Come Stitch With Me

One of my friends asked if I had any regrets about retiring 18 months ago given all the high prices, inflation and market instability we’ve experienced since May 2022. No regrets. We’ve always been fairly frugal, so any adjustments have had minimal impact on our lifestyle.

What I have missed are the routines and daily interactions with people that came with the day job. (Reasonably priced benefits is another one, but that’s a topic for a separate post of its own!) This falls in line with what was discussed on this week’s Retire Sooner podcast hosted by Wes Moss. The topic was Un-retirement. Wes and his guest talked at length about how the happiest retirees have a purpose (your one thing or core pursuits) and regular social interactions. Purpose with a paycheck or a part-time job in today’s tight labor market was something the guest recommended to help provide purpose, social interaction and a bit of a financial buffer. The job doesn’t have to be in your former career field, but could be something you enjoy as a hobby.

Most of my friends associate 3 things with me: sewing, books and dogs (not necessarily in that order). All of my part-time endeavors in retirement (paid and volunteer) involve at least one of those three things. Teaching private lessons out of my home and my Monday arts & crafts enrichment classes combine all three. Definitely purpose with a paycheck. BTW – being retired certainly doesn’t lessen my ability to appreciate a paycheck!

If you are a retiree looking for something to do, why not explore part-time job opportunities? Many employers have discovered how valuable hiring a “seasoned professional” can be!

This section was a hot mess before I tackled it. Much better! 10″ squares are in a single container (bottom right), a bigger scrap bin sits on the very top and my assorted Lori Holt acrylic templates have a designated place (2nd row, far right). Two of the emptied Art Bin double deep satchels from earlier this week now hold additional larger cuts of Lori Holt fabric, single patterns & plastic shape sets, buttons, trim and interfacing. My four “Lori Holt” double deep satchels stack nicely under one corner of my cutting table, which is opposite the bookcase. All that’s left is to sort through two Lori Holt projects that were pushed to the side for a while and determine the status of each project. Those will be coming out of hibernation in early 2024. This is the final “urgent” section that needed to be done. The rest of my fabric & notions stash can be “weeded” one bin or drawer at a time over the next three months. All weeding and reorganizing will be finished by the time I head to the Middle Georgia Shop Hop and QuiltCon in February 2024.

If you are a grown-up looking for something creative to do with your munchkins that minimizes screen time and saves you money, get a library card and take the kiddos to the library. Allow them to select picture books that interest them, plus check out a couple of your childhood favorites. Consult the library’s calendar and/or ask the children’s librarian about any special activities offered by the library. You may have access to free take home craft kits, discovery boxes, family passes to local attractions, etc.

Start simple: a fresh box of crayons/colored markers and printable coloring pages from the internet that go along with the stories you read together make for a fun time. Check out author and publisher websites for additional activities to accompany the books you share. Pinterest is your friend for hands-on arts & crafts inspiration. There are plenty of free printables out there if you look. Bookmark those sites. You can also print some inspiration pictures and create your own designs. (Use the library’s printer for a nominal fee if you don’t have one at home.) Tip: unless you can score craft supplies during back-to-school sales, I’ve found Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree are the best places to buy supplies.

Start with: crayons, washable markers, glue stick, school glue, kid scissors, printer paper and a pack of construction paper.

Scour your house for solid colored napkins, gift tissue, plain paper plates, coffee filters and cupcake liners.

Do you have any extra yarn, ribbon or buttons? Straws? Pipe cleaners? Popsicle sticks? Paper lunch bags?

How about a glue gun and glue sticks? Adult scissors? Single hole punch?

Save cardboard boxes and brown packing paper. They’ll come in handy.

My point here is to use supplies you already have on hand. If a paper bag puppet project calls for paints, substitute construction paper cut into specific shapes instead. If you need a dowel rod for a project, search for a similar size stick in your backyard or while out on a walk. Likewise, use items from nature to create your craft own projects – leaves, acorns, flowers, rocks, pinecones – or ingredients from your own kitchen to create slime and play-dough.

Realistically, unless it’s a craft activity you enjoy, limit yourself to only purchasing the minimum supplies needed such as a small pack of artist brushes, the 10 pot pack of tiny acrylic paints, small pack of wiggle eyes, smallest variety pack of pom poms and chenille stems, individual felt sheets in colors needed rather than a big pack or yardage. Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby also offer reasonably priced prepackaged craft kits, which might be a better option for a one time activity.

Word to the wise: GLITTER IS MESSY. I only do glitter projects outside and on a disposable table cloth from the dollar store.

Above all – enjoy your time with the littles and happy crafting!