Aug 16, 2017

Sewing has been my sanity lately. A few months ago I needed a project, so I started this little play mat for the kids. It’s a neighborhood with houses and buildings like a police station and library. It has roads for matchbox cars to drive on and a little park in the middle with a pond. 

With the exception of sewing the park grass down (the sewing for which is covered completely by the road), everything on the play mat has been sewn by hand. Basting the seam allowances down on the houses and buildings, stitching everything (except the grass) down to the play mat, and now quilting it together with all the detail work–all hand stitched. 

It’s not even close to done yet and I’ve already clocked a lot of hours on this little project. I’m beginning to wonder/worry it’s going to end up like one of those cathedrals that never actually gets finished because I keep thinking of things to add, like for all the buildings. I haven’t decided yet whether little functioning doors to open (maybe with little surprises sewn in behind them?) is taking it too far. 

Needless to say, it’ll be a family heirloom and I’m just hoping one of the kids doesn’t spill a big cup of koolaid on it the minute I tie the final knot. 

In the meantime, though, it’s been so incredibly good for me to have something to keep my hands busy and not only feel but actually be productive. It may not actually be necessary for anything but maintaining my sanity, but I’d say that in and of itself makes it all entirely worthwhile. The fact that the kids can play with it afterward is just an added bonus. 

Today was hard even with all the sewing I did. Trying to balance a perpetually fussy baby and a potty training toddler and a bored seven year old and still maintain some degree of self care is exhausting, to say the least. Thank goodness for looooong detailed projects.