This post is long overdue. Since moving back to land and getting busy doing other things than sitting around, FLTQ has taken a dive. It’s for a lot of reasons.
Activity
Hand sewing is done sitting down. There’s no getting around that. I’ve tried doing it while standing, but sewing really needs some kind of surface to lean the work in progress on, be it a table or lap. And the sewer needs to sit relatively still. I need more movement in my daily life, not more sitting.
Proliferation
Simply put, the world does not need any more quilted objects of any kind. One look at Etsy or Pinterest is enough to gag on the sheer quantity of quilts that people have felt compelled to make. I suppose the case can be made for a bed quilt from time to time, since they do keep one warm and they can be special, but there are enough of them out there. Enough.
Resources
I’ve been reading way too much on human impact on the planet lately. Quilts are made out of (lots of) fabric, which can be new or used. New fabric carries all the baggage of using finite resources like water to grow the cotton, fossil fuels to process it and ship it around. Lots of baggage. Used fabric has some appeal, but often that leads to making scrappy looking quilts. Been there, done that.
Walls
As I’ve grown comfortable with a minimal life, I need less to look at. The last time I had a piece of art on the wall of my home was in 2009. I like seeing the wall (or bulkhead). It’s a place for the eye to rest. We live in an intensely visual world. My eyes enjoy the rest. When I need something interesting to look at, I go to the art museum or a gallery. While I have a rather large collection of my own tiny quilts (want to buy one?), I don’t want to look at them. Not too many other people want to look at them either. Breathe into the spaces.
Time
I want to spend my time on other things. If I want to sit, there is plenty to read. Mostly, I want to play outside.
Next
I’m not sure right now what I’ll do with this writing space. I may post some museum reviews from time to time. I did spend a few hours at le Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal a few weeks ago. It was delightful.
I will continue to post about the shelf project.
I may do more painting.
I do have several yards of new fabric that shouldn't just sit in the cupboard, so there may be a new quilt to share at some point, but not tomorrow.
