from the mending basket

 I hadn't really felt much like sewing over Summer. A few halfhearted attempts ended in a couple of disasters, so I thought it better not to try to push it while my heart wasn't in it. I knew that eventually I would feel like sewing again, that the interest and enjoyment I once felt would return. It always does eventually, doesn't it? As Summer turned into Autumn and life calmed down somewhat, I did feel that pull to get back to the sewing machine.

The biggest hurdle was that darn mending basket sitting at the entrance of my bedroom as a glaring daily reminder. So one rainy day I tackled it. It took about 3 days on and off, and then it was done. Not so hard afterall, but the seemingly unsurmountable sewing hurdle has been accomplished.

After the usual sock and tiny hole t-shirt mending (what is with t-shirts these days?), there were a few patches  (you might recognize the fabric from here) to sew on some jeans for Violet, an adult dress and skirt to convert into skirts for Violet, and a dress for myself to take in. I couldn't resist the $5 dress sale at the local op shop and I had a feeling this dress would be easy to take in. I don't know about you, but I just can't pass up a good floral. With no zipper, and only the bodice being lined, it was thankfully quite easy to take in. But I'm still wondering if I can get away with a dress that short.

My quilt had long been waiting for some kind of closure. Poor thing had been sitting in the mending basket for some time. Me being the lazy sewer that I am, popped a few lace ties on, rather than time consuming buttonholes. As I hadn't had it on the bed for so long, it feels like a new quilt again.

I also came a across a whole bundle of half finished dish drainer towels (last batch seen here). I'd started them about 6 months ago and I had wondered if they would ever get finished. I had roughly put together some vintage tea towels backed with old towels. Isn't it funny the drama you can have with the simplest of things? I guess that's what happens when you don't measure properly and try to skip the pins. The first one I finished I had to unpick an entire row and broke two needles. Not fun. But after that things went pretty smoothly and I finished them before school pick-up.

My mental sewing space now appears to be cleared and I feel ready to move ahead with some bigger and better (hopefully) projects.


Does this happen to you? Do you too suffer from mending basket/unfinished project guilt?


What projects are you working on?

Or have you been taking a break too?