Sometimes the universe has plans for us that aren't at all fair. One day, it seems, you wake up to find that nothing is going your way. So what's a girl to do?
Sew.
The last few weeks have been rough. My cousin passed away rather suddenly and without warning. Gordon was diagnosed with epilepsy after suffering two seizures. Someone I love very much, my step-mom, was diagnosed with cancer. I made a choice long ago to live in Toronto, more than 2,000 km away from family. Being so far away can be difficult at the best of times, but when the people you love aren't well, it's much, much worse.
We all sew for our own reasons. Some people are just too talented not to sew. Some people do it for the community. Some people sew because they've always done. Some people simply love all of the gorgeous fabric that can be found, and can't justify having it unless they sew. All perfectly wonderful reasons to be a sewist.
I sew because it keeps me healthy. Because it helps me say what I sometimes can't. Because making things inevitably leaves a bit of me behind, a physical reminder of me when I can't be there. Because the friends I've made inspire and amaze me every day. Because it carves out time to spend on me in a world that demands so much. Because it can help turn grief, anxiety, and worry into something special and beautiful and happy.
I started a quilt for my step-mom last week, a very special Dresden Plate in her favourite colour. Each blade I cut, every stitch, I'm thinking of her, of her recovery. I know that she'll enjoy this quilt for years to come, and I hope that every time she sees it, she knows I'm there with her, even when I'm 2000 km away.
