My current bliss is sewing. I am a novice again, having left the hobby for a long while. Trying to find new pastimes after selling my house with its large, interesting garden, I decided to hem up some napkins from pretty quilting fat quarters, and soon found myself suddenly grabbed by fabric, sewing notions, how-to books and patterns. It's all familiar, as I was trained to sew as a girl. (Thanks, Mom!) I made skirts and blouses and shirts, and eventually little dresses and shirts for my kids. My old Kenmore sewing machine from my husband of 1967, is still around. It weighs as much as a bag of cement, but that is a good indication of its sturdiness. Sitting in the closet for about 10 years, it nevertheless started right up after a small drink of oil. Re-familiarizing myself with sewing details seemed a little daunting in the beginning, but I know, finally, at my age, that sometimes one only needs
to go forward a little and leave the rest for the next day, to get anywhere. Now I find new pleasures in putting the Kenmore through its paces, though my skills are still basic.
Here's why, so far: 1) It's grand, in my jet speed world, to complete a project--get it done! 2) I like the challenge sometimes presented by a seemingly indecipherable pattern, or a balky sewing machine, to test my patience, my mind, and determination to emerge victorious! 3) I love the appreciation I feel from people who look at my productions. 4) It seems to be a great diet program. When I am sewingly engrossed, I don't snack. At all! I have to remind myself to drink water; to watch the clock for lunch time! 5) When NPR tells one more story of financial disaster or failure of our many US wars, or I start to worry about the high price of peas, or the tread wearing thin on my tires, I can retreat into my "workroom" and bring back a sense of control. Fabrics and notions seem to be continually on sale so that prices are more like 1970 than 2012. 6) Learning more about color and fabric is something I find fascinating, along with the sound of the scissors on the material, the sound of the machine, the steam that rises from the iron in pressing down a seam. Kind of a BB zen thing, I guess. 7) Holing up in my workroom where one wall heater keeps me cozy on the coldest winter days, meets my need for home economy. 8) With sewing, you see immediately what the results are, and you can always rip out and do something over. 9) I kind of know what I'm doing, though my eyes and steady hand are not that of my younger self. 10) And best?! Lucy's eyes full of excitement when she came over with her Mom to try on her new dress!
My current bliss is sewing. I am a novice again, having left the hobby for a long while. Trying to find new pastimes after selling my house with its large, interesting garden, I decided to hem up some napkins from pretty quilting fat quarters, and soon found myself suddenly grabbed by fabric, sewing notions, how-to books and patterns. It's all familiar, as I was trained to sew as a girl. (Thanks, Mom!) I made skirts and blouses and shirts, and eventually little dresses and shirts for my kids. My old Kenmore sewing machine from my husband of 1967, is still around. It weighs as much as a bag of cement, but that is a good indication of its sturdiness. Sitting in the closet for about 10 years, it nevertheless started right up after a small drink of oil. Re-familiarizing myself with sewing details seemed a little daunting in the beginning, but I know, finally, at my age, that sometimes one only needs
to go forward a little and leave the rest for the next day, to get anywhere. Now I find new pleasures in putting the Kenmore through its paces, though my skills are still basic. 
Here's why, so far: 1) It's grand, in my jet speed world, to complete a project--get it done! 2) I like the challenge sometimes presented by a seemingly indecipherable pattern, or a balky sewing machine, to test my patience, my mind, and determination to emerge victorious! 3) I love the appreciation I feel from people who look at my productions. 4) It seems to be a great diet program. When I am sewingly engrossed, I don't snack. At all! I have to remind myself to drink water; to watch the clock for lunch time! 5) When NPR tells one more story of financial disaster or failure of our many US wars, or I start to worry about the high price of peas, or the tread wearing thin on my tires, I can retreat into my "workroom" and bring back a sense of control. Fabrics and notions seem to be continually on sale so that prices are more like 1970 than 2012. 6) Learning more about color and fabric is something I find fascinating, along with the sound of the scissors on the material, the sound of the machine, the steam that rises from the iron in pressing down a seam. Kind of a BB zen thing, I guess. 7) Holing up in my workroom where one wall heater keeps me cozy on the coldest winter days, meets my need for home economy. 8) With sewing, you see immediately what the results are, and you can always rip out and do something over. 9) I kind of know what I'm doing, though my eyes and steady hand are not that of my younger self. 10) And best?! Lucy's eyes full of excitement when she came over with her Mom to try on her new dress!
