In a man-made world we can re-make
I wanted adjust a dress so the neckline didn’t wrinkle. So I looked up some options and had a think. There was not a clear answer but as stiffer fabric wouldn’t move I ironed on some interfacing and sewed down the edges while watching TV.
I broke a plate so looked up how to use resin to repair. The resin started to peel after a year of use. I still enjoyed using it until then.
I want a bush to grow into an arch so tied together a bunch of sticks and made a frame. I tied fresh growth into that scaffold. A few branches snapped but the bush is now growing in the arch. It will take a couple of years but I have a start and that cost nothing.
My husband tells me I have too many hobbies but this is all the same hobby. It’s doing stuff. It’s the satisfaction of the process and seeing a result of your actions. I did that. I moved the world around me.
We have the ability to think. To research. To act. To enjoy.
Perhaps it is like a muscle. Does it grow as we use it?
Could it remind us that society with it’s laws and processes were built by humans.
I do find the time for a lot of hobbies compared to many, it seems. A watch repairman was telling me about slavery in the jewellery supply chain and I said ‘it’s the same with minerals in computers. That’s why I take pride in my work. I can take two broken computers and turn them into one functioning one.’ That caught him off-guard. ‘I thought you worked with computers not in them’. He asked me how I learned. “I just read the manuals” which is true, in a way. Later he called me ‘interesting’ which made my day. Could be flattery as I was spending money in his jewellers again.
At work, I resolve “computer problems.” Sometimes that takes work. Other times I just pay attention. “My printer is not working” I read the message on the printer screen. Out of paper.
It is not just about reading. It is not being scared of three paragraphs of computery words to find “licence expired” and tell them it’s an unpaid bill.
One time I opened the paper tray and found it full. Paper is there, printer can’t see it = part that detects the paper is malfunctioning. Looking deeper we could see the mechanism was jammed.
If the computer says no it is because it was coded to. Code can be rewritten or computers outputs can be disregarded.
I’ve seen American articles about the decline of the hobby with supplies getting more expensive, time constraints, distracting phones, and performance anxiety being blamed. I couldn’t find anything for the UK. Without data I can’t comment.
As for prices; I know that I don’t darn socks as the thick thread costs more than a new pair. But when the elastic wore out on some knickers I stitched away the excess fabric so they fit again.
I’ve been called strange when talking about the crafts I do. I don’t understand how anyone else could tackle the issue of dress fit bad beyond these:
Dress fits bad
- Change
- You modify dress
- Someone else modifies dress
- Don’t wear it
- Return/swap/sell/donate it
- Wear it anyway
- Overlook the flaw
Anyone who can hold a needle and button can do minor repairs and adjustments. Some will not think it worth their effort and others won’t see there being something changeable.
I know I could have bought a metal arch to train my shrub on. My scrap frame was for fun and frugality. I am rich in time and could afford it if I really wanted an arch.
2021-2023