Sewing is good for the soul

It's hard being a women. I'm referring to being a wife and mother specifically ( because that's all I know at the moment!). 

I don't think I'm alone when I feel (probably mostly self inflicted ) pressure to be super - woman! To have a spotless house, spotless fashionable children,  a happy husband as well as doing something that earns money and/or a project that satisfies your mental/ creative  capabilities! 

To be honest I suck at it! I hate most house work; ironing particularly (it's only used for fabric in my house!).  I'm untidy, disorganised and scatter brained ( although I'm sure that's got worse since I've had kids!).   I hate the mundane repetitive tasks that motherhood brings, like cleaning bottles, doing the washing twice a day and cleaning high chairs!!  My creative, spontaneous, erratic personality is not cut out for these jobs.  So lately, as I have a four month old baby and toddler,  with these consuming 99% of my time (the other 1% reserved for some sleep) I have being getting pretty low at times.  I don't think sleep deprivation and the dark, wet days help, but I've been bordering on unhappy over the past few weeks. 

So today, as I had a shower - the daily ritual of trying to forget the sleepless night and have a positive day, I decided to sew something today, anything, but something.  

At first it didn't make me feel like I was being a particularly good mother as I sat my little boy in front of the tv while the baby slept and snuck away to play with fabric and the sewing machine.  I decided to make a changing mat (which surely gives me some brownie points?) out of the scrap of gorgeous owl print oil cloth that my mother brought me from John Lewis but I didn't know what to do with.  I focused with determination to get this project completed today, as if it's not the likely hood is it will get buried underneath a pile of clothes/ papers/ general rubbish and not seen again for another month. I did rush a bit, and it's not perfect by far, but gradually the creative outlet started doing its magic and made me feel like I've got purpose and can do something. The satisfaction of making something that will be useful and I can use everyday but is also beautiful ( the fabric is gorgeous); is unbeaten by most things! 

So, have I got any answers to any of the big questions? No.
Do I have the answer to the endless washing pile?? No. 
Do I know how to make a baby and toddler sleep through the night? Apparently not. 
Do I have the answer to life long happiness? Well, a little sewing every now and again will surely help little by little.   Concentrate on getting through each day by doing something that makes you happy and the bigger picture will take care of its self.  



Happy Sewing! 

I'm off to finish my changing mat before the day is over!