Learning New Skills
I believe that a key part of Simple Living is to learn new skills. Learning to cook from scratch, growing your own food and making your own clothing are all skills which can bring much pleasure and connection with the earth. They are also valuable skills to help a household cut expenditure AND reduce our effects on the environment. Those who are worried about a peak oil crisis encourage everyone to develop these skills for basic survival.
I have to admit that I’m not really a “doom and gloom-est”. However, I do like to challenge myself and learn new skills. I think it’s the best way to grow and learn. Okay, sometimes I like to challenge myself and learn new skills. Other times I want to hide in the closet with my fingers in my ears.
This was the case when the shopping bag swap was announced at Down to Earth. After the stresses I went through trying to make my first tea cosy, I thought perhaps I’d sit this one out. After all, I’ve never sewed a shopping bag before. In fact, my sewing is pretty limited to track-suit material and flannelette. And really, who cares if your stitching isn’t straight on a pair of pyjamas?
BUT a shopping bag to send to someone else? That perfectionist monster started to rear it’s ugly head once again. I was SURE I couldn’t sew a bag that would be GOOD ENOUGH to send to someone else.
I think perhaps Rhonda Jean was inside my head that day because she wrote a great post “Swapping Helps Develop Your Simple Living Skills”. Here’s a brief excerpt from that post:
You don’t have to be an expert seamstress to join, Sharon has found some excellent tutorials to guide your project and no one expects perfection. If one of the reasons you haven’t joined is that you think you don’t sew well enough, put that thought aside right now. This swap will help you improve your sewing skills.
In response to my comment about hesitating, she then wrote:
lightening, the aim isn’t a perfect bag, love, it’s participation and developing skills. Join in, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
And Sharon, the lovely lady who now organises Rhonda Jeans swaps wrote:
Lightening-join in-there is no perfection in sewing by anyone. The point is to learn something, have a lot of fun, and meet new people. I have worn out many many seam rippers in my years of sewing!!
So I decided to give this a go.
One of the requirements this time around was to use something you already had. Many years ago I bought a few metres of calico. I figured to dress it up a little I could do a stitchery to attach to the front.
So I finally managed to do the “Live Simply” stitchery I’ve been wanting to do. Of course, now I’ll need to do another one for myself.
I chose to sew a singlet style shopping bag as it made the handles much easier for me to deal with. Here is the finished product:
It occurred to me as I was stitching the “Live Simply” stitchery to the calico that we tend to go to a lot more effort when it comes to making something for someone else than we might for ourselves. As much as I LOVE this bag, I couldn’t imagine taking the time to make one for myself. I thought that was an interesting observation.
I received my bag from my swap partner Julie the other day:
It’s so sturdy and large!!!! I’m going to be able to do LOTS of shopping with it!!!
Isn’t it a pretty design? And look at the inside:
It’s PINK!!!!! Yaaahhhhh!!!!
Thanks Julie, I LOVE it!!!!
I am so going to add this to my 101 Things I Thought I’d Never Do list. Did you notice that I’ve finally made a page for that???
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And I love carrying my daughter in a sling, it’s so nice to...
I hope you have safe travels! Now, onto the questions. Ummm, seriously, only...
I believe that a key part of Simple Living is to learn new skills.
Actually, I think that this is a part of successfully living in the modern age. The ability to constantly re-skill gives you a flexibility to adapt to constantly changing circumstances (which defines how we live today a lot more than how people lived 50 years ago)
Hi Lightening! I just have to say - what a damn fine job you did on your bag! It’s lovely. I admire your desire to challenge yourself, and do things you never thought you would. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Do one thing every day that scares you”. I don’t know about everyday - I think I’d end up a sobbing heap on the floor, but gradually, as you are doing, is a great step.
My biggest problem at the moment, is that with working fulltime, I am too time poor to do much.
P.S. And thanks for the lovely comment on my very new blog - I was very excited!
I’ve decided that my next sewing project is to tackle pjs bottoms. my one sibling’s birthday is in August. Plenty of time to figure out how to make them
Wow, they’re both very impressive. Maybe one day I’ll make use of the sewing machine I’ve been carting around for 10 years.
And I agree though, if you stop learning, you stop living. A wise man is one who knows they do not know everything
Stuffy - agreed. However, I think the types of skills we’re referring to here are different. Perhaps I should have phrased my sentence along the lines of “relearning old skills”.
Maggie - great idea! What fabric are you thinking of using?
Kin - very true. I get frustrated with people who think they’ve “arrived” when it comes to learning all there is to know. When I’m in a “learning” mode, I feel fantastic!!!!
Hi Lightening- I stopped by after you e-mailed me te photos and I love your blog!! Not only did you do a fantastic bag, you did it with great style!! I think you are right- we do more for others than we would do for yourself, and that is what moms have always done!!
Those are great shopping bags and I love that they’re washable.
Hint from a checkout girl:- clean bags are SO much nicer to pack groceries in to.
Suze - doing something scary everyday would certainly be a challenge!!! Time can certainly be a problematic factor.
Sharon - thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.
River - yes, I’ve heard there was a bit of a revolt at first from checkout operators over the condition of some people’s bags. Do they not THINK about what they’re putting their food into????
I am so glad you liked the bag that I made for you. It is really a challenge when you arent sure of peoples colour tastes. I love the bag that you made for me and will treasure it always…Julie
I haven’t gotten that far as to picking out fabric. In fact, i still have to purchase a machine for myself. I’m still using a loaner machine.
Nice bags.
The one you made and the one you received.
You’ve done a good job. That bag looks fresh and clean and totally individual. Well done. I’d love to be involved with something like this but I’m so time poor at the moment. I still haven’t finished sewing the boys’ quilts and winter is almost here….
The bag you received is gorgeous. You really hit the jackpot!
What a lovely idea. I’m on the bag bandwagon myself at the moment, but must admit the thought never crossed my mind to MAKE one - much less a pretty one
The stitchery is such a great way to remember what we’re all trying to achieve. Well done.
Hello Lightening. I’m so pleased you dived right in. Your bag is lovely. I would be proud to take it to the market. I’m doing another live simply stitchery at the moment - it’s a barter. I’m really happy that the stitcheries are now all around the globe, spreading the message of this gentle life.
Julie - I’m really pleased that you like it.
Maggie - LOL. Fair enough. Something with some stretch in it is the most forgiving when it comes to sewing (at least that’s what I’ve found). Not that I’m an expert.
Bettina - thank you
Frogdancer - yeah, time can be a real catch when it comes to this kind of thing. Mind you, I left mine until the last minute and then was running late (because of the unexpected funeral). I’m in awe of the quilts you’ve been making. I’m not sure I could do something like that!
Journeyer - no, it had never occured to me either. Until the swap. Aren’t blogs wonderful for finding good ideas?
Rhonda Jean - thanks so much for stopping by.
Your designs are great. I have a few saved on my hard drive to try sometime. I think I’d like to make a wall-hanging stitchery. I saw one at my SIL’s place that looked quite effective using some quilting type fabrics for a border. Although, I need to find someone with quilting scraps….
Lightening, my one sister is a bit peculiar when it comes to home made gifts. My Christmas gift of 6 hand knitted facecloths didn’t go over well at first (my mum had to convince her what they were and how useful they are) so pj bottoms might be hit and miss. But I am determine to continue on with my handmade gift giving. Keep in mind that August is our summer here so I’ll probably want a light cotton fabric — with the humidity it can hit the mid 30Cs where my family lives. I also plan to make some pjs for my dad, though those will be flannel as that’ll be his Xmas gift.
For all the seamstresses here: can I make boy pj bottoms without the escape hatch? I don’t know if my sewing skills are that great to master that particular skill at present. Or would it seem weird not to include it?