Sanity........

Whoo..........this is a deep breath out, and Hmmm, this is a deep breath in, and I sit down and sew a little or a lot.

It is a very fortunate woman or man that has a hobby like ours. We are indeed blessed to have found that thing that settles us down and allows us to create.

 

With my retirement and my husbands closely following, there has been a period of adjustment. I was so happy to have him home, looking forward to spending more time together and enjoying each others company as we did when we first met. 
Then a change sweeps through, our routines are disrupted, our roles are changed, I have more time and freedom, but I also have more time and freedom!!

It has taken me time to realise that I have this new situation, I seriously have felt a little lost as my role has changed, but I have a creative outlet and I am giving myself permission to get in there and create. 
My mind continually tries to tell me how I have "wasted" the day.
 I can go to paid employment, be bored and busy at the same time, yearn to be sewing, and yet because I now have no wage I deem myself to be "wasting" my time now.
Sanity is a fickle mistress. 

The simple act though of going to my sewing room and selecting a circle for the 365 quilt has strangely opened a door. Its a routine, like work was, that sparks my desire to do more. 
As I tick off that little task, I then go onto the next work in progress and then my head starts planning all those other quilts that I have wanted to start.
Suddenly I feel that I can do these things, I can start because I have more time and freedom than before. 

I am also a little superstitious so please gremlins give me a break, don't fill my new found freedom with other responsibilities....yes I do like to worry too about things that may never actually happen the way I think they will.....so its Whooo ...a breath out and Hmmmmm....another breath in and I sit and sew.

 This is a jar in which I place all my current small scraps

 As it fills I decided to do as
Victoria Findlay-Wolf  suggests in her book,
"Fifteen Minutes of Play"....and that is to play.

 
And this is the happy result. I have made new fabric from small pieces. I found that sewing it onto a paper foundation gave me direction and stability. I am planning to sew these with plain fabric pieces for one of my many scrap projects. 
And this is what I do when I just feel like "wasting time"

So adjustments will continue as life continues, my husband and I are getting to enjoy having a lot more time together and he too is glad I have that hobby, then he is free to pursue his hobby.

 

 No longer a worker bee, but now we can stop and smell a flower.