
4. Freeze a neck scarf
A lightweight scarf, tea towel or bandana can be dampened and placed in the freezer for twenty minutes.
Wrapped around the back of your neck, it can make a remarkable difference. Particularly useful when you're standing at the ironing board.
5. Start early if you can
There is a particular magic to summer mornings.
The house is quiet. The air is cooler. The light is beautiful.
If I know a hot day is coming, I'll often try to tackle anything requiring serious concentration early in the morning. Cutting out, fitting alterations, complicated construction details and anything involving lots of decision-making all seem easier before the heat builds.
By mid-afternoon, I am often far happier doing something simpler. And less taxing.
6. Rethink your ironing strategy
Let's be honest. Your iron is basically a small personal radiator.
So if possible, save pressing-heavy jobs for the morning or evening when temperatures are lower.
Some people even move their ironing board into a cooler room or hallway during hot weather.
It might not look elegant, but neither does melting into a puddle halfway through pressing a collar.
7. Create a cooling kit
During a heatwave, I like to keep a few essentials within arm's reach:
- A large bottle of cold water
- A damp flannel
- Lip balm
- A hand fan
- A cooling spray
- An emergency ice lolly
The last one may not be strictly essential, but I feel strongly that it should be included.
8. Hydrate before you're thirsty
When we're concentrating, we often forget to drink. I keep a large bottle of water beside my machine and aim to finish it before lunch. If you have a smart watch or phone you can set it up to remind you to take a few sips every half an hour or so.
I often find I can sew for three hours straight without moving, which is wonderful for productivity but not necessarily brilliant for staying cool. But a half-frozen water bottle gradually melts throughout the day and gives you cold water for much longer.
You can also hold it against your wrists or neck for a quick cool-down too.
9. Choose your projects wisely
Summer might not be the ideal time to wrestle with heavy wool coating, thick denim or a fully lined winter coat.
Instead, this can be the perfect season for sewing lightweight linen, cotton lawn, soft viscose or simple summer garments.
It's also an excellent time to tackle all those sewing-related jobs that never quite make it onto the list:
- Tracing patterns
- Organising your fabric stash
- Sorting buttons
- Planning future projects
- Making fitting adjustments
- Tidying your sewing space
Not every productive sewing day needs to end with a finished garment.
10. Keep the heat out
One of the easiest mistakes to make is waiting until a room feels hot before closing the curtains.
By then, the heat is already inside. Closing blinds or curtains before direct sunlight reaches the room can make a huge difference to the overall temperature later in the day.
It's much easier to prevent a room heating up than it is to cool it down afterwards.
11. Take your sewing outside
Not every sewing task requires a machine.
A hot afternoon can be the perfect excuse to sit in the shade with some hand sewing.
Hems, buttons, embroidery, visible mending and hand-finishing can all be done outdoors with a cold drink nearby and birdsong in the background.
There are certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon.
12. Slow down
Perhaps this is the most important tip of all.
When temperatures rise, our bodies are working much harder than usual just to keep us comfortable. Yet we often expect ourselves to maintain exactly the same pace and productivity.
Maybe this is the season to be a little gentler with ourselves.
To stop fighting the weather.
To accept that the complicated trouser fly, the bound buttonholes and the intricate fitting alterations might take a little longer than they would in October.
Sewing is already a slower activity than much of modern life. A heatwave simply reminds us of that.
So if you find yourself sitting at your sewing machine with a fan gently blowing cool air across the room, your feet in a bucket of cold water, a half-finished project beside you and an ice cream slowly melting nearby, don't feel guilty about it.
The fabric will still be there tomorrow.
And sometimes, staying cool and enjoying the process is every bit as important as finishing the garment.
If you have any favourite ways top stay cool - I'm all ears!
Jules x