Yoyo weather

This is a wonderful photo from the local newspaper of the marshes hereabouts -- sans snow. The snow is disappearing again because it's raining again and the temperature is in the low 40s. The weather swings from day to day, sunny but very cold yesterday, gray and wet and warmer today. Who knows, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny ... I'll take what I get. And if it's nice enough I'll go walk someplace. If not, I'll carry on with the projects in the sewing room and the writing project here on the computer.

A recent discussion on another blog about dressing differently when one gets older was on my mind today as I carefully checked out the racks of end-of-the-season clothing at a store in the mall. I saw many bargains, some things I'd have snapped up ten years ago, just my style, fun to have and to wear. Sigh! today I pass by. Not only would many of those garments look unattractive on me today, I simply don't need them. Some are too dramatic, some are too tight fitting, some are too glittery, and some have too deep a neckline -- not so much because of modesty but because I no longer put up with the mild discomfort of being a bit chillly for the sake of looking a bit sexy. I found a cornflower blue, totally simple, totally classic cashmere turtleneck. That was my only purchase after over an hour of combing the racks.

Many other women claim not to enjoy shopping. I don't understand where they're coming from, never have. For myself, I love to see what designers, even unknown peons working for minor brands, come up with in line, embellishment, fabric, fit. Maybe it's because I began sewing for myself with I was in high school and was always fascinated by what a seam could do, how a textile could drape, how colors work together.

My quilting attitude is much the same. I can play with line, color, shape, embellishment. My favorite quilting is scrape patchwork quilting when I can make fabric/color choices each time I add a new square or triangle or piece. The spirit of play captures me. Maybe the people who hate to shop are the people who most enjoy quilting from kits; they feel safe with the choices of others. They make beautiful quilt, often more successful than mine. And I think they feel great pleasure doing so. Likewise I feel great pleasure in my spontaneous way. Takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.