Sewing My Way to Inner Peace

Growing up, I never had any hobbies. I was expected to do well in school, go to college, and get a well-paying job. I majored in finance because that was a practical major with promising job prospects after graduation. My day job involves data analysis to generate insights aimed at increasing company revenue. As you can imagine, there's constant pressure to provide actionable information stakeholders can use to meet revenue targets.

The Catalyst

My sewing interest began with a tote bag that caught my eye in a museum gift shop during a trip to Chicago. At the time over ten years ago, the purse was priced at $70, way out of my budget. For reasons I still can't fathom today, my analytical mind decided I had the capacity to learn how to make this tote myself. Never mind I would spend a couple of hundred dollars buying a sewing machine and supplies to make said tote. The time I needed to learn how to sew didn't occur to me either.

Thankfully, I never stopped sewing and stumbled on a creative outlet that helped me use a completely different side of my brain away from my high- pressure day job.

Keeping Calm

When you sew, inevitably you'll end up with fabric scraps. I hated the idea of throwing away scraps to become trash in landfills and tried to incorporate them as much as possible in my sewing projects. Using my creative side to come up with new ideas helped me relax and turn my focus to a fun activity.

This laminate pouch I made helped me use up my smallest scraps. I glued the scraps onto a piece of fabric and then used iron-on vinyl to hold all the pieces in place before sewing.

I used my fabric scraps to make the dress in this burlap canvas that hangs in my sewing room. This canvas even won me a contest with a fabric prize! With the COVID work from home policy still in place, every time I feel overwhelmed, seeing this canvas above my desk brings a smile to my face that calms me.

I end up with a lot of fabric selvages from my sewing projects and found a great way to make them into something practical. A mug rug is a small quilt a little larger than a coaster. I use the fabric selvages to make mug rugs I use as coasters around the house. I use this mug rug for my morning coffee. Seeing this coaster helps me start off the day with a smile while I'm working at home.

To challenge my creative side, I designed a pincushion pattern to use up my fabric scraps. I scaled the pattern in different sizes to make it more flexible for different size scraps. These are a couple of pincushions I made. Being able to use up my fabric scraps and not having to add to landfills always lifts my spirits.

Staying Connected

Over time, I started to buy more fabric than I could possibly use because the prints were too beautiful to resist. Things started to get out of control when I had no room left in my closet to store all my fabric. I knew I had to purge my collection and my Etsy shop was born. I discovered I could make money by cutting different fabrics into smaller pieces to sell as a set. I was amazed I could sell my unused fabric and be able to fund the purchases of my sewing supplies.

I discovered having an Etsy shop helped me connect with like-minded people that loved sewing too. Customers left feedback saying how they loved their fabric sets and thanked me for quickly getting it to them. Having my shop helped me feel less alone despite the physical isolation during COVID.

Final Thoughts

I am forever thankful for the trip to the Chicago museum that became the catalyst for my sewing journey. To this day I can't believe I won a contest with one of my creations.

If you're reading this and feel creative inspiration has struck don't stop. Follow your imagination and make it into a reality. If a numbers person like me can do it, you can amaze yourself at what you can create too. Start finding your own creative inner peace today.