I don't normally get all emotional here on my blog, but this is going to be one of those. If you're prone to crying, you may want to save this one for when you are in a private place. I'm really poring my heart out here and I don't want to be the reason your mascara runs, kwim? Don't say I didn't warn you.

Picture credit Pixabay

At the beginning of 2016 I made a very specific resolution. Have more joy in my life. It sounds easy enough but it wasn't nearly as easy as I had hoped. And like all good New Year's Resolutions, I very quickly forgot about it. I was so busy with "life" that I forgot to live with joy.

Fast forward from New Year's 2016 to Thursday of last week. This past Thursday, I learned that one of my uncles had passed away. This was of course heartbreaking, but it really was the straw that broke the camel's back. In the last month I had a friend's son pass away, an uncle diagnosed with untreatable cancer and a completely different uncle pass away unexpectedly. It was just too much to bear.

Photo Credit Pixabay

I spent 2 days crying. 2 days battling with thoughts of my own mortality. And listening to my kids tell me, "It's okay mama." Nothing is more heartbreaking than crying while your 3 year old tells you its going to be ok. You want to scream, "its never going to be ok" but #1, you don't want to scare your kid half to death. And #2 it is going to be ok. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but soon the pain of the loss will become part of you and no longer completely engulf you.

And now you're probably thinking, what does that have to do with sewing. Well really it has everything to do with everything, but we can talk about what this has to do with sewing.

Image Credit Pixabay

I don't know about you, but I could definitely be classified as a fabric "collector". I'd be shocked to hear I had anything less than 100 yards of fabric at any given time. I just got an order of 22 yards of fabric in today. And just like you, I have my "favorite" fabrics. You know the ones you get out, you open it up, iron it, pet it for a while, then fold it carefully and put it back. But guess what? You can't take your fabric with you. One day, you won't be here anymore and that fabric will still be sitting on the shelf and that would be a shame.

Did you hear me? A SHAME.

So from here on out, stop waiting for the "right time" to use the good stuff. Stop waiting to lose a few more pounds, or for the right occasion, or the right mood, or the right whatever, and just cut the good fabric. Make it into something amazing and then you can wear it, which is even better than leaving it on the shelf, because you can see it and pet it and carry it with you.

And I did just that this past weekend. I spent the whole weekend taking care of me (something I often fail at). I went and got my hair done. I looked at the fabric I had and said, I'm going to cut it. I'm going to cut it and not care and its going to be awesome. And I made not 1 but 2 1 Puddle Lane Miss Ruby Tuesdays. And I loved them. And I sewed up 6 pairs of Stitch Upon A Time Scrundlewear and that was great too. And then I bought the Seamworks Akita and muslined and muslined and muslined because I was going to make that bring me joy too. And we're still working together the Akita and me, but we'll get there, probably soon. And then I will cut my favorite fabric and wear that shirt until it falls apart.

Live life with joy people. Because you only get to do this once.