Sew What

A reflecting post that might go long and/or be boring to most of you.

I hold a sewing class/group at my house once a month called Sew What. It's usually the 3rd Saturday of the month but I had to move it up a week this month so it was today. The ladies just left & I'm putting the living room back together while thinking how blessed I am to know these ladies & to have a home to open to them.

Sew What was born out of Sewing Circle. My once-a-month group of ladies that usually meet at Cal Poly's costume shop. While it is often a two hour drive for me to be there for an hour and a half & then a 45 minute drive home, I only miss it when absolutely necessary. Sewing Circle includes former classmates of mine, other alum, & faculty (past & present). We've been meeting for eight years with people coming and going. Sewing Circle has awakened me to how meaningful "community" is for us, especially women. We're just wired for it. Even when I'm dreading the drive to or I'm too swamped & shouldn't go because there's too much to do, I go. I always, every single time, leave feeling refreshed, uplifted, encouraged, totally blessed & ready to face the world for another month before we get together again. It's priceless for me & I know for several other members of the group.

That's why I started Sew What. I wanted other ladies to have & feel what I have at Sewing Circle. I had several friends wanting to learn to sew, I offered to teach them. They've mended clothes for themselves & their families. They've made gifts for others. They've made things for their homes & blankets for babies. My prayer is that they leave feeling the way I do after Sewing Circle, "always, every single time, feeling refreshed, uplifted, encouraged, totally blessed & ready to face the world for another month before we get together again". I guess it's not really fair, I've now got two groups of community that make me feel that way.

Getting things done isn't even the point. More times than not, many of us are packing up our things realizing we haven't finished two stitches but have spent the time chatting, laughing, show-&-telling and even sometimes crying. That's the point. Community. Sharing our lives with others. In this "I'm fine. How are you?" "Fine" society we have GOT to make a consious effort in being part of a community.

At both Sewing Circle & Sew What people come, people go, people invite others, people invite themselves. That's awesome & how it should be. When as kids did we loose the ability to ask, "can I play with you guys?" and as adults just wait for an invitation that may or maynot arrive. When does that happen? Why does that happen?

Thank you Sewing Circle ladies for what you do for me.

Thank you Sew What ladies for what you you do for me.

A sense of community is so meaningful & priceless it should be sought out if you don't not have one (or in my case 2!). What can I say, I'm a blessed girl.