My New Love

I’ve taken up a new hobby. As someone who has hardly enough time to read or clean her bathroom, this is a really dumb idea. But I can’t help it. I’ve fallen madly in love with sewing.

Sewing and I have flirted a few times before, but nothing ever came of it. In my high school home economics class my teacher became so exasperated at my four failed attempts to sew the neckline of a sweatshirt that she ended up finishing the piece for me. In college, my nana (who was an excellent seamstress) tried to help me sew a bias-cut, sky blue, elastic-waisted skirt (there are so many things wrong with that, I don’t know where to begin). The skirt was three sizes too big and ugly to boot. When I was first married, my mother-in-law, another excellent seamstress, helped me make some pillows. I chose a difficult patchwork style and the whole process took way too long and was very frustrating. From then on, I swore off sewing.

Then, just two months ago, after seeing all the beautiful work that Amanda Soule does, I got it in my head that I would try again. Somehow, I thought it would be different this time—and it was. Something clicked. In the two months since I’ve had my new sewing machine, I’ve made four dresses and three skirts for my daughters, a skirt and a pair of pj bottoms for myself, plus this handbag:

This new hobby of mine has quickly become a passion. It is such a thrill to discover a new creative outlet that brings joy to your life. It is also an incredible distraction, especially when you’re supposed to be scrubbing the bathtub or, say, working on your damn novel.

But let’s stay on the bright, guilt-free side of things, shall we? Creativity feeds creativity. A new form of expression often broadens our scope and enlightens us; it arms us with fresh methods of problem-solving and reminds us that no matter what the medium, the creative process is often the same across all art forms.

How’s that for rationalizing? Did I sell it? Now, if you'd be so kind, excuse me while I go find some writing inspiration in a skirt hem.