Sewing in a Pandemic
As Covid-19, the novel coronavirus, is sweeping the globe, many sewists are heading to their machines, eager to make masks and quilts both to serve their communities and preserve their own sanity. Join me for an overview of current efforts to keep the sewing and quilting communities connected and prolific during this challenging time.
(this post contains affiliate links)
As mentioned above, the joy of sewing and quilting feels suddenly starkly divided into the worlds of self care and service in light of “The Rona.” Some sewists have turned kitchen tables into mask factories while others have hung a “No Coronavirus Allowed” sign over their sewing rooms. Is there a right or wrong answer? To be honest, I’ve avoided writing directly about this, but I think the time has come.
What “should” you be sewing?
I, HollyAnne Knight, of String & Story give you permission to sew what you want as long as you also give other people the freedom to sew what they want.
Full stop.
Now, I recognize that my “power” to grant this permission is incredibly relative, but if you needed permission, there you go.
Here’s why: each of us is having the same experience of being largely “stuck” at home (unless you are an essential worker, etc) and all of us are scared/ uncertain/ overwhelmed/ etc. BUT the particulars of each of our circumstances vary greatly. Some have kids home that need to be virtually schooled, some have kids who can play all day, some of us live alone, some in families, some have physical challenges, some are concerned about mental wellness… I could go on and on.
But here’s the real key: some of us are going to find comfort in “usefulness” (making masks, etc), and some are going to find comfort in using sewing to forget that there is a pandemic. And it’s quite likely that many of us will flipflop depending on the day or hour.
Which brings me full circle: My dear Rockstar, if you are on fire with mask making, that is incredible! Rockstar, if you want to sew literally anything but masks because anything related to The Rona feels scary, overwhelming, and not how you want to spend your sewing time or you just plain don’t like sewing masks— rock on with your bad self!
You are free to sew what brings you joy and peace in this overwhelming and scary season.
Serving
If you are excited to use your time, talents, and materials to serve, let’s take a look at a couple of helpful resources:
(disclosure: I have made 5 masks and found it incredibly upsetting and not how I’m likely to spend my sewing time, so I’m not the person to answer all your questions, but I do believe these resources will be helpful)
WeNeedMasks.Org- partnered with AccuQuilt
Self-Care
Even if you are a mask making fiend (my hat’s off to you!) chances are you’ll want some time to unwind, too. With two kids at home, I admit, most of my sewing time is going to be in the self-care bucket. Here are some fun things coming up here at String & Story:
(Learn about more online events as I announce them by subscribing to my newsletter)
Stay Connected
Whether you are using your sewing skills to serve your community or to keep yourself sane (or a bit of both), the most important thing right now is to stay connected even though we are physically apart. Here are some ways you can stay connected with me, your fellow Quilting Rockstars, and the wider quilting community:
Share your work on Insta using #QuiltingRockstars and #QuarantineQuilting
Closing Thoughts
Rockstar, this is a hard season for all of us. Though we are physically separated, and maybe you are physically alone, you are not alone in this. No matter what you are sewing, or even if you aren’t sewing in this season, you are a Rockstar, and I’m so glad you’re part of this community.
PS You’ll notice many of the things I mentioned today are in partnership with AccuQuilt. I love being an AccuQuilt Go! Getter, and I’m excited about how quickly AccuQuilt is responding to the present crisis with positivity, community, and action. To learn more about their efforts, click here.