What I’m up to and what I’m learning
Technical terms aside, I have been in an aggressive funk for the last year. There have been highs and lows to it, of course, but I have seriously struggled to devote time to tasks I enjoy or hobbies that fulfill me. Within the last month, something shifted and my energy spiked. I finally feel a drive to create and fill my time with activities.
Sewing
I first started sewing when I was 10, and I just got my machine back! Shopping for plus-size clothing is a nightmare I wouldn’t wish upon anyone, so having the ability to make my own clothes is freeing. I also have many ill-fitting clothes that need some TLC, so I have been working on getting those fixed up.
I learned how to do a French seam, which basically closes the raw edges of your seam in fabric so you don’t need a serger or to use a zigzag stitch. I am a horribly impatient person, and I tend to want to just get things done, so finishing my raw edges has posed somewhat of an issue. Doing the French seam looks so beautiful on a finished garment, so it inspired me to actually take my time to press seams, cut them down, and finish them.
My first project, a pair of pants, turned out super wonky at the waist because I was working with a curved waist line– very confusing. By working on a pattern for my most recent project (a top), I realized the best way to deal with the curves is to notch the piece, so I am planning on going back, cutting notches, and fixing up that waistline.
It has also (so far) been wildly easy to correct my mistakes or make forgiving garments. I am sure as I continue making more complex patterns, that won’t always be the case, but because I am working on simple projects, I have actually enjoyed straying from the pattern and trying things out to see what happens, because I know I can (probably) fix it if things go awry. There have been a few lightbulb moments when I realize, oh, this is the right technique, and figuring those things out without a pattern or a YouTube tutorial has been rewarding.
Needle point
This is my lowest effort hobby at the moment. I am working on a little black cat on the moon, and it's simple and satisfying. I get the same sort of dopamine rush by completing a section of needle point that I do on Instagram. I ran out of black yarn and replaced it with purple, which may look a little strange on the completed project, but I think the joy of this one is just busying my hands. Scrolling has, for so long, been how I busy myself, and I like discovering new substitutions.
Taking care of my plants
My journey with plants has been a tumultuous one. I have taken care of plants on and off for years, with varying levels of success. I have, finally, been putting in some work to take care of my plants, and it is so exciting! My first project was giving my Monstera some care. I got this bad boy the day I moved to Raleigh in 2024, and it is in dire need of care. I didn’t stake it when I got it, so it splayed out to the sides, with all the leaves turning in opposite directions. As much as it hurt, I realized I needed to take her down to bare bones. I de-potted (insane root ball), broke up the multiple stems, cut most of the nodes/petioles into propagations, and re-potted one remaining root and stem collection. Then, I staked it and have been slowly trying to work the main stem into more of an upright position. I learned about each part of the plant, how to cut propagation, and what might happen with reporting such a small section. My hopes for the potted portion are low, because I am not sure if it will bounce back from all the trauma, but I will soon have some healthy propagation to re-pot and share.
Plants are a fun hobby because sometimes you need to cut everything back for it to grow back stronger (there is an obvious metaphor here, but I really am just talking about plants). Taking care of another living thing feels rewarding, but also really depressing when you hurt them. I get very sad when I accidentally kill a plant, so I am trying to treat them with the care they deserve since they are in my home.
I made a list of all the plants I am taking care of, so hopefully their care will get easier.
Future hobbies
A very important item on my to-do list is to get back into reading regularly. Unfortunately, I lost my joy in reading once I left school and haven’t quite gotten it back. I was really excited to be reading again after finishing The Lord of the Rings, but I think that book is such a singular experience that I have been worried no other reading experience will match it. So, I am starting back up with a safe choice, The Secret History, because I know that book always gets me back into reading. I’d like to read some horror novels this fall, so hopefully I will be able to update my “currently reading” list soon. I would also love to get back into crocheting. This hobby is akin to needle pointing for me, as it is repetitive and satisfying. I have a lot of yarn to work through, so sometime in the next few weeks I am going to go through everything I have and start up a new project.
I finally understand how my energy rises and falls throughout the year, and I have been using this energy peak to really devote myself to enjoyable tasks. Of course, in a few months, some of these may fall to the wayside, but I’ll let this post be a reminder to myself that I feel better in my life when I have projects to look forward to.