My first week without a sewing challenge is almost over. I’ve managed to engage with my world a bit more and its been lovely feeling all feng shui inside. Even resuming my daily strolls with the mutt has proven to be therapeutic for both of us.

She sniffs and marks while I take in some sun, observe the state of the neighborhood, and let my brain work out the mush in my head. On this particular walk, I settled on a final (for now anyway) pattern for the list of spring/summer dress patterns I started keeping on a pinterest board. Each of the dresses is simple in silhouette and design with construction that won’t require heroics too far beyond my skills. When I go back to weekly sewing, constraints like that will keep me from drowning in a sewing project and letting it consume my focus like an eclipse.

We walked over to the community pool. More sniffing and marking for the dog. Another chance to think about sewing for me.

EYES: Hey, look at that! The HOA’s got those Lifeguard interns cleaning the pool already.
BRAIN: What? It’s only April! Wait. The pool opens in May. That’s soon. Shouldn’t you be thinking about fixing that side-boob issue on the bathing suit pattern from the Down Under challenge?
EYES: Wow, the water’s so pretty and blue.
BRAIN: Do you really wanna deal with that pattern again and risk effing up a FOURTH prototype?
EYES: I can’t see the jacuzzi on the side or the pool slide they had up at last year.
BRAIN: I know! Just buy that McCall’s swimwear pattern with the multi-cup sizes and you can sew up a suit hassle-free. Yeah, so you can have something to wear when you finally buy a season pass from the HOA and go hang out at the community pool for the first time in the NINE YEARS you’ve lived here!

The restless sewing chatter in my head slowed down long enough for me to enjoy a fresh batch of my husband’s cashew nut butter with slices of organic Lady Alice apples while listening to him tell me about his day (instead of giving him a monologue about some garment that was eating me alive). I even lovingly tolerated a YouTube tangent he had to share so I could know how fig newtons are made.

The other areas of my life have been getting similar moments of quality time.

• Made plans to fly my mother in from California at the end of May (Southwest operates out of Dulles now, so I’ll be able to afford to feed her when she arrives).
• Decided that this year’s tax refund has to be spent on more important things than fabric.
• Applied for an open position (with more responsibility) at work.
• Coaxed my creaky muscles through morning sun salutations.
• Got caught up on laundry. Handmade garments on the hanger with no clean underwear in the drawer was starting to feel a tad pathetic.

The key will be to keep up this trend when the self-imposed pressures of weekly sewing challenges are back in my life.

What do you rely on to keep you in balance?