Receiving is Just As Important as Giving - Your Weekly Report from SewingArtistry

Published: Fri, 12/31/21

Basic

December 31, 2021

As many of you know, I like to observe the 13 Holy Nights after Christmas. This is a time to take stock, replenish the energy, creative juices and wherewithal that we use coming up to the winter season. In the spring we're full of energy and anticipation for the new birth of the world. In the summer we're full of energy enjoying the summer warmth and productiveness. In the autumn we're busy harvest and enjoy the bounty of our spring and summer work. So when winter comes, it's appropriate and timely that we rest and enjoy our work.

You can not only use this time as a means of examining what you've done the past year, but even better pull out those ideas that you haven't accomplished and work with them as well to develop new ideas.

This has graduated to a much deeper process. It's as much about opening yourself up to receive information and the energy of the season as it is about looking in the past. There's a kind of energy and buzz to the winter that's quiet and very powerful. It's like it's right underneath the surface just waiting for the first spark of spring, but for right now is resting quietly, but very powerfully.

I start with getting centered and calming myself and using a candle. I like patchouli or sandalwood candles as they are more musky and earthy smelling. They are also very grounding scents.

The idea here is to set a ritual - get a cup of cocoa, tea, grab a warm blanket, get comfy in a comfy chair or simply sit at a table and light your candle or do whatever makes you feel comfy.

You can have some scripture, quotes, sayings close so you can focus on one thing during your quiet time. There are several sources I like and I collect them through the year so that when my 13 Holy Nights comes up I can pick and chose which ones I like the most. Here are my favorite sources:
- The Bible - scripture is always a good choice
- Power Thoughts by Louise L. Hay (I have the Kindle version)
- Henry Cloud, a psychologist using scripture as guidelines - his Instagram account is full of quotes and ideas - "Our yes has no meaning if we never say 'no.' " Or how about this one: "Are you surviving or thriving?!"

I created a little journal book to write notes. I don't always write anything but it's fun to have it and in case I come up with some thoughts can write them down. Usually I go through and pick out some quotes or scriptures from the above sources and then work from those. I try and stay seasonal: Winter-reflective; Spring - anticipatory; Summer - producing; Autumn - reaping and Winter - reflective. These might take different meanings for you, so make it whatever these seasons mean to you.

Two formats to use if you like to download for free
2021-22 - this is each page is a sheet - there are 15 pages, so you would print a whole page per page.
2021-22 Book Form - this is meant to be printed in landscape, with duplex or printing both sides, turning on the short side. You may have to set your printing preferences in your individual printer dialogue box in the pdf printer window. This will print out like a book, so take them out of the printer, fold in half and staple on the spine and it's a little book. This is 28 pages, but only requires 7 pages!

Most of all I encourage you to receive this winter season. We sewists have such a great charitable and giving heart, that's it important for us to receive as well as give. This includes giving to ourselves, and these 13 Holy Nights are a perfect time to do that.

Enjoy!

For the Christmas season here are a few gifts to get you started for what's coming in the New Year. You can take a look at them, and use them like you want right now, but we will really build on these resources starting the first of the year. You can also wait till the first of the year, but they are a great way to start the New Year, AND they are free right now. The first of the year, they won't be available for free anymore.

A Croquis
Sketching is wonderful and a really great way to start is with your own figure, but how do you trace your own figure? In a mirror? Well, no. You can make what the pros call a croquis (crow-key). This is an outline of your own figure that you can use to trace different looks and styles and ideas before you make them up. I love mind and it has saved me many, many fruitless hours with some pretty ideas I thought were pretty neat at the beginning. The more I sketched them out they didn't work out so well. But this is exactly what the pros do and what they hope to discover in working through all their design issues.

A Scoop Book - Pages in Order Form and Booklet Form
I love scoop shopping. When every I'm in a big city, the first thing I do is hit the exclusive, high-end boutiques and department stores and take notes like crazy. For that, I developed a "scoop book". In this book are very lightly printed mannequins that you can use to sketch your ideas on. Often a simple squiggle or mark can recall the exact look or idea that you were excited about. The other page is about written ideas that will help you recall the garment or the part of the outfit that you liked.

There are two forms of this. One is with the pages in order and the other is with the pages in "booklet" form. The booklet form needs to be printed in order and on both sides flipping on the short side of the page. If that seems too complicated, use the form with the pages in order. Either one with will for you!

Well-Edited Wardrobe Ebook and Workbook (Interactive, Print-out)
I know, I can hear it now......."NOOOOOO, not the dreaded make me clean out my closet workbook!!!!!!!" Yes, that's what this is, but it's really worth it, and from where we're going to start in January, this is not only a must but makes such a fabulous way to begin what we're going to do in January. The fun thing about getting this before January is that you have plenty of time to attack this.

The Workbook is a gem and there are two formats here. One is interactive so if you want to put this on your tablet, and work with it that way, you can fill in everything in the pdf interactive version. If you simply want to print out the workbook and fill out the pages, there is this form too. You choose which one is simplest. The E-book is an explanation of how great it is to have a well-edited closet. And there are other benefits that you can start with in January!