Stitch 'n Dish

Category: Current Events

  • Remembering Joann (and feeling nostalgic)

    Remembering Joann (and feeling nostalgic)

    Last week I found myself wandering aimlessly in a local Michaels store. It is the store in my area that has a pretty decent fabric inventory and sewing support, but I found myself uninspired, unmotivated, and frankly – unhappy. A couple days later I was feeling some sort of “inspiration” (urge?) to craft-shop and thought…

  • A new pause

    A new pause

    I continue to work on managing impulses to shop for entertainment or to alleviate boredom. It’s not easy. I sometimes find myself in a store with an armful of things and then have to stop and ask myself what I’m doing, and why. The good news is that since working on being more intentional, I…

  • The end goals

    The end goals

    Over the last couple of days I have been pondering things related to the sustainability of crafting as we know it today. This came about as I was processing the loss of 3 more yarn shops in my local area, and my realization of the depth at which Private Equity (PE) has infiltrated the crocheting,…

  • A good time to be kind

    A good time to be kind

    … as we navigate these and other challenges, it’s going to be increasingly important to be kind to each other; to have patience with those around us and to always take a step back (and a deep breath) when we want to complain about what WE want or what WE didn’t get. It’s not all…

  • Colorful distractions

    Colorful distractions

    The news cycle sure is crazy right now, and my favorite way to engage in “avoidance behavior” is to crochet, knit or sew, while binging something (unrelated to the news, of course) on TV. Lately I’ve been watching old Columbo episodes. It’s somewhat funny, since the start of that TV series coincided with the Arab…

  • My fiber refuge

    My fiber refuge

    The news cycle lately isn’t very comforting to anyone, but I am feeling a particularly angst-ridden as a Veteran, because I can feel – in the depths of my being – the great terror being experienced by families across this country (USA) who are impacted by the reality of a troop deployment into a war…

  • Stash-busting as therapy

    Stash-busting as therapy

    A brief look at the issue of craft supply (textile) hoarding, de-stashing, and the related psychological impulses that keep us well-supplied with more fabric and yarn than we’ll use in 3 lifetimes!

  • A snow day project

    A snow day project

    I have always loved Back-to-School shopping, and browsing in office supply stores. I cannot resist a new, clean notebook – of ANY size – so this fabric craft is the ideal combination of happy things.

  • The hermit response

    The hermit response

    I will continue to engage with my fiber arts groups and remain connected with fiber friends. These are the connections that become so vital in times of national stress. But I will also allow myself to be comforted with the impulse to hibernate, focused on fabric and yarn; like my grandma before me. And like…

  • Holiday Shopping Madness

    Holiday Shopping Madness

    Wishing everyone a heart-centered, FIBER-ARTS filled, and peaceful holiday season, this year and always.