A couple years ago I had a great idea: I would make everyone in my office custom Christmas stockings for my team's gift exchange. I designed special themed stockings for each person and sewed them up. It didn't take long, and it was easy and fun. Pictured is one of the special stockings. Everyone loved them and hung them up in their offices. Some people took me aside and said, "Oh I wish I could sew. I just don't have the patience." And I would respond that it took no special patience to make a stocking, but they would claim this lack of patience prevented them from any creative endeavor: quilting, painting, cooking, sewing. No patience! Can't do it!
I am not an especially patient person. If you were to ask anyone in my family to list my virtues, I am pretty sure patience would not even make the top ten. But I hear the same statement over and over again whenever I make a baby quilt, or a dress or blouse or pillows. They just don't have the patience. Is it that some people consider sewing complete drudgery?
As sewists and quilters I think we have a small mission. We must rid the world of this myth that making something yourself requires patience. No patience is required. The truth is making your own anything is fun. I had fun making those stockings. Quilters and sewists are the most generous people; they even make things for strangers, just because they care so much. So I'd say that it doesn't take any patience at all. All you need is love.
1 comment:
Interesting observation! I never thought of it like that. I think people mostly say to me they don't have time to sew, rather than patience. Well, you make time for the things you enjoy! And you're right, i don't think sewing takes that much patience. Unless it's a really complicated fabric, things move along pretty quickly. There are lots of steps, but you don't have to belabor each one. But let them think that we are efficient and patient! We've fooled everyone. `-)
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