Finding time for crafts

There is a lot of satisfaction to be gained working on ordinary tasks in the home. Gone are the days when homemakers were at the bottom of the pile. Now we have taken control of our homes, we see one of our jobs as managing the home budget and saving as much money as we can, we have stepped up to recycling and repairing, we are living frugally and green and we are enriched by that. Our lives are happily home made. All over the world handmade is making a comeback, showing us that what we produce with our own hands generally satisfies us more than what we buy at the store. We are making unique homes to our own taste full of soft cottons and linens, cutting down on the world's waste and showing our children that both the beautiful and the practical can be make at home.

I read somewhere this past week, maybe it was at the forum, that some feel guilty when they work on their craft projects at home. The idea being that if they enjoy it and look forward to it - be it quilting, sewing, knitting, soap making or whatever, it is entertainment and joy rather than work. I have never felt that way and I have never considered my knitting, sewing and soapmaking as anything but part of my housework. I don't see these things as separate crafts. To me, they are part of my everyday work.

I grew up in a time when dresses, shirts, children's clothes, soft furnishings and knitwear were homemade. If you needed a new quilt or skirt, there was no huge store where you could buy something cheap from China - you made what you needed. Store bought clothes were bought for special occasions. Most homes had piles of fabric and balls of wool waiting to be made into what was needed in everyday life. There was no other option and homemakers did that work as part of their daily tasks.

So for me, I don't hope there will be time available for me to sit down and sew or knit. I plan those tasks in with my normal everyday chores. I usually do my hand work in the afternoon and the more strenuous work in the morning. Knitting for the family and for gifts is part of my housework, sewing a new tablecloth, napkins, aprons or curtains are as much a part of my work as washing up and sweeping the floor. It all goes into the good of my home and even if I love doing it and look forward to it, it's still a household task.

I hope that you get some enjoyment out of most of the things you do in your home. Of course there are some things you won't like doing as much, but if you enjoy sewing and knitting and making whatever it is you need for your home, that is your pay-off for the tasks you don't like so much. Joy is lurking in your home, it is one of your daily tasks to find it.

If you haven't thought about your work in this way, take some time soon to look at what you do and think about the nature of your work. Plan your craft type work in with your normal housework. Never ever feel guilty for doing what you love and as long as you plan your handwork in with your more strenuous housework, you'll have time and energy for all of it.