One stitch at a time

            I spent the last two days sewing. As I’ve said here before, not on my list of favourite things. This time wasn’t so bad. I put on an audio book and determined that I was going to work on the pile of mending, hemming, and mask-making until I was done.  I’m not, but I have made 5 more cloth masks. I’ve washed the new pants I bought  so they are ready to turn up and I’m going to finally get to the work pants that have been sitting in the basket for over a year waiting for me to take two inches off the legs. I sewed the binding back on the fleece blanket where it was coming off and, I’m gaining respect for my sewing machine as I put it through some pretty thick layers of material. I was impressed with how long I could go without refilling the bobbin. I think the difference this time was that I set myself up for the long haul. Usually when I sit down to sew, I want to get it done as fast as possible so I can get onto other things I like better. I resent every minute spent at the machine. The audio book definitely helped as did rewatching the YouTube video on how to make the masks.

            Another thing that was different this time was that I gave myself permission to take short-cuts. I put pencil marks on the fabric. They might or might not wash out and it really doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. I used black thread on grey fabric because that’s what I had in the machine. The masks will work regardless of the colour of the thread and whether or not there are pencil marks. I don’t own an ironing board and I don’t need one. A couple of sawhorses with a board  between them and a fleece blanket on top work just fine. When it comes to turning up the pants, I’ll try to do a decent job but mostly I’ll be wearing them in the shop anyway. Small decisions can make the difference between doing a job and not even starting it.

 I guess, for the moment at least, I’ve found some patience with sewing. It’s never going to be my favourite indoor sport but it’s a useful thing to be able to do and I will enjoy not looking at a heaping  'Sew Me' box every time I go to do the laundry. I’m not sure how many days it will take to work through the box as I'm not a quick worker. I’m anticipating a mini celebration when I can finally wear the mended running cap and the work pants that have been sitting there for so long. I'll get through the pile one stitch at a time.