I just finished reading Barbara Emodi’s piece on Substack: Making Sense. The gist of her thoughts is this:

I read this week of a research study that said the high alert, anxious part of our brains in on the left side of the brain. On the right side is creativity. The researcher said that we need that relief and that when she was anxious, worried or stressed, she didn’t try to manage it, face it, or process it. Instead of asking herself, “what should I do?” she asked herself, “what should I make?”

This advice came at the right time for me. I have been getting some new covers made for a series of little short books I write. I used to think that it was not the best use of my time to write something so light, when I could be struggling to create significant literature. But this is who I am, what I have to give right now. Easy stories about decent people.

And writing them does me more good than maybe it does my readers.

That’s the point. Making something to add to the world is the job now. A jar of sauerkraut, a flower bed, a knitted sock, a voice added to a choir.

The destroyers come and go.

I think she’s right about that – it’s closing in on a month of incredible chaos but I’m finally beginning to spend less time trying to make sense of what is otherwise quite overwhelming. There are more and more people engaging in tracking the atrocities. I’m beginning to limit myself to a few whose writing represents thoughtful analyses of what’s going on.

Here’s a list of sources I’m keeping tabs on:

• The MidasTouch Network – a quickly growing online news network – I don’t watch the videos, I’m a print person – there are news items to read.
• Indivisible.org – an activist group also growing by leaps and bounds – they’re one of the official faces of the resistance. They provide lots of good ways of making your voice heard.
• Andrew Coyne – A writer for The Globe And Mail – I don’t always agree with his arguments, but they’re worth reading. Here’s his latest piece: The democratic world will have to get along without America. Unfortunately you have to be a subscriber to read his writing. The link I’ve provided has been gifted. You should be able to read it.
• Timothy Snyder – An academic researcher (on fascism) is providing a reasoned running analysis of the consequence of the musk/trump moves. He’s a must read, I think.
• Charlie Angus – a Canadian MP has interesting arguments from a Canadian Perspective!
• A Letter From A Maritimer – Elisabeth Rybak has a current series of well written pieces about what’s happening in the political realm of Canada.

I have many more people I follow, but pick one and see where that gets you. It will be hard to stop, I warn you!

As for “What Should I Make?” – This past week I did a class on “Getting To Know Your Serger” with a group of people new to the world of serging. My goal was for each of them to be able to leave class understanding how the machine works, how the four “needles” interact, and knowing how to thread it correctly for a 4-thread overlock stitch. Mission accomplished. Everybody left with smiles!

It wasn’t the first time I’ve done that class so preparing for it took not much time. Coming week I’m doing a new class: Beyond Overlock – What else can you do with your serger? Serger #2 for short! Now that has been a lot of work this weekend. I had to make a batch of samples showing several stitches and techniques:

• 4-thread overlock
• 3-thread overlock
• rolled edge
• gathering
• blind hem
• attaching elastic
• encasing elastic
• sewing in the round
• curves (convex and concave)
• corners (outer and inner)
• sewing knits
• sewing light fabrics (silk, voile, lawn, etc.)
• coverstitch (maybe…)

The truth is, although I’ve owned a high end Baby Lock Evolution serger for several years, I use exactly two stitches – 4-thread overlock and rolled hem! I gave up the hassle of converting overlock to coverstitch in favour of owning a Janome coverstitch machine! It’s set up beside the serger and immediately available for hemming finished garments.

My advice on buying a serger – buy a basic mechanical serger (I’ve tried a Juki MO-654DE – it’s a good, inexpensive, machine), and if you’re tired of hemming with a twin needle on your regular machine then consider a coverstitch machine. Owning both will have cost you a fraction of a high end computerized serger! The only downside is you need space for the second machine!

The other thing I “made” was a remake of a pair of jeans – making the waistband larger using a technique I found on Pinterest I’ve not tried before:

The image says it all. Worked well.

I still have the fibre art piece sitting on my cutting table waiting to be finished. Maybe I’ll get to it today after I get a second pair of jeans remade!