Thursday, August 27, 2020

New Clothes Don't Really Matter

Prior to summer, I realized I needed some new summer clothes.  I intended to make some new tops and capris, but then the pandemic hit and I had masks to make.  And then my husband and I had lots of medical appointments.  In between appointments, I was finishing up other sewing projects and sewing some items for a baby pantry in Lansing.  I also made more masks. 

The only item I sewed to add to my summer wardrobe was one t-shirt.  I found a piece of green knit in my stash left over from a top I made last year.  I also had a small piece of white knit.  I decided to put the two pieces together to make a t-shirt with a yoke.  I tweaked my pattern a little and now I really like the fit.  I have other pieces of knit in my stash that I could use to make some color blocked tops.  However, the trick to that is to find knit pieces that are similar in weight and that blend well together.  I should cut small pieces of my fabrics and carry them with me to shop for other knits that would work well with what I have.  Then I could do more color blocked tops.  That could be a project to do after the snow starts to fly around here.

A picture of my new top is shown below.  We are still doing social distancing, so I have had very few opportunities to wear my top except to medical appointments.  Not having new clothes really doesn’t matter if you are staying home most of the time.

This pandemic has affected each of us in many different ways.  It has affected the products we are able to buy.  Many common items have become scarce and hard to find in our stores.  Many of us are hoarding these common items if we are able to find them.  We will buy and store as many as we can find.  Toilet paper, Dawn dish detergent, and Wet Swiffers are just a few that come to mind.  It has affected where we go and what we do.  We can no longer gather with our friends to socialize and/or worship together as we used to do.  When we do gather in very small groups, it is necessary to wear masks and maintain a distance of at least six feet apart.  We can no longer send our children to school without fear of spreading Covid-19. 

And in the midst of all this, we are subjected to all things surrounding a national election.  We have become a nation of angry people; people who shout at each other; people who do not respect others’ view on anything.  We expect others to listen to us as we shout out our views on social media, but we tell them to please not respond if they disagree with our view.  Each time I read that remark on Face Book, I think, “Really!  Why do you think we must listen to your viewpoint, but you are not willing to listen to ours?”

It is no wonder I can’t think of anything I really want to sew.  I think I have lost my creativity.  This pandemic has striped me of my desire to sew, my desire to create something new, my desire to learn something new, and my desire to be a better me!  No, it is not just the pandemic.  It is a combination of the pandemic and the political nonsense we are all pelted with.  I sometimes just feel beaten down.

I look forward to the day we all get back to “normal” again.  I hope I live long enough to see that day.  I am now within spitting distance of 80 years of age.  I understand that is the mark when we should get our affairs in order and share our financial information with our children.  Instead or maybe in addition to those things, I would like to share with our family and friends some sort of normal gatherings without fear of losing another friend or a family member.  I would like to sit and sew and visit with my friends again and share ideas and new projects.  I would like to worship with our friends in church and visit with them afterwards and enjoy a meal together.  Those are the things I look forward to doing once again and new clothes really don’t matter.  I would enjoy doing those things even wearing clothes I made years ago!

Happy sewing to you!  Please don’t let this pandemic and/or these political times get you down.  Just move ahead with your projects and try to treat others with respect and kindness.

Judy

 

 

 

 

 

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