I have always had a wary relationship with New Year's Resolutions. To me, the stereotypical resolution seems to be something manufactured for us by the advertising industry. Why else would everyone supposedly want to lose weight or clean out their garage? Are there no other flavors of "doing better"?
For decades, I avoided making a resolution. I probably suspected that I wouldn't follow through on whatever I decided to do, as I have a history of taking on projects that, in retrospect, I don't wish to pursue. Know thyself? Sadly, that's easier said than done. It's hard to stick to a resolution based on an activity that you didn't realize you are either completely indifferent to or hate so thoroughly that it makes you cry.
One year, despite my bad attitude, I decided it was time to get my feet wet. Why not use the new year as an opportunity to try something? A few years in a row, I resolved to breathe. Yes, I was being a little bratty, but I also figured I could achieve that goal, no matter how little time I had left here on Earth. Breathing was a habit I did not wish to break. One year, I resolved to get some exercise. Exercise is normal for me, as I love the outdoors and I walk a friend's dog a few days per week. It is one of the highlights of my week, so that resolution wasn't going to be a problem, either. Barring, of course, the miniscule possibility of dying before my first jaunt outdoors.
Last year, I finally made a real, if not-too-difficult resolution: finish or tear apart any old, unfinished craft project I came across. I didn't have to go looking for the projects. All I needed to do was take some action when I happened upon them. I always seem to be starting a new project (I do finish most of them). The unfinished ones are tucked away near the supplies, so these encounters were bound to happen frequently.
The first thing I did was pull apart an attempt at a cotton cable-knit sweater. It would have made a very lovely scarf, but cotton is not the right material for cables. It doesn't cling to itself and hold its shape the way wool does. Next was a cross-stitch design for my mother. It still isn't finished, but I worked on it more frequently this year than I ever did in the past. This one needs to be finished: it is just right for her, and she deserves to enjoy it for a while.
I started a lot of new projects, as well. Along with the resolution came
permission to craft as much as I liked. I had held back for a very long time
due to the concern that I wouldn't know what to do with all of the
extra bags/blankets/clothes that I would accumulate if I kept making things. Now that I had given myself permission, I got to work. I have a two-decade habit of holding myself back, so the floodgates didn't exactly spring open, but I did get a little busier. I no longer had to have a need for something before I could start it. I made a skirt for my daughter out of felted sweaters. She wears it at least once a week. I made one new pair of socks and finished another slightly less perfect pair. (I gained some practice, and the niece I made them for still likes me, so they must not be too dreadful.) I made a few tote bags and some boxes from canvas that I found in the remnant bin at the fabric store. I also made some shawls, both knitted and sewn, and some jeans modeled on a traditional Japanese design. The jeans were a definite win. They are comfortable, easy to make, and flattering in their fit.
In the midst of all the making, I realized I had another problem that had grown over the years. I have so many supplies that they have started taking over the family room. I have a four-tier wire rack filled with yarn. I have the bag a comforter came in, also filled with yarn. I have a cabinet full of fabric and scraps from various dreamed-of projects. I have old t-shirts and jeans that could definitely be repurposed in any number of ways. I have boxes and shelves full of fabric, stuffing and foam scraps cluttering up the area around my sewing table. (I proudly acquired the foam when a local fabric store went under. Foam is expensive! Then I never used it.) The trunk in my bedroom is also filled mostly with fabric and yarn. If the zombie apocalypse ever arrives, I'll be able to clothe the neighborhood while also creating enough makeshift rope and/or netting to hold back the entire horde.
This year, I have decided to make a real resolution. I am going on a diet. A craft-supply and fabric diet. I am going to use up as many of the things I already possess as I possibly can before going to the store to buy new stuff. Wish me luck!
