Sewing Squares….

I have been working on a decorating project today. I love to decorate. It is what makes the difference—to me—between a house that is furnished…and a home.

I like to mix things up a bit. Move the furniture around. Hang pictures in different places. Paint, sew, rearrange. Make new out of old. Rescue, reuse, and recycle. It’s fun.

And today, I took throw pillows I have had forever and fabric I have had forever and put them together. And now? The couch in the living room looks new again. Simple changes made it interesting again.

Sewing straight lines on squares of fabric does not take any cerebral activity, so I was free to think while I was sewing. And so, I thought.

It occurs to me that what I was doing was symbolic of everything I have done in my life. I was capturing a moment in time by sewing a square. And by this time in my life, I have sewn lots of squares.

Some of the squares are plainer than others, meant to be used to connect the more interesting, decorative squares. And the decorative squares are more important events in my life. They contain fancier stitches, a variety of fabrics, intricate details, and focal points. Some days are meant to be plain squares and some are not.

Sometimes, the fabric I chose was perfect; other times, I had to compromise because I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted.

Or I couldn’t afford the perfect fabric. And somehow, the compromised square turned out as nice—or nicer—than the imagined one. At least, sometimes.

Other times, I knew I was compromising and I knew I wouldn’t like it, but I did it anyway. And was disappointed with the results. And mad at myself for doing something that I knew would not turn out the way I wanted.

But each time I have been ready to chastise myself for making a square that wasn’t all that great, I have had to remember

that it might have been all I had to work with at the time.

And sometimes, the inferior attempt turned out better than the plan. And something wonderful was made, despite my best efforts. What seemed doomed to fail, fairly shouted with success. And left me scratching my head…

And so, today, I sewed more squares. Took fabric I have been saving and added to the fabric of my life. Someday, after I am gone, my children can take all the squares I have made and fashion them into a quilt.

I hope it is pretty.