November 27, 2020

Sometimes we simply need an excuse to be thankful even when it seems like this year has been one of those once-in-a-millennial type years.  Some of us may not be where we want, and some of us may be dealing with a lot right now.  But one thing I love about Thanksgiving is that it's a time for us to relax and look back on what we do have - and we do have so much.

Yeah, Claire, right!!!!  That sounds like a whole lot of malarkey.  But there are things to be thankful for, even if we are not where we would dream and like.  One blessing I have always been thankful for is my ability to sew.  This is an old-fashioned life skill, that will soon find it's way back into our lives.  As clothes become more sustainable, durable and humanitarian (no more slave labor), they will become more valued and valuable.  That makes our skill more relevant and treasured. 

But more than that, the very act of sewing is a problem-solving task.  There's one problem after another that we are solving as we work our way through the assembly of a design.  Even when we have someone guide us through, it's the very act of doing it, and the act of watching the problem being solved, that forms the new little synapses in our brains.  This process makes our brains "work" and that means that our brains and our sense and reasoning last long. 

Many studies have been done that people who work on puzzles, but more importantly problem-solving tasks, have much more cognizant lives with hardly any brain loss.  Of course that excuses the forgetfulness that naturally comes with life.  On the way to put the keys up you see the plant that needs watering, but before you do that, the table the plant is on needs dusting, and on the way to get the duster, you see the dirty dishes, and go to start cleaning those when your phone dings reminding you to go pick up your to-go order at the restaurant, and looking for the keys you can't find them.....you know that sort of normal behavior!!!!

So not only is sewing a life skill, that will become more and more valuable, it is also a life and brain-prolonging skill.  So that while your non-sewing friends age and have a blank look on their face or can't seem to do normal tasks, you will be thinking and reasoning circles around them cause you have lots of problem-solving experience behind you. 

No, I'm not stretching.  Sewing really is life-prolonging - only in a vital and aware life-prolonging way.  I'm thankful that I sew.  I'm thankful that I allowed myself to sew (it was not a skill that was encouraged or even liked when I started my company back in the '80s). 

And of course I'm thankful for all of you who love sewing as much as I do and with whom I can share that passion!

 

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It's Thanksgiving week, and holidays which means hardly anything gets done which means small progress is being made but we are scheduled to pick back up in December.  The old site is still functional, but for a very short time when the new site will pick up on the old sewingartistry.com.
 

December Zoom with Claire

We'll be doing another "Zoom with Claire" in December.  Respond back to this email and I'll send you the details.  The reason I do that, is that it keeps it private among we sewists!  This is a security measure to make sure that we're not hacked.  You will also be sent a meeting ID and password to enter into the Zoom meeting. 

It's best to do this on a computer, but you can do it on your tablet or phone.  Click the link I send you in the email and you're set to go.  

We're having the December meeting early so as not to get in the way of holiday making and ideas.

December 2nd from 1 - 2 pm CST. 

Here's a time zone guide to help with the timing.  The link for this is here.



If you can't make it, or don't like Zoom or that sort of thing, but want to ask some questions, click here and ask away.  I will talk about them in the video and the accompanying resource guide which I will email to all who email back once we're finished.  That way you can have a copy of the video and the resource guide for when it's convenient for you to watch it.  

Simply Respond to this Email with this in the topic:
RSVP Monthly Live Video Zoom

Now, you don't have to ask any questions, sometimes it's fun to simply lurk silently and listen to what others are asking cause this will often help you.  As a matter of fact this is how I learned sewing.  There was sort of a home-room classroom style where some were very advanced, some were beginners like I was in the beginning, and what I learned was what I didn't know and didn't even know to ask.  So sometimes I might be working on fitting a dress, when another student was doing a tailored jacket, and in a later class I could ask my teacher, "Hey, you were working with Suzy and she was wanting you to teach her how to stay stitch the collar?....how do you do that?" I learned all sorts of things this way.


 

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On the Blog

An Important Notice

Fitting A Pattern to Your Body

Bust Dart

 

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