What Are You Doing?

What are you doing with all the time you have while you are advised to stay at home during the spread of the Covid-19 virus?  I have so many choices, I don’t know what to do first!  The last four weeks I was busy sewing and writing posts for my “Small Projects” series on this blog.  Each week I had to decide on a project to do, make it, and write a post.  I filled the time left over from that by making masks, cleaning cabinets, cooking, and doing other essential housekeeping chores.  Oh, yes!  I also helped my husband plant another 308 onions in our garden.  That was probably the most difficult task I did.  It required crawling on my hands and knees down the rows and covering the onions with dirt.  When I tired of that method, I bent over from the waist and leaned down to put the dirt on the onions.   That was just as painful as crawling on my hands and knees! 

This week started with no time constraints.  I could do anything I wanted as long as I had all the necessary items in my house.  I took Monday off from everything.  It was not my choice;  I simply could not move.  Because I hurt all over from planting those onions, I spent most of the day on the couch.  After resting Monday, I moved onto making more masks.  I also searched my stash for fabric for masks and surgical caps.  I came to the conclusion that the longer you keep fabric in your stash, the uglier it gets.  When I looked at some of that fabric, I thought “What was I thinking?” 

I decided my sewing room needed some attention before I could start another project.  It looked like a small tornado went through.  Both cutting tables were filled with leftover supplies and equipment from recently finished projects.  It took quite a while to put everything back where it belonged. 

There were also two t-shirts on my serger table that required some attention.  Both were finished except for hemming the bottom edges and sleeves.  I intended to do that several months ago, but never got around to it.  I think I was simply avoiding changing my serger over to a cover stitch.  It had been so long since I last did it that I had to look at my instruction book to re-learn the process.  Fortunately, I got it threaded and switched over on my first try.  I felt good about that!  Pictures of the t-shirts are shown below.  They may end up as pajama tops.

It became clear to me this week that I should share part of my sewing room with my husband.  He is trying to stay busy; however, the weather is not cooperating.  It has been too cold to plant most of his garden.  He had 20 young raspberry plants that needed a home until the weather gets warmer.  So, we squeezed them into my room next to a large window.  Then he decided to plant some ground cherry seeds in a plastic box and set the box on the end of my cutting table by a window and placed a lamp over it.  That’s okay.  I can share my room.  We are sharing a difficult time with the entire nation.  The least I can do is give my husband some space to pursue his hobby until the weather allows him to do it outdoors.

Next week I will make surgical caps for some nurses in Lansing.  That project is being chaired by Jeanie B., a member of the Lansing Chapter of the American Sewing Guild.  Her daughter is a nurse.   

I would like to work on some online sewing classes if time permits.  I know time will permit if I arrange my activities to include it.  What kind of activities are you doing?  Are you using your time to improve your skills in a particular area of interest?  Are you reading, sewing, cooking new recipes, or relaxing in some other way?  Whatever you choose to occupy your time during this stressful period, please do your best to stay safe and healthy.

Judy