Covid Garment #4, Musings, Masks, and Milestones

I have to show my basement studio. Nothing has changed but I have given it some serious cleaning and organization. I have folded and touched every piece of fabric I own which frankly isn't the giant stash I know so many of you own.  However, I am now so inspired. I admit, mask making took the happies right out of me and I just had to walk away from my machine for a bit. I have read that many others feel the same. I have never been able to be happy making two of anything, never mind  about fifty but when it is part of such a life altering situation that makes it even more painful. I was glad to make the masks for family and friends. I really felt I needed to take one for the team and so dove in.  I did three different versions and assorted varieties of ties and filters. I won't get into it as I know you are probably making them yourself and have read all that's out there already and as I've said I am done. Why such finality? More later.

In the first pic you can see my latest garment, a very simple to construct gathered skirt made without the benefit of a pattern. And directly above is the fabric which I adore. It s a rayon challis in various shades of purple-y periwinkle. Like all good challises (?) it drapes beautifully and is a delight to wear. I won't get too deep into the construction as it is simply a full width  of fabric, 60 wide, cut to length desired. A casing was put in at the top edge, an inch and a 1/4 non roll elastic inserted and the top edge topstitched. The skirt was machine hemmed and it's single seam, straight up the center back, had serged edges. Done! I had enough left for a scarf and used the Kenneth King hem to finish the scarf's edges. You can find a tutorial for that method in the right sidebar under "Tutorials".  Right now it is still cold out and this eyelet shirt was really the only thing in my closet at the moment that looked good with the skirt. I will probably wear this a lot and with a tank top, that is if we ever get a warm day around here! It was really cold out while taking these pics!

And for the front view:

Now,  as to why I am done with mask making..... I've done a few things to help alleviate the anxiety that has become a daily visitor to my life since Covid19 has saturated our world. It's just everywhere, at every turn, in every conversation, on everyone's mind.  I was suffering anxiety like I haven't felt in years and decided I had to be proactive. Sewing did not help. While it would put me in the zone for a bit, the big "A" still did its haunting.  I made changes. changes that have really worked for me. 

I make sure I grab sunshine and get out and walk a couple miles every day I can. If not, I put on music while I sew and dance away when the spirit hits. 

I do my best to watch only our very local TV news for a bit in the morning. If I really need to know anything that important, they will filter it through for me. I am a recovering cable news junkie, no more. This alone has had a major positive impact on my mental health. 

I have cut people from my life who live and breathe the current political situation. I even agree with some of them politically.  I just don't need this input in my life right now. 

I have blocked people on FB who put up political realities as well as lies as I don't want to hear either right now. Some are just FB friends, others are people I love and have known for years. I do not need this stress in my life. I cannot tell you how this act alone has reduced the stress and anxiety I have been feeling. I will not give a website that power over me. I still go online to forums and even FB but now all I see are people sewing lovely garments, asking for help which I can offer at times and cheering each other on positively.  I see friends and family who are showing me pics of their babies, fabulous breads they've made and such nice things. I am letting positive in my life. It's not as easy as you think and does require assertion. 

I am calling friends and extended family I haven't spoken to in a long time and trying to NOT talk about the virus but about them and their lives. Those have been really positive talks. some just really special. I have heard from others, even the very young, how much they are enjoying long talks on the phone and face time. I am too. 

My husband is the light of my life. We are celebrating our fiftieth anniversary this past week. While it was nothing whatsoever as planned our children made it one helluva socially distanced pile of awesome, something we will never ever forget and that could not have happened any other way. It was unique, crazy, creative, and did not include one single hug but the love that spilled over through all of us  was like a flooded river that no amount of sand or silt could hold back. 

So I am doing much better now. I take things one moment at a time. Going through my fabrics has given me lots of plans and ideas that I intend to get on soon. I still have a bit more organizing in store first but I see some pretty things coming up. I have some really nice fabrics and had forgotten that! I have much to look forward to. 

I want you all to know that I am thinking of you and all the challenges you may be facing, whether it's the actual illness, the difficulty of social distancing, loss of income,  being in the home with so much family or just the fear that has been in our faces for some time now.  If you are an essential worker, I praise your courage and strength and thank you for your service. You are a saint.   I hope you all can find some ways to find a bit of calm,  a time of peace, all of you. Bless you all........Bunny