Lessons from a Quilt Square
Yesterday I had the joy of sewing a quilt square.
No, I didn't say a square quilt. What I sewed were the little bitty pieces that combine to make a single square. What's the big deal, you ask?
The big deal is this -- in my current phase of life, my quilting often gets short shrift. I'm rarely happier than when I'm in my quilting room, putting little bits together to make a symetrical design of colour and pattern. But I rarely do it.
Why?
It's called the Tyranny of Should.
I don't know whether I was trained this way as a child, or it's just part of my genetic make-up, but I have a really hard time doing anything for pure enjoyment unless my to-do list is mostly done. Of course, items like "sew on a quilt square for an hour" never make it onto the to-do list. Sadly, The List is comprised only of items I don't particularly enjoy -- fold laundry (again), clean kids' bathroom (again), etc.
I encountered a quote the other day which is slowly changing my thinking. It goes something like this, "You'll never be caught up." At the moment, I don't remember the rest of it, and I'm too comfy in my recliner to go looking. However, those five words have given me a new perspective.
Rather than waiting for my fun until I'm "caught up", I grab my fun with both hands whenever opportunity presents itself. Yesterday my son was invited to go tobagganing, and my daughter was having fun with play-doh. My husband was on his way to the other side of the country. In other words, no one needed me for anything.
Yes, the dining room floor is still sticky. The back entry really needs to be swept and mopped. We need muffins for snacks and lunches.
But I went downstairs and lost myself for a couple of hours in cutting and piecing together an intricate pattern. It was fun. Oddly enough, when I was finished, I felt rejuvinated. The cleaning chores didn't seem nearly so overwhelming. In fact, I knocked a couple of them off while waiting for my children to finish their baths.
Perhaps that's my resolution for this year -- ignore those "shoulds" which try to tell me my to-do list is more important than having fun.
No, I didn't say a square quilt. What I sewed were the little bitty pieces that combine to make a single square. What's the big deal, you ask?
The big deal is this -- in my current phase of life, my quilting often gets short shrift. I'm rarely happier than when I'm in my quilting room, putting little bits together to make a symetrical design of colour and pattern. But I rarely do it.
Why?
It's called the Tyranny of Should.
I don't know whether I was trained this way as a child, or it's just part of my genetic make-up, but I have a really hard time doing anything for pure enjoyment unless my to-do list is mostly done. Of course, items like "sew on a quilt square for an hour" never make it onto the to-do list. Sadly, The List is comprised only of items I don't particularly enjoy -- fold laundry (again), clean kids' bathroom (again), etc.
I encountered a quote the other day which is slowly changing my thinking. It goes something like this, "You'll never be caught up." At the moment, I don't remember the rest of it, and I'm too comfy in my recliner to go looking. However, those five words have given me a new perspective.
Rather than waiting for my fun until I'm "caught up", I grab my fun with both hands whenever opportunity presents itself. Yesterday my son was invited to go tobagganing, and my daughter was having fun with play-doh. My husband was on his way to the other side of the country. In other words, no one needed me for anything.
Yes, the dining room floor is still sticky. The back entry really needs to be swept and mopped. We need muffins for snacks and lunches.
But I went downstairs and lost myself for a couple of hours in cutting and piecing together an intricate pattern. It was fun. Oddly enough, when I was finished, I felt rejuvinated. The cleaning chores didn't seem nearly so overwhelming. In fact, I knocked a couple of them off while waiting for my children to finish their baths.
Perhaps that's my resolution for this year -- ignore those "shoulds" which try to tell me my to-do list is more important than having fun.
posted by Janelle Clare Schneider @ 2:57 PM
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