Quilting in the Margins of Motherhood
It’s that time of year where most of my time is spent either preserving food for my family or running my kids around to their various activities. Between getting kids where they need to go, keeping everyone fed, attempting to keep some semblance of order in our home, and maintaining our food preserves (dehydrating and canning) for the next year, there isn’t always a lot of time left over for quilting, let alone tending to the needs of my business.
And yet, quilting is something I love. It’s also something that gives me some peace of mind, away from all of the crazy.
It’s something that brings me joy, allows me to create and gives me a little space to be me.
So, I’ve learned to find my way into my craft room, whenever I can—ten minutes here, ten minutes there. Sometimes, that means waiting until nap time or sitting down at Stella after everyone has eaten dinner and is getting ready for bed. Sometimes, it means ‘disappearing’ while my kids are occupied for 10-20 minutes. Rarely, can I get multiple hours in a day while my hubby manages the kiddos by himself—but I’m grateful for the time either way. Motherhood doesn’t always leave room for long, uninterrupted stretches of creativity—whether for myself or for the business.
But I’ve discovered that a little bit of quilting is still quilting. And those moments add up.
I’m creative by nature, so obviously, I have unfinished projects.
More than one, if we’re being truthful.
There are quilt tops and quilts waiting to be finished, a few pieces of clothing that need mending, and ideas that are still living in my head. For a long time, I think I felt like I needed a big chunk of time to make meaningful progress—sometimes I still do. But that’s not always how life works. Especially with four kiddos in tow. Sometimes, the only thing I can accomplish is sewing or pressing a few seams before the day pulls me in another direction.
And that’s okay.
Because those few seams still move the project forward. I don’t have to finish the entire quilt in one sitting for the time spent creating to matter.
I think there’s something to be said for finding little pockets of joy in the middle of a busy season. Motherhood is full of beautiful, meaningful moments. But it’s also full of dishes, messes, interruptions, and occasionally reheated hot cocoa that has been forgotten for the third time. It’s easy to put the things we love on the back burner because there always seems to be something else that needs our attention.
But I’ve found that making time for quilting—even in the smallest of ways—helps me feel grounded. It reminds me that I’m more than the list of things I need to accomplish.
I’m a mama, yes. But I’m also a creative, a ‘sewciopath’, and someone who finds happiness in designing and choosing fabrics and watching a quilt come together one little piece at a time.
And I think it’s important to make room for those parts of ourselves, too.
So, here’s to finding a little room for creativity in the margins of our days. Here’s to unfinished projects, reheated hot chocolate (or coffee), and quilts that come together one stitch at a time.
And here’s to finding joy in the messy, crazy journey we call… life.