Focus for the New Year

Everyone has been talking about a "WORD" for the new year, to focus on improvements or themes in your art work. Immediately "Refuge" came to mind. As my husband's condition gets worse, he takes more and more of my time in care taking. I see my sewing studio as my refuge. To get away from the stress and relax for a few stolen moments. Sewing centers me, calms me, distracts me from "Real Life." People ask me how I get so much work done, on a regular basis. For one, I work a split shift driving school bus, so I have 4 hours in the middle of the day to sew. Second, I'd much rather sew and create, than do dishes or clean the bathroom. Even if I just take 10 extra minutes, before I go to work, at 5AM, I can do a lot. I once sewed hundreds of beads onto a wall hanging, sewing 10 beads every morning before work. I am not a worrier, I know things are going to get worse, so I am saving my worry for later, and also a lot of the stress. But I am reaching a breaking point, more and more, when I just get over whelmed, and need a rest, to sit for five minutes and sew. Even if it is just "zombie" sewing, feeding 2 scraps into the machine, over and over, until I have made a fat quarter of scrap fabric. Then I cut out hearts for charity baby quilts. When I do this type of sewing, my mind disconnects and I just float in the flow of mindless sewing. Since my hands have been hurting more and more, and I do less hand sewing, I miss having a little Ziplock bag, with applique, or English paper pieced hexagons, to distract me as I watch TV or sit in Doctor' s offices. My New Years resolution for years has been to finish projects! Get on bindings and labels, add borders or put blocks together with sashing. I usually got 5 or 6 pieces finished in January and February every year. And I promised myself, if I started a new project, it would be small and I would finish it too, and not add to the problem. So I think I will get some of the tedious finishing done, while I relax and meditate, or let my mind wander. Finishing always gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Have a Great start to your New Year!