Creation or Chaos ?

Hey y’all, how are things in all the other corners of the world? This week, Appalachia has been rainy and had a chill in the air for this time of year. I can’t remember when I walked out on the porch barefoot in June, and my feet were cold, until the other night, and no pool time for me (or any fabric) this week. That being said, we did add more fabric to the shop. Is it weird, that I wish we could have a way to make a bell ring, whenever someone looks at the shop? You know so I could just pop up and say “Hey y’all” ! That would be a hoot! I am one of those rare introverts, who can literally talk to anyone. I know, I know it’s weird. I blame it on my seventh-grade history teacher, Mr.Pack. That year, we were studying the Middle East, and the markets we learned were called a Bazaar. As our final grade, we had to take part in this seventh-grade-wide Bazaar. So you had to come up with a production, service, or goods. So what did thirteen-year-old girls come up with? An Arabian fashion show and this painfully awkward girl thought walking in front of the whole seventh-grade class, was less painful than asking if they wanted to buy a bracelet would be. Anyway, long story short, I’m of the hammer pants generation, we always were X-tra (see what I did there). But I made these ‘ I Dream Of Genie” Hammer pants, by literally tying two pieces of my mom’s fabrics together, in the front and back, and around my ankles. Mom, I owe you some cotton, sorry. But everyone loved it, and even with me tripping on stage, along with about half the other girls, it taught me we all have our own issues. And ever since that day, I can talk to anyone really, it helps to start with the weirdest thing you can think of, breaks the ice, and bonus point you have your embarrassment out of the way. That will be my tip of the day. Aaaanyway, let’s see if we can pull my focus back to this week’s ramblings.

So I did a thing, and was it a big thing, or really life-changing, no to both of those counts. But I have been trying to figure out the sudden affliction of my sewing room. I have actually been wondering if I had just completely burnt out on sewing. You know was it like a pandemic survival thing? I can literally write a list of things, I have made since this time last year. And it would fit on a Post-it. Was it because I did too much in a small window, for a sudden trip last June? In my defense, I did need that whole new wardrobe to be sewn in 3 days, for a trip, where I wouldn’t wear most of it. I’ve even analyzed myself down to the last detail and got rid of half my clothing hoping that would boost me. Was it due to the overwhelming world we live in? Because I’m not really into fashion? And only two things really stood out. The first is, it is absolutely exhausting to try to keep up with everyone’s politics, their cause, that person being canceled …it is just overwhelming. And the if you aren’t with us, you’re against us mentality. Which makes me avoid social media for inspiration. Added to the I just have too much! There I said it, I have too much. I hope my husband isn’t reading this week, if he is, maybe stop here? Because I really will need that Amazon order and a trip to the fabric store. Even with the I have just too much of everything, including fabric. I am a sale, clearance girl. And I really have to love a piece of fabric to spend over $10 a yard on it. This is silly , because I’ll buy twelve yards of $2 a yard fabric, which I’m not certain about because it’s on sale. Or I will see zips on sale, and I’ll buy twenty of them so that I’ll have them. And I mean it is justifiable in this economy. But y’all my sewing room is OVERWHELMING! I have so many patterns, I don’t even know which ones I have. So much fabric, I really could sew for a year, and not need to buy any. And that doesn’t include everything else.

So I made some tough choices this week, I unstuffed my overstuffed sewing room. And, y’all might want to sit down for this next part, I took my cutting table apart and out. I know all the women here just did an audible gasp. That is like the golden goose of the sewing world after all. And don’t get me wrong, it was really nice, sometimes. But I think most of the time, it was literally just in the way. I was much more creative when I was sewing in my dining room than I am since I claimed our unused den as a sewing area. And I cut my fabric at my kitchen counter, or on the floor. I still have access to those areas. The floor is less accessible since two, of my four sewing assistants like to lie on my feet while I sew. But I still have my large counter. So I took it down, granted I can put it back if it is more of a hindrance than I think it will be. But I just needed to open the space up a little. My husband (if you are lurking you can read this part), did this wonderful thing for me a few weeks back. I bought a table from a thrift shop, it was a deal at $35 and asked him to put my Juki in it flush. Y’all Mr.Jamie did a fantastic job! His wife however has bigger eyes, than she has floor space. So it was a bit claustrophobic for me. So with the cutting table gone, I can actually move. And have already made a pair of pajama pants!

Then I did the painstaking task of sorting everything and decluttering the junk. Y’all that was hard to do, and I still haven’t done my cotton. That is a scary undertaking on its own. But I will be doing it soon. I also ask Mr.Jamie for a few more favors. I asked him to move my television, so I could listen to youtube easier. That isn’t a typo, I have one in my sewing room hanging on the wall, but I can’t see it from where I sit, so I asked him to move it even though I honestly just listen to it. And I purchased some LED lights from Amazon to go on the ceiling. They connect, and you can plug them into an outlet, so there is no need for wiring. My area is kind of dark, and the table I bought seems to absorb all the extra light in there, and I feel it’s too pretty to paint white. I have a theme in my sewing area, it started as a Rainbow. My house is mostly, black, white and gray. So my sewing room literally has rainbows, I grew up watching, Carebears, Rainbow Brite, and My Little Pony, it was a whole thing. Then my daughter started painting me these mushrooms, the cute ones red and white, like off Smurfs….hmmmm there is a whole 80’s cartoon going on in there isn’t there? I need some Smurfs to hang out with my gnomes. Yes, I checked, Amazon has them for under $6 , so look for those coming to a sewing area near us soon. But these are the things that make me happy, so I surround myself with a technicolor room.

But the whole point is, I think the room has been a lot of my issue. The other stuff does factor in still. But I didn’t realize the weight that room was having on my creativity. And all it has taken was some clearance photo frames, a set of $19 LED lights, determination, and some elbow grease. I have a whole new feeling when I walk in there now, it’s not cramped and cluttered. I am no longer overwhelmed by an ocean of patterns, fabric, and haberdashery; the British word for notions, I just prefer it! Notions seem so practical and no-nonsense. Haberdashery sounds whimsical and like the Mad Hatter. Is it perfect no, but is any creative space? I have a bit of both sides, the crazy messy and every label facing the same direction in perfectionism. But it seems that even with that, some of the most creative moments have been born from absolute chaos. I think it’s easy in an Instagram-perfect world, to remember that what makes you happy really is what matters the most. Is a Smurf figurine going to make you smile every time you see it? Perhaps not, but it will me. And I always want my sewing area to be a happy one from now on. So maybe this will help others struggling with lack of creativity and sewjo. Maybe your room just needs to be sorted, or you need a new lamp or something that makes you happy to look at. I’ll include a link to those smurfs lol. http://Schleich Smurfs, Collectible Retro Cartoon Toys for Boys and Girls, Baby Smurf Toy Figurine, Ages 3+ https://a.co/d/bGLYElhUntil next week y’all, hopefully, we will have lots of stuff to chat about!