Tough Love from the Sewing Room: Hunker Down & Finish Strong
This month’s newsletter focuses on a subject in my ebook, “The Most Important Dress a Woman Will Ever Wear” .
This month, I’m talking about something every bridal alterations specialist encounters: the hard truth that sometimes, the only way forward is to hunker down and get it done.
Life gets messy—emergencies happen, kids get sick, brides change their minds, and dresses surprise us. I’ve lived it (ask me about the ambulance, hospital, and two brides all in one day). Sometimes we can reschedule a dress, but sometimes, the deadline for a wedding dress or going on a vacation leaves us no option but to get it done. It’s time to hunker down.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about perseverance.
What Does It Mean to “Hunker Down”?
It means focused, distraction-free work. Think of yourself like a phone on low battery—minimal output, maximum efficiency. You plan, you prioritize, and you push through with calm, steady effort.
In the amount of time you could spend telling everyone about how much you have to do, you could be getting it done. Have you ever experienced a child doing this with their homework. Well, adults do it too. That includes me. Yes, I’ve done this too. You can drain all your energy fretting about it and be too exhausted to actually do the work.
Tips for Zoning into Hunker-Down Mode:
- Map out your time by the half hour
- Write down every step of the process
- Silence your phone (short texts only, during food breaks)
- Eat intentionally and hydrate—yes, it matters
- Keep emotions low—drama drains your energy
- Focus on the step you’re in, not the whole mountain
- Move forward without stopping—momentum is your best friend
Why This Matters
It’s tempting to crumble under pressure. But in truth, finishing strong is often easier than the emotional and financial chaos that comes from giving up. Hunkering down is your lifeline—it turns panic into progress and stress into accomplishment.
This is the time of year when work is plentiful and we sometimes end up overbooked. It’s just a hard time of the year for many of us.
You can do it.
And I’m giving you all love and hugs.
Warmly,
Dee Dee Anderson