I’ve been working from home since early 2020, and along with millions of others, was recently mandated back to the office 5-days a week. This has resulted in some new normals; most significantly, less sleep each night.

Yesterday when I got home, I kicked off my shoes, spent some time with my cat, fed him and then headed upstairs to get out of my work clothes and into some sweats and slippers.

I felt emotionally and physically exhausted, more than a little grouchy at the current circumstances, and contemplated taking a short nap. As I walked past my craft/sewing room however, I felt compelled to go in and see what other options I had for some “self-care”.

Over the weekend I had finally scanned, enlarged (to scale) and saved the pattern from a library book (“Fat Quarter Gifts” – pictured above) for a small, folding wallet. You can see examples on the book cover at the top left on the cover; my finished piece can also be seen above. I considered making another one of these, since my habit is to make a second piece of any new-to-me pattern, but as I was perusing my stash, I came across a nice piece of black cotton, printed with small moons and stars.

It felt wasteful to cut it up for a small wallet, so I went to my collection of bag/purse patterns and pulled out Simplicity 5151, which I have made before (View B).

Since I had worked with this pattern before, and liked it so much that I put interfacing on the pattern pieces, the cutting process was a breeze. Before long, I was well on my way to another finished bag.

Initially I considered using a coordinating color for the lining, but didn’t find any that I thought worked with my chosen fabric, so I decided to use the black fabric throughout.

I remembered that applying the bottom to the bag was “tricky” and that the last time I had done it, hand-basting was the only thing that saved me. This time I decided against it.

Frankly, I just wasn’t in the mood. I machine basted close to the edges, and checked/double checked the edges’ alignment throughout the basting process, then zig-zagged around. Once this was done I removed all the pins and stitched the final round.

You can see the final product in the large photo featured at the top of this post. In the midst of all this, I talked with both (adult) kids, did some dishes, ran the vacuum, packed my lunch for the next day, and capped the night off with some knitting in bed before I went to sleep. I actually finished this scarf that I was making with yarn I had acquired from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, over a year ago.

Technically, that makes this a stash-busting project!

I know that “hiding” in my sewing room, or burying my head in a crochet or knitting pattern doesn’t make the outside world go away. These activities DO help to strengthen my inner resolve; they support my forward movement when things get tough; they remind me of my “roots” and the women that came before me (referring to family) who I am certain crocheted and knitted and sewed for utility, but ALSO as a place of solace and comfort during their own life ups and downs.

I have planted these seeds of resilience with my oldest granddaughter, and when the time is right, will pass them on to my youngest granddaughter, as well. For now, I’m making my way through some tumultuous and uncertain times at work (federal government) and as I approach retirement. There’s a lot going on, a lot of potential for “disaster” in my personal circumstances, and many opportunities to freak out.

Instead, I choose to take care of the things I can take care of (resumes, finances, etc.) and take care of myself by eating as healthy as I can, and engaging in activities that soothe and support me.

The earlier version of myself would have scoffed at the idea that fabric, yarn and thread could be effective therapeutic tools in navigating the challenges of life,… “but I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.”

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