I think this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog post. There are a number of reasons for this.
1. While I have posts for my last five garments written, I have no pictures of the garments on me. Somewhere during the summer & fall, I just didn't feel like taking them. While I've thought several times about posting with the garments on my dress form, I just haven't gotten there.
2. I've been having real dental issues. Why does everything in our bodies have an expiration date on it? So I've been dealing with them and will continue to deal with them into 2023.
3. I've been having some physical challenges. From having to use a cane to walk long distances, to catching the crud, I just haven't felt like myself. In all honesty, I still don't.
4. Because of the above, I haven't sewn since the beginning of October, which is a lifetime in my world. However, I've had no desire to sew or acquire. That alone is a little frightening...me not buying anything. I totally skipped the Black Friday sales because I just don't feel like adding more to what I already own.
Speaking on that...
I've decided to downsize my fabric collection a bit. Realistically, I'm not going to sew ALL of the fabric beauties I own. Now when I say downsize I don't mean get rid of it all, I just mean sharing some of it with others. About 25% of it with others, meaning I will still own quite a bit.
When I was in my 40s and 50s, I always wondered why my older sewing friends, would start to share their fabric with others. I understand now. It's just preparing for the next stage of life and that's not a bad thing, it's just different...so I'm preparing.
Moving forward...
The urge to sew is slowly coming back. I have two weeks off for Christmas. My last Janome project will be due and will need to be worked on. I also have a few things on my Sewing List that I'd like to make. Hopefully, I will sew. Hopefully, I will feel like taking a few photos. Hopefully I will share these and my previous posts here to the blog. I'm feeling hopeful! *smile*
I didn't want November to flash by without at least one post from me. So here we are at the end of the month with me hoping I have something to share with you in December. Thanks for hanging in and checking on me. I appreciate it.
...as always more later!
Feel better.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about all the problems. In my world, dental is the worst. And I can identify with all that you wrote. I have as much fabric, patterns, and buttons. I am looking for places to give some of it away. Please take care. We will be here when you are feeling better and your sewing mojo is fully back. Jean
ReplyDeleteTake care and be kind to yourself. We want you around for the very long long time.
ReplyDeleteI've been going through some of the same need for dental renovations. Ouch. Just yesterday, wham in the gace, wham in the pocketbook.. But I've already missed the boat for the "die young stay pretty" approach so we slog on..
ReplyDeleteDon't feel like you have to get dolled up and have a proper photoshoot to share what you're up to. You've already weeded out the people who expect that kind of performance on a weekly basis. You do you on your own terms 😁
I hope you feel better soon! The crud has been really bad for everyone's sewing energy this year I think, but hopefully the desire to sew will come back for you soon, because it sounds like that will be a good measure to know when you are really feeling better and more like yourself.
ReplyDeleteI have missed your posts! But I hear ya...I have been looking at the stash realizing that, even were I to make the lovelies I was so inspired to by fabric for, I will likely have nowhere to wear them. Sobering. And I've got a car in my mouth. A fairly well-used car, but still...a car... It's always good to see The Diary pop up in my feed, whenever you get to it. Take time to be kind to yourself. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear from you as I look forward to your sewing wisdom and was starting to worry if something happened.. Take care of yourself and know that there are a lot of fans sending you best wishes and prayers. Have a blessed December.
ReplyDeleteSorry to heart that the recent times have been so challenging. I hope you feel better soon, i miss seeing your projects.
ReplyDeleteI rarely comment. I have read your blog and admired you nearly since your first post. I missed you. Welcome back. Best of luck dealing with your age related issues.
ReplyDeleteI hope everything will improve for you, Dental problems are no joke and super expensive and I seem to go through a slow down creatively every fall when the daylight shrinks. Thank you for your inspiration and honesty.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you finally posted. I was worried. I hope your teeth don't cause you many issues. Getting older is not for sissies. I love to read your posts, so I hope to read more soon.
ReplyDeleteROOTING FOR YOU. You are an important part of my sewing 🧵 world and I’ve missed you. My best wishes in everything you’re dealing with now. I’m older than you, and can report back that a lot of things in life improve unexpectedly. My hopes……
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about you yesterday. Take care of yourself. Everything else can wait
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see your post, and I am sorry you have been in pain and unwell. It really saps ones strength as well as sewing motivation. When you are feeling brighter, we would love to read about your five pieces, but no rush, take care of yourself first. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your update! I felt as though something must’ve been amiss. I wish you greatly improving health. And I echo others’ sentiments - I enjoy reading your posts, and wonder what I’ll do with all this fabric…
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you back but very sorry you are not feeling well. Take care of yourself. As to the fabric, about 6 months ago I bagged up a TON of fabric and took it to the local junior college that offers a fashion degree. The department operates on a very LOW budget. The department head was thrilled to get all the garment fabric that can be used for muslins at the very least. I attended our annual ASG meeting a couple of months ago and won a beautiful dress form. I do not need it so it too will go to the school. It is one of the more costly ones and they will get better use of it. I like mine and have no need for it. Now I have more than enough fabric and am looking forward to a January sewing retreat to use some of it up. Happy Holidays to you.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the health woes. I hope you get the ones that can be resolved fixed without too much pain, and the crud passes quickly. I wonder how much having so much of your last sewcation stolen by work had to do with your desire to sew going missing?
ReplyDeleteI should bag up some of my fabrics, but when I pull it out I still love it and know what I was going to make. What to do when I still see those jackets I was going to make but have no use for now that I'm retired?! All those knits for tops to wear to work that I don't go to now.
You have one of the best thought out and coordinated fabric collections I've ever seen by an "amateur" sewist. Please let us know how you mentally prepared to let some of those fabrics go to new homes!
by "amateur" I mean that you sew only for yourself and maybe family, not sewing as a business.
ReplyDelete@ anonymous - thank you for mentioning schools. I have no friends that sew, and hesitate to take to thrift stores as I never see fabric in them here. I'll be checking with local schools, maybe I can let go of some fabric if I know it won't end up in the dumpster.
JustGail - I knew what you meant so no worries!
DeleteThank you for updating us. I have wondered what was going on I hope you continue to improve and as many others said, be kind to yourself. We'll be waiting when you feel like blogging again. I missed you!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear all this, but it helps me not feel so crazy in my own sewing mojo disappearance. Hang in there. Rest well!
ReplyDeleteIt was good to read another post from you. We share some of the same things: dental work, too much fabric, walking challenges. Re walking: rather than hobble about with a cane, I love using walking poles. It is truly amazing the feeling of competence and energy they give me when I walk.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your post. Wishing you all the best, we love you. Robin
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin!
DeleteThanks for the post. It is always a good day to read your thoughts and possibly see your sewn items. Wish you all the best for the rest of the year and into 2023!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting -- I, like others, was concerned about the gap in posting. You have, IMO, the BEST sewing blog and I use your blog to start my journey through others.
ReplyDeleteI hope you regain you sew-jo soon, but I can empathize -- I seem to have lost mine. Over Thanksgiving I managed to spark it enough to finish some PJ pants for my grandbabies, but now the sew-jo has dissipated. Joann Fabrics sends me e-mails "we miss you -- please come spend your money with us". And, the demise of Fabric.com has me really upset -- they had the BEST, bar none, set of filters to get to exactly the fabric I wanted!!!!
Take it easy, regain your equilibrium, even 1 post/month makes your faithful followers happy to know that you are still with us!!!
SuZin - I will be sharing until I can physically share no more...same with sewing because it defines who I really am.
DeleteSorry to hear that you have been unwell and not feeling like yourself. Dental issues are the worst. Hope you are looking after yourself and are able to get back to your normal self soon. Don't push yourself over the holidays!
ReplyDeleteSo relieved and happy to see your post pop up in my feed.You have been sorely missed. I checked for you every day. I am sorry you are hitting this spell. It eventually comes to all of us, that reality that one really can't sew it all and that it is time to truly curate. Mine happened about 5 years back and it was a good thing. What little remains, and it is little, is prime fabric mostly, that really excites my creativity. I am sure you will cull down to that concept eventually and be very comfortable with it. I found It wise to keep the unique and the simple and fabulous. Great basics can be had anytime if needed. For me, online shopping removed much of the joy of fabric shoppiing so that has squooshed some of that activity as well. I am at a place where those fabric dollars now buy less and buy better,higher quality. I like having less and better. But you always have some incredible certainly not inexpensive pieces so it will be a challenge for sure and a major project as well.
ReplyDeleteYour reference to your body " Why does everything in our bodies have an expiration date on it?" speaks volumes. It seems one situation gets fixed and another arrives on the scene. It certainly has taught me flexibility. There are spaces in between that just have to be grabbed and run with. whether it's time spent with grands, travelling, or just getting some sunshine. At this age you never know when the next wave is coming. Who says it has to be spent sewing? We have not commitments here other than to be grateful for the good days and live them to the fullest, whatever that is. I wish you the best Caroline. You are in my thoughts often. Take care.
Bunny - I'm sure this will not be the last curation of my fabric collection. However, soooooo much of it still calls to me. I've donated a lot of the smaller lengths but there still are quite a few that should go to someone who doesn't have to think of what to do with 2 yard lengths. And there are some like the velvets, the pontes and the pleathers that will NOT be shared! *smile*
DeleteThe expiration date is a thing I don't think you fully realize until you are up in it. I'm pushing through and adjusting because I read an article that said to acknowledge your aging is better than to ignore it. Ignoring it makes the changes more difficult. I'm choosing to be grateful that I'm still here, in relatively good health and able to carry on.
Sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling so great. I’ve given away a lot of my fabric. As we age our lifestyle changes and also fabric technology. We want different things. That’s fine. We had fun buying it, didn’t we? Vickihks.
ReplyDeleteVicki - we did have fun collecting the fabric didn't we...I still have a lot of wonderful memories of trips taken with fellow sewists and the good times. Those are more important than the fabric itself!
DeleteNot great when your teeth are bothering you and you are bound to feel a bit down in the dumps. I had recent problem at the other end requiring a colonoscopy. I must admit that leading up to it my face really had a pinched up look. All sorted now and back on form, as you will be I am sure. Can't keep a good woman down. Take care.
ReplyDeleteSometimes our bodies and our lives need a moment. Hopefully you have finished with yours. Wishing you peace, health and a happiness of spirit. Shalom
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to hear from you! Thanks for checking in, and I will be praying healing for you!
ReplyDeleteSneakers: Teeth woes are the worst -and time consuming. I at least need to feel relatively well to sew - at least to cut (I've learned not to cut when tired or sick.) It is joy that will be waiting for you when you're feeling better. I echo what so many have said that your blog is one of the best and most authentic. Look forward to your creations in the new year.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see your post. I was thinking about you hoping you are ok. I have to use a cane now also. But such is life.
ReplyDeleteOh Carolyn, sorry to read what you've been dealing with lately. Take your time and take care of you. I would love to see and read about what you've been sewing but your health is much more important. I'll keep you in my prayers. I hear you about downsizing the fabric stash, I'm in the middle of doing that as well. I wish I could sew it all but back and wrist issues are slowing me down. I recently picked up a reacher, it's a game changer. Oh, to be young and healthy with the sewing experience and stash we have now!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, my heart goes out to you. I am so grateful to you for your inspiration over the years--your work here has helped so many of us keep on creating. I wish you all the best and will keep you in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how you were doing. Hopefully on the mend. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteOh Carolyn, I'm so sorry to see you've been unwell. I hope you are on the mend and will soon be back to your best xxx
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