Liberation

My latest craze is sewing. It's not the most relaxing hobby I've ever had - I tend to get quite tense when I'm cutting out the fabric (fear of stuffing it up completely), and it can be quite frustrating when the pieces just don't seem to fit together. However, it is quite a liberating feeling to be able to make my own clothes. No longer do I have to spend $100 on a skirt that fits and looks half-decent - I can make my own for $15. No longer do I have to submit to the whims of the fashion industry - I can make what I want, when I want, in the style, size and colour I want. Well, as long as I can find the pattern, the material and the time! So far, I have made a skirt and two bags. Hopefully this weekend I can finish my second skirt.

It occurs to me that clothes should be more like books. Books always fit. Books always look good. It doesn't matter what colour they are. It doesn't matter what season it is, or what the weather is like - any book is appropriate. People don't really grow out of books. If, on a whim, I feel like reading some of the books I loved as a kid, I can. Unfortunately, I can't still wear the cute little faux fur coat I had when I was three years old! I can read a book a hundred times, and still keep reading it. Clothes won't last that long (they don't make them like they used to!)

"I live for books."
Thomas Jefferson