Saturday, February 14, 2009

Sewing Again








It's been 35 years since I finished my last sewing class in college. I loved sewing so much that I bought a new Viking machine immediately after college, before I got my first teaching job.


Since then, I've sewed off and on, but not with the heartfelt devotion I dreamed of having each time I sat down to sew. I wanted to create-design my own patterns, use different combinations of fabrics, unusual bits and pieces of trims. However, I usually only had time to repair, resize, and replace buttons on garments.



This winter's colder than usual weather has driven me inside the last 4 months. Allison is in kindergarten for 3 hours a day. Now, I have some free moments. So I've chosen to sew. I've three valentine dresses for Allison! How silly, it seems, that I'd make so many. Yet, all the different heart fabrics were so fascinating to put together. I also think those hearts indicate the joy I feel about sewing again. It's given me a new mind focus beyond my typical thought patterns: relationships, curriculum development, teaching, and gardening. Like being a middle aged parent shocked me into an amazing reality with Allison; sewing draws me along a colorful path of design. Best of all, Allison loves wearing her mom-made clothes.



Reflection: How our brains still yearn to learn!