I'd love your thoughts.

So I need some help. I've been posting about quilting for a while; about my changing attitudes to it over time, and what I am loving. I have an extensive pinterest board full of gorgeousness and have written quite a few posts about it now. At each year's retreat we have run classes on quilting - which you all have loved - but I've been asking around my women and I'm not clear on where you are all at with it. 

I'm in the planning stages of putting together the program for next year. Some classes are totally obvious to me, but with quilting there is so much I think we could teach I'm not sure which way to go. I have been getting in such a muddle about it, I figured I would just ask.

I guess what I'm asking is

• Do you like quilting and quilts? If so, what kinds of quilts do you love? And what would you want to learn in a class?
• Do you want to learn to put a quilt top together? And if so, what kind of quilt top? Improvisational? Pieced? Would flying geese be of interest? 
• Do you want to learn to hand quilt? Machine quilt?
• When you say that you are interested in sashiko (which I heard in the comments on another post) do you mean hand quilting with thicker thread than traditional hand quilting thread? Or do you actually want to learn the more formal rules of Japanese sashiko?

I don't mind if you are coming to the retreat or not coming, in Australia, or far away - I'm just interested in all of you that read this blog, and what you like or would want from a class. 

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Felicia x

Stash Less Challenge - Let it go...Let it go!

The series where we talk about having a thoughtful stash.

Stash Less last week meant taking stock of my stash, and as part of that I looked for sweaters that were sitting in my cupboard as "monuments to learning". What I mean by that are sweaters I have knitted that don't fit, or are the wrong style, and I don't wear. For some unknown reason quite a few of them have been sitting in my cupboard for a long (long long) time. Some of them have been there for years. 

I wrote a blog post early on in my blog life called how to choose a sweater pattern, which details many of the mistakes I have made over my life of sweater knitting. My hope is that it has helped you avoid some of your possible mistakes. Many of these ill-fitting sweaters have been donated to other happy recipients with different body shapes than me, but in the process of taking stock I realised that I have at least four sweaters sitting in the cupboard. I have no plans of ever wearing them. I haven't worn them for years (ever) and yet I keep them. Which got me to thinking about why I haven't ripped them out.

The jumper in this post was one of them. The thing was it didn't fit. It has never fit. The photos kind of make that clear don't they. The sleeves are 17inches wide - normally I like a 12ish inch sleeve - that's 5 inches of ease. That is correct 5! Not really ideal. And the body makes me look like a barrel. Again not a good look for me. But for some reason I've kept it. 

As part of my research for this blog post ;), I just checked on Ravelry for the date I finished it and what I found makes me feel a little bit embarrassed.

July 19 2009.

Yep - it has sat there for over FIVE years. How nuts is that. 

Why would I hold on to something that I know has no purpose, and in many cases no beauty, unless they are simply monuments to learning. Monuments to learning aren't that useful. The lessons I have learned are contained within my knitting memory and I take those lessons with me into each new project. A physical reminder is unnecessary, yes?

Worse that that - looking at them makes me feel bad. If I tune in to what I feel when I look at them, there is a mixture of annoyance that I got it wrong, frustration, horror, avoidance and misguided hope of the "if I try it on again it might not be that bad?" variety. Maybe it is simply avoidance of those feelings that means that I don't look at them or deal with their existence. 

Why would I want that in my life? Why would I want to hold on to those feelings? Why would I not just let it go?  Is it just that I am avoiding the process of ripping it out? Why not just address it and get it done. And really how bad could it actually be. I mean really.

In the words of a wise woman I know called Andrea "why are you holding on to something that no longer serves you". Or for those of you with small children/nieces/nephews, in the immortal words of Elsa - "Let it gooooooo, let it goooooo…."

This weeks challenge!

Have a look through your knitting discography and find something you never wear and is a monument to learning. Pull it off the shelf and rip it out. Simply take it out of the cupboard, sit down with a glass of wine and a pair of scissors and unravel it. Sing along with Elsa if you need to. But get it done.

I promise you it will be cathartic and joyful. I cannot tell you how good it feels to see all those balls of yarn wound up, ready to go out into the world and embody the lessons you learned through knitting it in the first place. 

Get it done by November 10th, take a photo and hashtag it with #stash_less_ripping. I'll find something ace to send one lucky person chosen at random. Or if you aren't on instagram etc just leave a comment if you are taking me up on my challenge. I'm not sure I'll have any takers at all on this one ;)…..but i'm hopeful.

Felicia x

PS. You can see other posts in this series by clicking HERE.

"You're so talented" and other malignant myths.

There were many things that spurred me on to create The Craft Sessions, but one of the biggest drivers was hearing the words "You're so talented" when someone saw something I had made. Now before I sound totally ungrateful, I know that the person saying "you're so talented" to me, is trying to be kind and complimentary. But the way the statement is often used implies that the crafter in question, in this case me, has a special quality that means that I can make beautiful things due to the magic of talent.

Talented is a quality that you either have or you don't, because talent isn't something that one works towards, is it? Talent creates a divide between those that make things, and those that wish they could. The concept of "you're so talented" really bugs me - really really bugs me - because I think that the idea of people being "talented" is so deflating and discouraging to so many people. AND for what we do - which is craft for joy - talent has nothing to do with it.

So bear with me while I explain why I have such an issue, and why I think that talent is totally irrelevant. 

So let's say we are runner's rather than crafters. Most of us runners are simply looking to put on our sneakers and go out for a run around the block. We aren't concerned too much about our speed or the finesse with which we run. We just want the exercise and the joy of running. Obviously this joy only happens once you get past the initial six week hump, which in crafting equates to the "learning to sew/knit/quilt" hump. As we get better we might want to improve our technique, so we might start reading the odd article about footstrike, or maybe join a running club. We may want to start challenging ourselves to get fitter and improve our speed, so that we get a bit more enjoyment out of it.  But - and here is the key - we aren't trying to become Olympic athletes - we are just trying to go for a run. Now, if you were wanting to be an Olympic athlete, you probably need some natural born talent. All we are looking to do is run around the block (enjoy making some stuff), and maybe eventually do a fun-run here and there. Talent is not necessary. Practice is.

It goes without saying that the internet has been a total game changer where craft is concerned. It has given us access to techniques and skills that previously existed in silos of local knowledge. We have been able to learn to craft (in my case knitting) without having someone teach us in person. But the biggest thing it has done is inspire us. There are so many amazing (talented? ;)) people making so many beautiful things. However, there is a dark side to all the inspirational joy we get from looking at what others make. The prevalence of beautiful pictures without context, can sometimes have the opposite effect on us, leading us to make less not more, as we struggle with the idea of being less "X" than someone else. Questions arise; "How do they make something so beautiful", "Look at their gorgeous finishing", "Look at their perfect topstitching", "How do they make so many things, when I can't find the time to do one?". And those questions can stifle us, deflate us and ultimately lead us to not make. 

These contrasting feelings of inspiration and deflation can coexist. I wrote on Wednesday about the uber-inspiring Gee's Bend book, which on the one hand floors me and encourages me, but on the other hand deflates me with feelings of "there is no way I could ever make something that beautiful". I think I said to something to Anna over coffee this week about a quilter in the book being "genius". She gently (mockingly?) reminded me that I had just been talking about writing this blog post. Whoops.

A reality check is needed. The quilts are in the book because they are so clever. The pictures people post on the internet get posted because the person is proud of their work and they are pretty. People don't tend to put sub-standard quilts in books, nor do they post sub-standard work on the internet. They often don't talk about the ten/twenty/thirty quilts they made before they made the one in the book. I don't often post pictures of the many ugly jumpers I made before I made a pretty one. Or if I do, I post it in it's best light. 

Practice.

I strive for The Craft Sessions to be a place where we find balance in this. Yes - I post pictures of the pretty but I try to temper it with reality. Like that the buttonholes on the birthday dress are sewn all the way through the bib of the dress. Or that I ripped the yoke of the colourwork jumper out six times before I got it to something approximating wearable. Yes - I want you to find inspiration in the things I post - but I also want to talk about the reality. I want you to feel encouraged rather than discouraged by what you see here. I hope I've found some balance.

One final thing; Yes - there are talented people. But for most of us "talented" doesn't actually matter, and it dismisses the largest factor that affects a person's ability to make the things they want to make, and that is practice. Practice and practice and experience and making mistakes. 

This post is me setting the scene for a brand new blog series we have starting soon. It's all about the journey. I can't wait to share it with you. You're going to love it.

As always - I love hearing your thoughts...

Felicia x

Best Of: Gee's Bend - The Architecture of the Quilt

Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt

I mentioned this book briefly in my Around the Traps post about quilting the other week but it deserved further attention. Gee's Bend: The Architecture of a Quilt, has been on my dining room table for over two weeks now, and I can't stop looking at it. At breakfast. At lunch. When I'm having a cuppa. And I know this is a big call but I want to say that this is by far the best craft book I have ever purchased. No matter what type of crafter you are - you will find inspiration in here.

I'm going to let my (slightly dodgy) pictures do the talking but I think but I need to say that these pictures do not do the quilts justice. There is a subtlety to the fabric choices and colour and wear is just incredible, and which you can only see by looking at the real images. And that these are only a small smattering of what is in there (I haven't even included my favourite). AND then there are the stories about the quilts and about the lives of the women who made them ,which just makes the whole book so much richer. 

I am totally in love and know this book will inspire me for many years to come. 

You can buy it from the usual places and you should. Or if you are joining me for #stash_less then I'd suggest you ask for it for Christmas ;)!

I'd love to hear your comments if you have it or have seen it or would like to see it.

Felicia x

Stash Less - Taking Stock

The series where we talk about having a thoughtful stash.

So last week I talked about identifying the reasons why we stash. Which was an incredibly useful way of figuring out how to create change - I loved your comments too - but this week for me was all about getting practical. And the first step was looking at what I actually have, and seeing whether I could figure out practically how I purchase, what I purchase, and if possible figure out why. 

And it was really interesting. What I found was many many things I have purchased without thought. Many things where I'm not quite sure why I purchased them. For example, I have two metres of BRIGHT YELLOW linen that is of a skirt weight. I don't really want a bright yellow skirt…..and I don't remember ever wanting a bright yellow skirt. I can't for the life of me figure out what it was for, especially as 2m would be a lot for a skirt?  

My stack of rainbow linen. Including 2m of yellow. I worked out that this stack alone is worth over $300. 

And a stack of blue linen. And some grey linen. And some stripes. 

I'm not sure if my stash is large or small. I know it isn't huge, but in a way that isn't that relevant. What is relevant is it's thoughtlessness.

So here is what I have learned: 

1. I buy yarn in smaller than useful batches. I like a yarn, I think it is pretty and I want some. I don't want to buy a sweaters worth (as that would be excessive ;)) so I buy a little. And a little isn't that useful. So it sits there. Three balls of wool over and over.

This chest contains my yarn stash. 

The bright stack. And the Nani Iro I often avoid using. That gorgeous black down the bottom is about 6 years old.

2. I buy bright fabrics that catch my eye in a store, but they aren't what I want to wear, and they aren't what I want the kids wearing, so they sit unused.

3. I don't use scraps because I keep buying for the next project, so I always have something new and shiny to play with. Therefore I am super inefficient with fabric. I have lots of pieces of 0.5m or less. Lots. 

4. I have a massive mending pile. And again, it sits there because I often have something new to play with, instead of working with what I have. 

5. I avoid using fabrics and yarns I really love. I'm worried that I won't love what I make. I'm worried that if I use it for one project I won't be able to another (classic opportunity cost avoidance). I'm worried that I haven't thought up the "perfect" project.

Avoiding getting started on the new colour work cardy. I really want it to be perfect so I'm just not starting. Good plan hey?

6. I keep some of my supplies in sweater form. I have made many ill-fitting sweaters over the years as I have been practising in the gap. And instead of accepting that mistakes are how you learn, and addressing the fact that they will never (EVER) be worn, I leave them in the cupboard as monuments to learning. And that is being generous to me and my motivation. I've started addressing that this week. 

I'd love to hear about your stash - what it looks like and why.

Felicia x

Previous post: Stash Less - Why we stash!

Note: I wanted to clarify, in case you have missed earlier posts (or I confused you) that I'm not saying I want to go stashless. I love having a stash. I believe in a stash. But I want to have a mindful stash. I'm saying that I want to reduce my stash and reduce my stashing behaviour - so I want to stash less often, As Kasia said in the comments last week "if I'm not making just collecting, I'm basically hoarding right?" I don't want to be a hoarder.