It’s that time of year when we can shake off our winter blues and look forward to a summer full of sunshine and warm weather. Particularly the warmth! It may be April, but my part of the world is still desperately trying to shake off winter’s grip. It’s freezing right now!
As I don’t want to spend much time outside in the cold, I decided to spring clean my sewing area. Having spent the winter months working on three different quilt tops… actually, I think it might have been four… the area is looking a little bit lived in.
Not only that, but the local thrift store is closing down. Never one to turn down a bargain, I have spent the last few weeks topping up on sewing supplies. A couple of hem markers, a little bit of fabric, some different fabric, and just to be safe, more fabric.
There are sewing machines and piles of fabric everywhere. I’m feeling in need of some re-organization!
I already have some filing cabinets but, they are all full to bursting.
Originally, I intended to sort out my drawers and dispose of those fabrics that I was never going to use. You know the ones – weird patterns, odd sizes, and the unidentifiable fibers that I don’t know what to make from.
The more I delved deeper into the furthest recesses of the filing cabinets, the more treasures I found. It also reminded me of long forgotten projects put on a back burner for a house move… Eldest is still waiting for her trench coat.
Good News! At least I know where the fabric is now!
It also got me thinking. Why have I got such an abundance of stuff? Why do I feel so motivated to buy fabric, thread, patterns, and sewing machines? Even when I know I really don’t need any more?
Someone was bemoaning this very question on a Reddit thread. They couldn’t understand why crafters on YouTube bought large hauls of patterns, fabrics, and kits. With no intention of ever using any of it.
What? Wait...You mean... I'm not the only one who does that?
The Reddit poster found this collecting habit annoying and wasteful.
Well, I’m not sure about it being wasteful. If I didn’t have filing cabinets bursting with material, it would all be down at the local landfill site. I’m also not really sure why they were annoyed. Those closet crafting hoarders were happy in their obsessive collecting.
And it doesn’t hurt anyone… except maybe our wallets.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there is more than one hobby hiding in the heading of “Sewing”. I also think that sewing is an enabler for a condition that I like to term squirreling.
Most of the sub-hobbies within sewing focus on collecting. From building a fabric stash, to becoming obsessive about sewing machines. We buy supplies, take them home, squirrel them away. Rinse and repeat. Like a squirrel hiding its nuts for winter.
Maybe that’s the problem. I'm hiding the fact that I'm slightly nuts.
Or maybe it's just that I hate the cold and need something to cheer me up.
Most of my squirreling takes place in the months between September and March… is my subconscious preparing for a winter of sewing activities?
Activities that my conscious brain thinks it’s too cold to do? My sewing area is in the entrance to my home, and boy! Is it cold in there through winter! It’s cold in there now and it’s April!
Basically, I squirrel faster than I sew!
My subconscious knows me well. It knows that sewing is my happy place. Collecting sewing machines makes my heart sing. And fabric? Well, I can’t play with my sewing machine buddies without fabric can I?
I’m not alone in getting a buzz of enjoyment from all things sewing.
In a recent poll on the Community Tab on my YouTube channel, over 50% of the people responding to the poll listed sewing as their happy place. 24% said it allowed them to express their individuality. With 10% saying they sew because murder isn’t really an option.
Which technically means, sewing is their happy place too! It stops them from becoming frustrated, fractious, or so angry they want to explode. So I’m going to amend that Happy Place figure to over 80%!
I know how they feel. Sewing isn’t just a practical skill or survival tool for some future apocalypse. It isn’t even a means to an end.
Unlike previous generations, we don’t have to sew our own clothes. There’s no real need to make our own garments or bedding because retail outlets have us covered on that… literally.
Everyone who sews – sews because they want to!
Each of us have different reasons for why we sew. For me, it’s the joy of creating and watching the magic of the sewing machine as it works its stitches. There is no better happy rush than the one you get when you hold something you made and proudly state, “I made that!”
Others enjoy the companionship of sewing groups and communities. An access to a group of like minded individuals creates a comfort zone. One filled with a shared experience of sewing that helps us learn and develop our skills.
Old and new sewists alike can pick up tips and tricks from each other and improve their sewing and boost their confidence in the process.
As an activity, sewing helps with other areas of our lives too. Problem solving, dexterity, and the dreaded math calculations. I’ve learnt more about algebra, geometry, and the importance of accurate measuring from quilting than I ever did at school.
You would be amazed at how many every day essential skills are improved through the practice of sewing. I read an article written back in 2018, by a surgical Professor, Dr Kneebone. Can’t help thinking that’s a cool name for a surgeon.
Anyway, he was concerned at the “decline in manual dexterity”. He attributed it to the increase in computer use and decrease in learning practical skills like sewing. He went on to say, “young people need to have a more rounded education, including creative and artistic subjects, where they learn to use their hands”.
What all of this means is that you can forget about the apocalypse!
Sewing is a survival skill for the crazy, goofy world we live in right now! There are at least 80% of people who watch my YouTube channel who feel the same way!
As I’m sat here trying to figure out what fabric and threads to remove from my collection, I feel an intense sadness. It’s like I’m trying to throw out an old friend.
The truth is, I can’t part with any of the accumulated sewing debris. This seemingly worthless pile of stuff is my happy place. I guess I’ll just have to find another way to deal with it.
My solution?
I bought another filing cabinet.
Bye for now
Olly
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I am not affiliated with nor sponsored by any of the companies or organisers of the BOM quilts mentioned in this article. Links to their websites are supplied for information only.
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