“When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won.” –Gandhi

That’s the quote embroidered on this quilt.

I finally got around to hanging it in the sewing room. I hung a rod that is a place for me to change out the quilt being displayed whenever I feel like I need a change.

I worked on this quilt years ago. You can see the details and read about it here.

It’s the quote that is hanging with me now.

Despair is not conducive to creativity. These days, I spend a lot of time and energy on despair. Some of you may feel the same way. Others will think I’m being a drama queen. The point is not how any of us SHOULD be feeling. Feelings happen. The goal of those of us who are grown-ups is to learn to cope with them, or at the very least to learn to work through them and not be imprisoned by them.

Gandhi is a leader in this area. He is famous for recognizing that anger is a tool that can be harnessed.

Apathy was what he considered to be the enemy of the good.

So in an effort to shake off both apathy and despair (which I recognize as being diametrically opposed) I decided my sewing needs to start small.

I’m not ready or able to take on a big project. Maybe soon.

But for the next few days, I’m going to focus on these 2 piles of scraps. One is of old upholstery samples, and the other is a pile of jeans…most from my father, but the cute pockets are from another project I had in mind at some point.

I plan to start serging and see where it takes me. I want to make some grocery bags because I want to permanently replace all those plastic bags. Forever. Which means I need a supply of large sturdy bags.

Wish me luck.

I am starting without any clear direction, which is never a good plan.

But sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and start the work and hope the creativity shows up.

Stay strong, fellow stitchers.

This, too, shall pass.