Do you ever spend time learning a skill just to forget it when you need to use it? That’s me. That’s how I sew stretch fabric on my machine. I just jump in and completely forget that I need to first properly adjust the tension and stitch type or else mayhem ensues. Mayhem like my machine having a nice little snack on my fabric.
Sometimes the machine gets extra bold and drags the hem under into the bobbin’s domain, jamming the machine. This is what I am talking about:
In the moment of panic, when I realize the fabric is stuck down in the machine a few thoughts dance through my mind.
- Why didn’t you sew this by hand?!
- You did it, you finally broke the machine you maniac!!
- It’s ripped to shreds, isn’t it? The whole project might be gone in a moment.
- This machine hates me. How do other people sew so effortlessly??
But it’s not the machine’s fault and it’s not the fabric that caused this, and it’s not even my fault. It’s morally neutral, it’s an accident and a learning experience to grow from!
As I was writing this, I caught myself crafting sentences to describe the situation with very negative and demeaning language towards myself for making a simple mistake. (A mistake that once I freed the fabric from the machine, I corrected and carried on to make the finished garment. The tight thread tension actually made a happy accident, a lettuce edge hem.)
It is not something that I should hold with such severity against myself that I internally tell myself I am an idiot, a lousy sewist, or useless.
Because how would I respond to hearing someone say that to another person? I would be disappointed in the speaker and make them stop.
How would I respond if I spoke with such aggression to another person? I would be ashamed.
I am learning through these sewing setbacks to temper the internal monologue and be a more gentle and loving person towards myself, to maintain better mental health, and establish the practice in my mind so that I can be a source of gentleness and kindness to others.
How do you speak towards yourself and others when they make a mistake?
One Rabbit Riot 