What do the birds talk about so loudly?
and thoughts on weaving in the joy
The birds have made it impossible to hear on the phone.
Their riotous, dare I say joyous, calls drowning out the words on the end of the line, forcing me from the deck and inside. Joyous despite the fact that the black squirrels have torn their feeders to the ground and emptied them of their morsels of sunflower seeds.
Joyous for the sun on their beaks and the warm morning air, no jacket required.
Or, maybe I’m naively romanticizing their melodies and what I take as joyous chatter is actually petty gossip, “Did you see the cleavage on the flashy red dress?”.
Maybe it’s me who’s feeling joyous with the sun on my face and the balmy hint of a breeze.
Maybe it’s the sun, and maybe it’s the fact that I made a little something special, in the midst of “not enough time” and “but, what about this?” and “is this practical?”.
I’m terribly proud of myself.
Proud that I took sips of time to get creative and make a thing with my own two hands. Proud that I followed that wee spark and added joy to my life.
Despite only arriving back home two weeks ago from Chicago, where my brother took over my Dad’s kidney transplant care taking, with a looming work load, a wee boy with a terribly high fever that lasted nearly 5 days and building permits to advocate for as I continue plans on an addition to our tiny house. (why are the bureaucratic hurdles to building a home so hard to navigate?)
Oh, and the grass that’s tall enough to hide a cat, the dishes threatening to topple into the sink and wash themselves (please do!) and the laundry calling my name.
To make a thing. Specifically a bag – perfectly sized to haul around with ease and carry-on and just large enough to creatively pack for a week’s adventure somewhere.
Nowhere right now, to be clear, but somewhere, someday.
A project sewn for the dream of getting away with only myself, my new bag, a wide-open notebook and some sharp, hope-filled, pencils.
That bag; it can fit 5 dresses, 3 pairs of leggings, 3 layering pieces, a nightie, swimsuit, a slim pair of sandals and the undergarments and socks to accompany them all without too much wrestling of the zipper.
Yes. I tested it! While the dishes sobbed in neglect.
And made a list, including what I would wear on the airplane to round it all out and marveled at how ready I am. All dressed up with nowhere to go.
Except I am going. Not to an exotic locale with beaches and delicious dishes and bustling markets…but to my Dad’s to care take as he adjusts to life at home with a new kidney, having escaped the clutches of a blood infection and ICU for the past two and a half weeks.
I made the bag. As impractical right now as it is.
Really I could use a new pair of pants or some tank tops to swing a hammer in this summer. But when I looked at my sewing studio it was the dream of adventures to come that I wanted to sew.
And so I did. And you should too.
Because we must weave the joy and adventures in between the obligations and hard times. We are meant to follow our sparks of joy, to gift ourselves ways to balance our stress. And life will always be both, joyful and hard. Make the thing that lights you up!
You know where I will be taking this sweet bag? The one I made from wool that I quilted, the same wool I made a sweet little waistcoat out of, and dry oil cloth I lovingly hoarded and some sweet nano iro lining it? To PatternCon! YES!!
I’ve heard from some of you lovelies that I’ll be seeing you there, but if you’ve not got your ticket yet, get it now!
It’s August 16th-17th in Charlotte, NC. Along with a full line-up of amazing teachers that I can’t wait to meet in real life, I’ll be teaching two workshops–one on sewing with knits and fitting a core pattern and one on drafting that core pattern into new garments! (my favorite!)
And while I’m still working out the details for the rescheduled Bralette sewing retreat, you can still find a spot or two at our fall retreat on Mackinac Island! Get all the details here.
Take care my dear!
In Kinship,
Tina
P.S. - that lovely bag, it’s none other than the Oxbow Tote pattern from Noodlehead. (Her designs always turn my eye!)
What I'm loving right now...
Well, my goodness! I'm tucking this in the idea file.
I can't explain why, but this brought tears to my eye and nearly burst my heart with the simple "showing up fully" beauty.
You know those cozy fantasy books I've become enamored with? Well I jumped on the band wagon for this one and while I wanted to dislike the main character for what a stick-in-the-mud she is...I adored it, and her, in the end (a quarter of the way in actually). That's powerful stuff there.
I'm hoping to record a podcast episode before I head out, so keep an eye out for that too. Fingers crossed. If I don't get to it, you might like to listen to (or relisten to) my series Find Your Joy!