Victory over procrastination

Last August I received Sandi Henderson’s latest book Sewing Bits & Pieces as a gift.  Since she is one of my favorite fabric designers, I delved into it right away, and began my first project.  It is called the Brick Road Skirt, and it is an adorable patchwork skirt with layers of ruffles.  I thought it would be perfect for Ella, who is as girlie as a girl can get.  The project involves lots of measuring, cutting and piecing together, and although I got a good start, I quickly lost steam.  As usual, life got in the way!  We had just moved into a new house, I was in the process of ending a job, and as the crazy schedule of a new school year picked up, my energy at the end of the day began to wane (in direct proportion!).  So, poor Brick Road Skirt was shelved … until this past June.

As we prepared for yet another move, I found that half-finished project at the bottom of a pile of fabric.   I was so mad and annoyed at myself for letting it fall by the wayside.  So, each night, after some packing, I began working on the skirt a little bit until it was finished.  My husband thought I was nuts, but I didn’t care.  It paid off, because I’m proud to say that the Brick Road Skirt is FINALLY complete and part of Ella’s wardrobe!

Here are some pictures of the finished product … I decided to do a color scheme of reds, greens and yellows, and several of the prints are actually Sandi Henderson designs.  I like the color scheme, because it will carry into the fall/winter season nicely, paired with some leggings and a cozy cardigan!

Ella in Brick Road Skirt

Close-up of Brick Road Skirt

Where to begin?

Let me begin by saying that my goal for this blog is to convey how, in the midst of my crazy, non-stop life, being creative is an escape for me and an absolute necessity to achieving any semblance of sanity.  I love, love, love to cook.   I love to sew.  I love to decorate my house, fill a vase with bright flowers, plan a party for one of my daughters, pick the perfect present for a loved one, do arts and crafts with my girls.  All of these things make me happy.  That’s all there is to it.

Like most people, I think I live a hectic life.  I am a mom to three young girls, and from the minute I hear the first cry in the morning to the minute I pull up the third set of covers at night, I move non-stop.  Breakfast, dressing, off to school, run to the grocery store, back to school, home for lunch, nap, playdate, dinner … phew!  I sit down at the end of the day, have a drink of wine … and then go upstairs to my sewing room and get to work.  My “second shift” begins at night, when I channel my creative side and sew, sew, sew.  Sewing began as a hobby after my first daughter, Ella, was born, and now it is an obsession.  I now have an Etsy shop, where I sell a collection of kitchen accessories (aprons, towels, oven mitts), and clutches.  I am always logging new ideas into my Idea Journal.  My only problem is that I don’t have enough time to tackle them.  Isn’t that always the problem?

I was very busy filling orders this past holiday season, and it was exhausting.  After sewing for months straight to prepare for the holiday rush, and hosting Christmas for my family and for my husband’s family, I was DONE.    For the entire month of January, after putting the kids to bed, I kicked back on the couch with a glass of wine and was vegged out.  I have been L-A-Z-Y, at least for me.   And I have been trying so hard to find the motivation and inspiration to get myself sewing again.  To tackle all those ideas I have.  To prepare for the spring season.  I know once I start the engine, I will just coast along as the creative juices take over.  I just can’t start the engine.

Last weekend I went to NJ to visit my best friend from high school.  She is truly the sister I never had, and since I don’t get to see her as often as I used to, I was very excited for this visit.  She gave me a belated Christmas present, a book called “Creative Is a Verb” by Patti Digh.  It is one of the most unique books I have ever read.  It is a collection of essays centered around reclaiming creativity in your everyday life.  The first chapter is called “Reclaim the Spark”.  “Could this BE more perfect?,”  I thought.  One passage in the chapter caught my eye:  “Children don’t need this book.  Not like you and I do.  The questions of how to be creative – or how to be more creative – would never occur to a child, would it?  No.  The very idea that there are actually words for their way of being in the world – flat-out and fantastic and curious about everything – would likely puzzle them.  They’re not being creative, they’re just being human.  Like we all are until we start getting messages about coloring inside the lines, that the sun is always yellow, that trees aren’t purple, that we need to sit and be quiet, that we can’t wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day.”

This stuck with me.  I see this creative abandon in my girls every day.  And I realized I just have to throw myself in there and start.  Not wait until I organize my fabric.  Not wait until I write out a complete spring plan (well, I do need that, but it isn’t necessary to start working again!).  I am just going to sit down and see where the fabric and thread take me, just like how I watch Ella go where the markers and glitter take her.

I’ll let you know how it turns out.