(photo courtesy of http://tarynleighhowe.blogspot.com/)
In the last couple of weeks I've posted a lot of fabric purchases. Some from my bucket list adventure, some from Christmas gift card purchases but even through my fabric haze, I can tell that it's a lot of fabric. One of the conversations held during my visit to Seattle is how I know think of my fabric collection as part of my Retirement Fund.
Honestly I have about 10 years to retirement and I think about it a lot...in a good way! See I've lived through the years of my first job, first apartment, first home, marriage & divorce, children and their growing up years. I'm moving into a cycle that's quite different from a large portion of the blogging sewing community - Retirement.
So when I read a blog post or an Instagram post about a young mother struggling to balance home, children and a career with sewing, I nod my head in understanding - been there, done that. When I read about sewists dealing with growing children and momentous events of their lives (proms, graduations, weddings), I nod my head in agreement - been there, done that. Or the sewist learning how to deal with empty nest syndrome - gawd have I been there and done that.
However, issues that face the older (for lack of a better word and believe me I reviewed several) sewist are rarely addressed in the sewing community. I don't know if it's because we're less visible in social media or it's just not thought of...because I remember being 35, married, working full-time with three daughters and having a total different view of the world than I do now as a woman approaching 60.
Why this reflection now? It's because I read a couple of Instagram posts and blog posts about "stashing less" and I got all up in my feelings. Isn't it interesting how you read someone else's experience and all of a sudden you feel the need to validate your own life choices!
Though after I thought about it for a minute, I realized that I should discuss the fabric buying, collecting or stashing as some of you call it. See I truly think of this fabric collection as my retirement fund. In less than a decade I'm going to have to learn to live on a much stricter budget than I am presently doing. Yes, many of my expenses will decrease since I will no longer head out to work every day. However, having my very deep and varied fabric collection will allow me to continue to do what I love. I will be able to sew for myself, my grandchildren and anyone else I desire.
During the next 10 years I will be adding less to the collection as I add more money to my actual retirement fund, but while I have the ability to add unique pieces to it now, I'm going to. It's interesting to be on the other end of the spectrum now since I so clearly remember being a 20 year old spending my lunch money for the week on a piece of fabric that I just had to have. To now being a conscious consumer debating how new pieces fit into the collection and how they can be used in the future.
All aspects of sewing is a journey...this just happens to be mine now.
...as always more later!