Somehow I managed to follow the 365 challenge during January and have now all 31 blocks complete! Sometimes I sewed one block a day, but often I had to catch up during the weekend. And often I just hurried up to get finished and did not really enjoy the process. But on Friday I got a call that left me thoughtful. My gynecologist’s practice called me. I had an appointment for next week and they had to cancel it because my gynecologist had passed away. She had had a stroke. I was really shocked and did not know what to say on the phone. I think she was the same age than me and I went to her for the past ten years once or twice a year for my routine check-ups.
When my father passed away two years ago it made me sadly aware that our time on earth is only limited and recently I tried to live my days more consciously. Last New Years Eve I contemplated the last year, and there was not much that I remembered besides our holidays. Now, my boyfriend and I often ask each other in the evening “what was your favorite part of the day”, and often enough it is quite difficult for me to have an answer to that question because the day just flew by. But on other days it is quite nice to remember the full moon, the chimney sweeper who made me smile, a beautiful sunrise, all those little moments that make you feel happy.
After the phone call I decided that I will try to connect those special memories to the daily blocks, to take that sewing time as an opportunity to reflect the past day and be grateful for it. And maybe on New Years Eve I will have more to remember.
The blocks started very easy which is great for a beginner like me. And I really was astonished that it makes fun to cut stripes, sew them together, cut them again only to sew them together in a different way. I like this aspect very much, how so many different geometrical pattern can be created just by putting the same basic pieces together in different ways. So here are my blocks:
6th of January yearly “New Years” event from our company
10th of January was my shop opening
11th of January I sold the first pattern
12th January chimney sweeper (he looked so cute in his traditional costume and just made me smile when I opened the door)
28th January I finished my winter dress
What I learned:
- you can buy self-adhesive fabric grips that prevent rulers from slipping over your fabric while cutting with a rotary cutter