Selfish Stitching

It's a common issue amongst those of us who run a small business, or work from home, or set their own hours, etc., to have difficulty setting boundaries about when to work on work and when to do something else. It's a particularly interesting conundrum when one turns a beloved hobby into work. Does it make the work more fun? Potentially, yes. Does it make the non-work "leisure" use of that skill feel more like work? Also a risk. Setting boundaries about the time to put aside the work and to do some Selfish Stitching is something I have been struggling with lately.

I find myself with time that isn't specified for appointments, the kiddo, or other tasks, and it's so exciting to realize that I can go PLAY! I can work on some English Paper Piecing, or finally make some of those bag patterns I keep collecting, or actually knit something for myself. If I go sit by my sewing machines...the projects I have in process (when sewing in bulk, it makes more sense to do the same step on 50 things then move to the next step, rather than work each step on each item 50 times in a row)...and I get distracted by my other potential plans and just start working on the next step. Next thing I realize, it's midnight and I haven't done any of the things I wanted to do for myself, and I'm still mid-project on a stack of things. Alas, I pack things up and tell myself that tomorrow I'll do something for myself.

Last night, simply by chance, everyone's plans in the house shifted, and I spent several hours with Mr. W2W while he played video games and I did some EPP while we listened to records. It was lovely and unexpected, and the bit of guilt I felt about not working at the sewing machine went away fairly quickly!

Today is extending that time, thanks to a visit from my wonderful sister-in-law, who is out gallivanting with the kiddo! Am I technically 'working' on the blog? I suppose. I needed a bit of a rest from a hectic morning and I am able to type this in bed. I may have snuck in a few rows of crochet on a dress for my little bug, and the afternoon is my (local, sustainably farmed) oyster! 

If anyone has any tips or tricks for maintaining better boundaries between work and play, especially while working in creative pursuits, I am all ears! It's especially helpful if you have suggestions that don't involve strictly scheduling each day. My health is too unpredictable to reliably expect a certain number of hours each day for either work OR play. Though I'm pretty sure better organization in general would do wonders for me on both sides. 

Anyway! Keep your eyes peeled for a new collection coming soon to the site! I'm pretty excited about it (probably part of why I keep working on it), and I think you guys are going to like it, too.

Stay safe out there, wear your mask, and if you need a new one, you know where to look! <3