While I was pregnant this third time I mentioned to someone that I take pleasure in making things, and I was sad about how that was all going to stop with the new baby. And this person told me about a friend of hers who tried to sew one seam a day, even with a newborn – her argument being that if you wash and clean and parent all day, you need to do all of it again the very next day, whereas when you sew a seam, it stays done.
It’s funny how you never know what throwaway comments from others will haunt you. This is something that I have thought of often since then. When you sew a seam, it stays done.
Seam rippers aside of course, the idea of doing something lasting, no matter how small that something is, is satisfying. Is there something about the human psyche that needs to see – really see, and really feel – that something is done that will stay done? There is definitely something about the human psyche (at least mine) that does not feel entirely satisfied with the Sisyphean daily grind of maintaining a household.
Three babies in, and I’m still learning. I’ve come a long way, but I do have a tendency to think, “Well, I don’t know how long I have”, or “I only have ten minutes” or (worst of all) “He could wake any time” and therefore I don’t even get started, and I unstack the dishwasher instead. Even writing it down I can see that train of thought doesn’t really make sense. (Perhaps I am not at my logical best, with an 8 month old?? Or maybe I’m just tired, and starting anything is hard.)
If I sew a seam a day, eventually I can have a quilt. Or a dress. Or anything I like. And it would be a quilt or a dress that I didn’t have if I had waited until life and babies gave me stretches of hours at a time (a nice dream!).
I’ve been I’ve seen plenty of 100 day challenges around – 100 days of hand lettering, 100 days of colour, 100 days of knitting. The idea is that you set yourself a creative goal, maybe something you’ve been procrastinating, and commit to it for 100 days.
I think officially you’re supposed to post something to social media each day for 100 days to stay accountable, but I’m not that into social media (and I also doubt whether anyone else is that into my making/motherhood struggles). But I’ve decided today that I’m going to commit to 100 days of seams. I’ll report back on Instagram (@happiness.is.handmade, #100daysofseams) along the way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a seam to sew.
Happiness is Handmade 