Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Patience and forethought. These have been on my mind a lot lately. And more so yesterday when I created a leather knapsack to take with me to Florida. Why did creating a leather bag cause me to think more on patience and forethought? Simple.

Leather is a tricky material to sew. If one is hasty or doesn’t give enough forethought to what’s needed, then they’ll end up having to rip out stitches sewn into the leather, leaving behind permanent trails of tiny holes where the needle penetrated the hide.

That got me to thinking of the many qualities of leather—many of which can be applied to situations we encounter in our lives.

Leather is tough, durable and unyielding. And yet, it can provide great comfort, warmth and flexibility. All of these attributes can be assigned to relationships we find ourselves faced with and with situations we make our way through.

Like sewing leather, if we rush in or out of relationships or hastily enter situations without giving forethought to the consequences of our actions, then what results is a permanent trail of scars, much like those needle holes left behind in the leather when a seam is removed.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

There are some who like to flex their creative muscles. Me, I need to. I’ve always been that way. Along with having an excess of physical energy, I have an over abundance of creativity that if not exercised on a regular basis, tends to spill out in all sorts of other ways.

I adore creating things, have for as long as I can recall. When I was ten, I began working with leather and fell in love with the process. By the time I was in middle school, I began taking sewing classes. But I found the patterns to be constrictive, so I began modifying them. Then, by the time I was in high school, I didn’t use patterns at all, opting to make my own creations from the images presented in my mind. At first, this drove my instructors crazy until they realized that I could exactly create what I told them I would.

High school was when I began combining my love of leather with sewing. There are some who are wine connoisseurs. I happen to be a leather connoisseur. There isn’t a single thing about leather that doesn’t appeal to me. The feel, aroma, warmth, these speak to me. And things made of leather…. Shoes, clothing, bags, briefcases, etc., I love it all!

Today was one of those times when my creative muscle needed to be exercised. So, I grabbed a pair of kidskin leather pants a girlfriend and I picked up from a thrift store in the valley for only $1.50, and I spent an hour creating a knapsack that I’ll bring with me to Florida. Now I ask you. What could be better than combining my passions to create something useful that will make me smile each and every time I use it. And…the fact that it only cost $1.50, excellent!