Tuesday, October 27, 2009

They say I gotta go to rehab


.... and I say, NO NO NO.

Let me explain. I'm here in Sydney for work this week. It's our busiest period of the year, and so I get to spend every waking hour working myself to the bone, and in exchange my employer puts me into a nice hotel for a few nights and lets me order room service and use the fat, fluffy towels.

It's true that travelling for work is not as glamorous as it sounds - while the hotel part is lovely, and the breakfasts certainly are lavish, you don't get to enjoy it that much. I work like the proverbial dog and usually at the end of the day, it's all I can do to fall into bed late at night and not so much "go to sleep" as "become unconscious with exhaustion".

My gym routine gets interrupted, I eat all sorts of irregular food (re lavish breakfasts etc), and of course, there's no sewing. No sewing! For an entire week!

Lordy, it's like being in rehab - or at least, what I imagine it would be like if there was a rehab for sewing.

What would that be like? Would you have to confess how you used to loiter around vintage sewing sites on the interweb, trying to score patterns at half-price? Would you have to admit you had no power over sewing, and that although you always tried to resist the fabric sale you always faltered at the last minute, and spent your week's salary - and more? I'd have to describe that heady feeling I get when I'm surrounded by the smell of polished cottons and dye; and how the feel of a raw silk slipping between my fingers makes me weak at the knees. Can you imagine the group therapy sessions? 

It's true. The thought of a week without sewing makes me go pale and trembly, and my skin starts to itch and my fingers start to twitch.

And even though on a rational level I know it's impractical to bring a sewing machine on the plane from Melbourne to Sydney to set up in my hotel room, I did actually consider this.

So I've brought an extra little something with me for this period of work - a little sack filled with the hoot fronts I put together in the days before I left. Tracing the outline, cutting the fabric, cutting beaks and eyes from felt and fleece, stitching them on with the sewing machine, and choosing the button eyes ..... II have a dozen of those critters in my suitcase so that at least I can spend the last ten minutes of my day, before unconsciousness sets in, sewing on some eyes.

Sewing. On. Eyes.

Ahem. My name is Flickettysplits, and I'm a sewingaholic.

6 comments:

bubbachenille said...

and a creative writer! And...I am hearing you.. I am mumma bubba and I am addicted to vintage chenille!

I Purr-Furr to Craft said...

I fully understand! I have to craft every day, even if i am supposed to take a break (tennis elbow) but i cannot, so hope you get back home soon and back into your routine

Isabella Golightly said...

Now, see, if you'd said you were coming to Sydney, I could have bought you lunch, coffee, a bagel, anything! And I'm going to be in Tasmania, checking out the airdried clay flowers and lace doilies at the Tasmania Arts & Crafts show, also jonesing for something to do with my hands at night. Maybe I could take some long unfinished embroidery & buy a needle when I get down there??? Enjoy those fluffy towels!

willywagtail said...

I actually had a friend who used to take her machine with her but she ended up being burnt out so it is probably better that you can't. Cherrie

Karen said...

This is such a great post! I think because we can all relate! I actually brought my sewing machine on the plane with me-not in it's case. It's a Bernina so it's quite heavy and I was lugging it around the airport waiting for my flight! Then I wrapped it in a blanket and the flight attendant helped me put it in the overhead. It was then decided that I had to put it in a suitcase and let it go under the plane. So away it went and I worred until I had it back in my possession!

Michelle said...

I used to travel for work all the time, and whil I didn't have to put in the long hours, I did spend a lot of time on my own, in hotel rooms, with NO computer or internet to keep me entertained!

I spent a lot of time with hand sewing, which is probably why i like it do much.

Hope your efforts this week keep you sane!