The Humble Workbasket

Mindful of a life before mine

This started in lockdown days. I ran a wee facebook group called ‘One stitch at a time’ with two dear friends and, together, we ran the community project 52 Stitched Stories. During that time we were all at home a lot and I tried to support our collective sense of creativity with challenges, projects, sharing etc. In the middle of all this emerged my workbasket. I had sort of being doing it for years but not as structured as I did during lockdown. To keep me motivated and focused I set up my workbasket at the beginning of the week and then worked with contents throughout the week. I began sharing this practice in our community stitching group and it really grabbed many of us.

Of course, I did not invent the concept of a workbasket as it has been a familiar sight in homes for centuries. Often sewing related, this wee basket came out often and many a beautiful thing was created. My late Grandmother, Ella Stevenson, had a workbasket and she lived through two world wars. Her preoccupation was often one of repair and/or upcycling. Ella didn’t understand the concept of waste as she rarely threw anything away. She also took in sewing from neighbours and her hands were always busy.

I have carried on with my workbasket as a weekly feature since those long lockdown days and the ritual of setting it almost every Sunday since then is now part of my DNA.

What is in my workbasket these days?

Sewing supplies still feature heavily and I have a small stitching pouch that goes everywhere with me when travelling but, at home, rests in the workbasket. Beyond that, I have the supplies I need for my creative projects that week. At this time of year my workbasket, very much, reflects the joy of handmade gifts as it is almost entirely dedicated to supplies for my makes for my Etsy store. I hope the joy of handmade gift stays in our collective worlds forever. At a time when the digital dominates and the retailers race each other to the bottom price it is a testing time for handmade. Etsy is now, sadly, full of things that are not handmade but still I show up and still I sell. I have the best customers.

What is in my workbasket this week?

I thought I would share what, exactly, is in my basket this week and what projects these supplies relate to. In my basket this week I have -

• A moon themed rubber stamp kit for my moon journals that are in progress

• A selection of wooden frames ready to receive my dried flowers and make into lovely wee hangings

• A selection of small bottles with corks for my dried material to make alternative hangings

• Some wooden blank keyrings ready for painting and decorating with my summer pressed flowers - these have been in my basket a while. Note to self, get on with them!

• A selection of stitched journaling clusters ready for my winter art journaling boxes that are in progress

• Some toadstool charms - not sure what to do with them but didn’t want to lose them

• Some old fashioned peg dolls for a wee stitching kit I have brewing in my mind

• A reel of red heart ribbons as it is featuring heavily in my handmade offerings at the moment

• Some recycled yarn that I need for making beaded bookmarks

• A selection of beads for said yarn

That is quite a lot isn’t it? If you are a maker and have a basket yours might well be quite full at this time of year. As well as making for my Etsy store I also make gifts for family and a few friends so it is a busy time of the year. The virtual world, especially Substack, is a becoming allergic to the concept of busyness and I understand that as we all try and slow down and live in the moment a bit more. I am on that journey too but I deviate a little from the slow living narrative. I think there are times when it is fulfilling to be busy and then this time also gives us a lovely contrast to the slower times. My grandmother was eternally happy and she had never read the slow living narrative. Her hands were always busy working on one project or another and she passed so many of her skills onto me. If she was here I think she would tell us how much joy she found in repair and upcycling as a way of breathing new life into things destined for landfill. She would also say that her busy hands kept her focused and, at the same time, calmed her down from the stresses of daily life.

So, I don’t mind that my workbasket is a bit on the full side or that I am hand sewing into the night. Many of my handmade things will find new homes over the coming weeks and that makes me happy. I would like to say thank you to Ella Stevenson for all she shared with me and for constantly checking the back of my stitching. I would also like to thank my humble workbasket for its constant company and companionship. I can often be found quietly taking to it trying to remind myself why something or other is in there…..

I wonder if anyone out there in Substack land also has a workbasket?

Until next time,

Fiona

Thanks so much to all who have bought me a coffee, it is incredibly kind of you. I literally buy coffee with these wee donations. I often find a quite bench to look at the sea while drinking my coffee. My bliss moments, so thank you. xx