Friday, November 30, 2012

Has it really been that long? Well, I'm back.

Wow! It's been a long time since I posted anything here.
Life has taken a bit of a detour and I've not been able to post, or even quilt for that matter.
A bit of explanation: Quilting is both a hobby for me, and a form of meditation and therapy. I use it as a creative outlet. I also use it as a means of relaxation, or a way to think about something without focusing on it too intensely.
About a year ago, my family began going through some serious upheavals. The upheavals involved a family member who was suffering from severe depression and anxiety. This, obviously, affects the whole family, and I was dealing with it, to the best of my ability, while still managing all the other aspects of life.
One of the things that made it bearable for me was my sewing. Designing, sewing and quilting pieces became a coping tool. Spending time in the studio became a respite, and a refuge, from the trouble lurking in (seemingly) every corner of the house. I sewed a lot.
Then, after a breaking point and drastic measures to help my loved one, and restore some peace to the house, I found I could not sew. I tried. Really I did. I sat at my machine one afternoon, and...felt anxious to the point of leaving the studio. This caused me great distress! I realized my sewing had become too closely associated with my own anxiety and worry. Sadness lived in my studio.
I stopped sewing for 6 months.  I did nothing other than the occasional mending.
Works-in-progress just sat there. I didn't even bother tidying up the room, until 4 months later when house guests came to stay and 2 kids needed to use the studio as a bedroom for two weeks.
I had some faith that I would sew again when I felt better, but I couldn't push it.
It's not that I stopped crafting altogether; I just stopped sewing.
I recently started being interested in quilting again, and now have 2 works-in-progress. I will post about them soon.
In the meantime, the next post will be of my cross-stitching which has been my main medium since April.
Thanks for those still reading, and sorry about the long break!

2 comments:

  1. *hugs* I am glad you've been able to come back to sewing, because obviously it's something that means a lot to you!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! It really does, and I'm glad to be doing it again.

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