What money can't buy

I've been thinking a lot lately about how things used to be in 'the olden days'. How different it is now. Modern technology to help us every day; cleaning clothes, washing dishes... even sewing. I feel like the world is kind of overtaking me before I've even caught up with learning how to do these basic skills like hand-sewing and fixing things the old-fashioned way.

As a new mother and a daughter of an amazingly talented lady, I feel almost like it's my job to be able to do these supposedly simple things. A few years ago I felt like I was going along with the modern movement of feminism; girls mastering the skills previously classed as man's work; using drills, maintaining a car's tire pressure, putting up a tent in under 5 minutes. I can do all of these!! Yet if I'm honest, I've never really learned (what is classed as) women's work... the idea of hand-sewing a quilt is so daunting, I haven't dared broach the subject.

Now I must admit I hate mobile phones (yet I'm using one to write this blog right now), I hate speaking on the phone (yet knowing I can call someone if I'm in trouble gives me peace of mind), don't even get me started on modern computers (without one my family members couldn't do their jobs). In my ideal world we would ditch our mobile phones and instead own our own smallholding. We would get our hands dirty. We would wake up early. We would have to hand-wash our clothes. We would eat our own home-grown vegetables. We would sew our own quilts. Now, that's a lot of work isn't it? But I suppose it's the feeling of people having gratitude that I also crave.

As a crafter, I have come to the realisation that more often than not, people will not pay for the work you put into making something anymore. This for me is sad. So I've decided something. While I'm going to be proud that I can use a drill and keep my car on the road, I'm also going to make a family heirloom quilt. Every stitch will be done by hand. It will take time. But the ironic thing about it, is that rather than using scrap pieces of material I have 'left over', I shall have to cut into larger, new pieces of expensive fabric, to give the effect of an old quilt made by a Great Grandmother, who had little to spare. No one would be willing to buy this quilt from me, for the time it takes, materials and costs incurred. However, I will make other thing with the leftovers. It doesn't matter too much how it looks, it matters that I made it and it keeps my little boy warm on a cold day when he is feeling poorly. And maybe when I'm gone, my family will continue to use it as their own. Xx