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Finding peace

Writer's picture: Rebecca (a yarn enthusiast)Rebecca (a yarn enthusiast)

I have taken a serious break from listening to the news. This means that I find myself heading to my sewing room in the evening instead of catching some national or international news after work.


In addition to my enjoyment of crocheting and knitting, I've had a lot of fun making the triangle coin purses that I have shared here on my blog before. As pictured below, I have been experimenting with the pattern by changing up the process in small ways.

Triangle-shaped fabric coin purse, sewn in cotton fabric decorated with colorful balloons in yellow, red, blue and green.
A perfectly-imperfect sewn piece!

I initially started by adding some batting and doing a quick horizontal quilting stitch across the external fabric, as pictured above. I really liked the feel (the sturdiness!) of these, so I ended up making a few different ones with scrap fabric from my stash. Then, I took the recommendation from one of the sites that shared the pattern and went looking for a way to add a key ring.


I settled on the smallest option, which are the eyelets (5/32") and have an included and simple-to-use tool included in the purchase. I really wasn't in the mood to buy a $35 tool in addition to my grommets/eyelets.


The process initially seemed somewhat "kludgey" - which in the information technology space means that it's a messy half-fix for something and not an ideal solution. It turned out to be as simple as it was stated, and I was thrilled!


In a recent conversation with my oldest grandchild, I was sharing that when life gets heavy, look for the little, simple things to help turn your mood around and get back on track. We had the opportunity to talk through this, and follow-up on how it worked for them, and I was thinking about that when I "conquered" this new-to-me skill of adding eyelets to sewn pieces.


I have also written before about the joy in FINISHING an unfinished project - especially one that has been lingering and hanging around undone. This week I was able to finish a crocheted wrap that I started before Christmas last year.

This wrap was made from a pattern by Fiber Flux - the Botanical Garden crochet wrap. You can find the original pattern here. I used Caron Cake Cinnamon Swirl yarn - 3 cakes - in Chocolate Swirl and a Susan Bates crochet hook (5.5mm, I-hook).


We'll have some more chilly days and nights here in the North Mid-Atlantic states, so I will definitely get a lot of use out of this before it gets too warm to use.


I surely don't know what's coming with the recent announcement about tariffs being imposed on Canada, Mexico and additional ones on China; and I have no control over what comes or doesn't. What I can control is how I react and respond to news reports, good and not-so-good. I have learned to retreat into the quiet of my fiber crafting, to learn new crochet stitches, knitting techniques, and to experiment with sewing projects and processes that are new to me, interesting and even a little challenging!


Aside from taking care of my family, that's ALL I can do. It's not that expensive -especially when you use your stash of fabric and yarn. It's also peaceful, productive and brings joy, both to me and to the people who end up with an occasional handmade gift.


In my opinion, the only way to proceed, beyond taking care of the basics in life, is to find small ways to spark some JOY in our lives. That process will differ person to person, so I encourage everyone to find what that "joy spark" is for them. For me, my sister, and others in the fiber arts corner of the world, we'll be navigating whatever comes with the help of yarn, fabric and the skills we've learned over the years from teachers, mentors, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, and friends.


Stay peaceful, and stitch on!

 

(C) 2025 Stitch 'n Dish








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Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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