Puzzled Brown Bits

For most of the past thirty-eight years, sewing has been my number one form of entertainment. While what I'm sewing, or my level of technical ability or artistic detail may change, sewing remains constant. I sew more in one day than many people sew in a week. I sew more in a week than many people sew in a year. I sew a lot which is why when I don't feel like sewing I have absolutely no idea what to do with myself - like this past weekend.

When I don't feel like sewing, I still sew - just not very much. I wander in and out of my studio and get things done in little bursts all the while knowing that I could have completely finished that task if I'd simply sit down and put my mind to it only I can't. Yesterday - in-between reading and aimlessly staring out the window - I made a start on another flat fold purse using the rectangle of puzzled brown bits.

I like to work in layers with lots of detail and stitch work that may or may not be easily visible in the finished piece. It can make projects take far longer than ordinary. It can make things for sale, like these purses, far too labour intensive to achieve a price to match. It can result in me not accomplishing all the basic wardrobe sewing that I'd like to accomplish because I only have so much time in the day. Mostly, I don't think about that. The quick and easy, make it tonight wear it tomorrow, concept seems to be something I've managed to let go of to grasp the ability the enjoy my process, my way. That's helpful most of the time except when I could use a whole bunch of wardrobe basics, need to finish a batch of purses, and don't feel like sewing - LOL. In the picture above, there are five layers and I'm auditioning some trim to be couched.

In her Sunday posting, Barbara of Sewing On The Edge talked about your cooking personality and your sewing personality and asked do you cook like you sew? That's a really interesting question and I can see why the answer was yes in many of the comments. One of the things that went by the wayside when I started my business and morphed into a workaholic was cooking. I know that at some previous point in my life I actually cooked most meals but sometime in the past twenty-five years I became a person who cooked so rarely that I could say I don't cook. I'm actually a very good cook without even trying so it'd be interesting - in an intellectual way - what I would cook if I tried harder.

Normally when I'm in a sewing slump I'll go shopping - to the mall to see what the trends are, to the second hand stores to see what pieces I can pick up to recycle, to places like the plumbing store to search for possible parts and unusual bits to incorporate into art pieces or purses. I didn't go shopping this weekend because when I'm bored I buy things and we are working tremendously hard to achieve some major financial goals like paying off our mortgage and at the same time I'm saving every penny I can to take the Design Outside The Lines workshop again next year.

Goals like these affect other aspects of life - like shopping - like going for lunch with friends - like taking a play day to another town just because. I'm staying home a lot more and that has resulted in a bit of cabin fever that I'm going to have to figure out. I've also cooked dinner every day for the past three and a half weeks except for twice and on those days someone else cooked. That is a HUGE accomplishment in our household. I haven't worried about gourmet. I've focused on knowing what's for dinner in the morning and on having something on the table each night and I'm letting cooking develop organically without pressure by attempting to do my best at each step of the way.

When I taught, that's how I taught textile art as well.  Start. Keep going. Do your best at each stage. Quit when the piece says it's done. It has strong correlations to many areas of life.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - that sewing slumps eventually end