I’ve been finding it really hard to get back into quilting since March, when we made a huge change to our lifestyle.
We sold our home, where I had a dedicated quilting room for my longarm machine, along with another room for my sewing machines and fabric stash. Letting go of those spaces—and eventually my longarm—wasn’t easy, but we were beginning a new chapter. We moved into our RV full-time with plans to travel around the country.
Since then, things haven’t gone exactly according to plan. We’ve taken a couple of trips, including Washington, D.C. and Louisiana, and originally planned to head west. Instead, circumstances beyond our control changed those plans, and for now, we’ve decided to stay put in Tennessee.
And somewhere in the middle of all those changes, I seem to have lost a little bit of my quilting mojo.
I have done some quilting. I made a quilt for my sister-in-law and finished another quilt top that is still waiting to be quilted. Without my longarm, though, finishing a quilt looks a little different these days. I can quilt them on my domestic machine, which is certainly doable, or I can send them out to be quilted.
After being disappointed with the last couple of quilts I sent out, I’m a little hesitant to try someone new. So, for now, I’ve decided not to force myself to make quilts just because quilting has always been what I do.
Instead, I’ve been sewing something else.
A Little Change of Pace
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been pulling out some of my scrap fabrics and making bags—and I’ve really been enjoying it!
It has given me a chance to sew without committing to a large project, use some of the fabric I already have, and just have fun creating again.
As I started making them, I decided they needed names. Two of the styles are named after two of my grandchildren: The Ryan and The Madison.
The Ryan has two handles, while The Madison has a handle on the end. Both styles have zipper closures, boxed bottoms, and fully finished linings so there are no exposed seams inside.
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| The Madison |
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| The Ryan |
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| The Ryan |
One of the things I love about making these is seeing how different each bag looks depending on the fabric. Scraps that might have sat in my stash for who knows how long are becoming something useful—and pretty!
And I have to admit, there’s something satisfying about finishing a project in a much shorter amount of time than it takes to piece an entire quilt.
Maybe It’s Okay to Make Something Different
I don’t think I’m finished making quilts. Not even close.
Maybe I just need a little break from them.
Creativity changes with the seasons of our lives, and this season looks a little different for me. My sewing space is different. Our lifestyle is different. Even the things I feel like making are different.
But I’m still sewing.
And right now, that means bags.
I’ll be adding The Ryan and The Madison, along with some of the other bags I’ve been making, to my Etsy shop in the coming days. I’m excited to share them with you and see where this little detour in my sewing journey takes me.
After all, every stitch still tells a story—even when those stitches aren’t going into a quilt.
Until next time,
Anna
Sew Serenity Cottage
Where every stitch tells a story.
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