Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
Mewsings: Bring on the Big Dark (is that ok to say?)
I'm coming off a busy six weeks. From three craft markets in a row (where I met many of you—hello!) to a big pet portrait workshop to another awesome year of Camp Craftaway, I'm ready to be stitching pet portraits on my couch while it rains. (It's probably unpopular, but I love the Big Dark we have here in Seattle.)
Between now and late fall/early winter, I'm excited to be working on new animal embroidery kits, custom pet portraits, and embroidered illustration opportunities. (Pssst... now is the perfect time to commission a portrait for the holidays!)
And, of course, I want to balance that with a bit of play and experimentation. The latter is really hard for me to do: making time for arty things that are just for fun. I have projects I've been working on for literal years...including this animal embroidery dress I had endeavored to finish in 2023. 2023!
The current embroidery on my 52 Weeks dress.
I also have projects I've been wanting to do that are beyond the scope of my typical offerings. Pet portraits in an environment. More appliqué (it's like fabric collage, and I love collage). Surface designs on printed fabric.
🪡 Here's how I move the needle a little...tiny bit... forward.
I've found three concepts helpful for moving the needle on projects that feel overwhelming.
Add constraints. Carve out time in which something always occurs (or it doesn't). I'm doing this as I train for the Seattle Marathon: Sundays are for long runs. No other time of the week will I spend hours at a time pounding the pavement. Knowing that I have this coming up on Sunday helps me plan part of my week. I know that I have to get my gear ready the night before; I have to go to bed at a reasonable hour; I have to have a route in mind.
1% progress is still progress. I tend to adopt an all-or-nothing strategy to things. Like, why start this newsletter if I can't finish it in one sitting? But messy progress is still better than perfection. Even if I put just a few minutes into a project or into tackling a task, I'm still further along than yesterday.
Matryoshka doll big tasks. Break a big to-do, project, or goal into smaller tasks that are easier and quicker to complete. They will build on each other, and I feel like I'm actually making progress.
📍Where to find me this fall (so far)
I've got some events and workshops on the calendar for September, October, and part of November. Join me! And if you're not local to the greater Seattle area, I ship my kits anywhere.
...currently watching: Married at First Sight and Love is Blind UK. I love reality TV and have somehow managed to get my husband into the dating show genre.
...currently listening to: Phoebe Bridgers' new album, Lost Weekend. I'm seeing her in October!
...currently reading: In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson. I'm not into fantasy or supernatural stuff, and this book is in the "magical realism" category. But I liked her other books and am enjoying this one so far!
Sara Barnes
Bear&Bean
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Orts is newsletter collecting small snippets of creativity: embroiderers, textile artists, illustrators, DIY projects, and how we can make time for our creative endeavors. Published on the weekends.
