It’s an open secret – I am obsessed with sewing (as a hobby). Handling natural fabric, making critical decisions (:)) about what to make with what fabric, tracing out and cutting paper patterns, and finally sitting at the sewing machine with music in the background… that’s my happy place. A creative outlet, but also a place where the mind can rest, process, imagine.
Having made patchwork quilts for many years, I finally progressed to sewing clothes about three years ago (learning from books and YouTube and trial and error). I’ve since made a bunch of lovely pieces for myself, my boys, and even a couple of friends.
I was recently invited to speak at my alma mater, University of Connecticut’s Career Night, which got me thinking about some of the lessons I’ve learned in my two-decades plus career in science communications. I was sewing while thinking about it, and so many parallels popped up between sewing, work, and life that I decided to put them down.
In summary:
1/ Visualize the product
2/The end result might be different than the vision… and that might be OK
3/ Invest in the knowledge and tools you need
4/ Challenges are inevitable. They help us grow
5/Sometimes, you have to abandon a project
6/Enjoy the journey
Here goes…