Just call me Martha Stewart

My life right now basically consists of going to the gym, writing cover letters and unhealthily obsessing over tv shows geared towards teenagers who like to sing through their tumultuous high school years. I got pretty good at having lots of free time in South Africa and actually making something of it instead of staring at the walls for hours on end so I’m doing pretty okay with this unemployment thing. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be reminded of what it’s like to be “busy” for the first time in nearly three years and maybe actually make money for the first time in my life but for now I’m determined to embrace this time to work on projects.

I brought back some pretty African fabrics from my trip to Zambia (which I never wrote about due to it being illegal as far as Peace Corps was concerned. Now that I’m an RPCV I’m going for full disclosure) and have had visions of at least one of these fabrics turning into something skirt-like. I’m not much for sewing or domestic stuff but I figure now is the time to try. In the past when I have wanted to alter an article of clothing or make something from scratch I would casually mention it to my mother who would get out the sewing machine under the condition that I would learn how to do it for next time. Well, I’ve been agreeing to that for years and about 95% of the time I sit next to her and flip through a magazine while she “teaches” me and I grunt some sort of noise of understanding. Occasionally she’ll say “now do you want to finish it?” and I’ll say something along the lines of “oh I’d just mess it up” or “you look like you’re almost finished, I’ll do it next time”. The process is invariably repeated the next time. Well, with my mother currently in Palestine I have three choices, wait for her to come back in three months, pay a stranger/acquaintance to do it, or attempt to do it myself.

I’m going with option three. So far I’ve purchased a pattern and zipper and checked out some Martha Stewart book from the library about sewing. Next step, wash the fabric. After that my confidence drops off significantly. But who knows, maybe I’ll have some undiscovered natural talent for sewing and fashion design that will propel me to the ranks of “Project Runway” and solve my unemployment dilemma for good.