Journeys with Autism

I’ve been having so much fun lately working with my hands. It gives me such a sense of balance and well-being.

Until last week, it had been a long time since I’d done any sewing. My last major sewing project had been a baby blanket I’d designed and sewn by hand when my 16-year-old was an infant. But more recently, I’d had a dress hanging in my closet for a few years, and while I loved the material—a beautiful Guatemalan cotton print—the dress itself had never really suited me. It was a winter dress, with long sleeves, and not all that comfortable. I think I wore it once.

So last week, I realized that it was really okay to take the dress apart and make something else with the fabric. I’m completely in love with Guatemalan fabrics and patterns, so I decided to make something I’d get to look at on a regular basis. But what to make?

Well, first I took one of the panels from the long part of the dress and sewed it into a simple bag. I used the ties that were on the waist of the dress for the over-the-shoulder strap. Here’s how it came out:

Then, I decided to make a skirt from the remaining panels. I think it came out quite well:

I’ve still got some material left. I’m thinking that I’ll save it for making some sort of mobile. Perhaps a set of stars? Not sure, yet.

I’ve also been keeping up with my knitting. Several weeks ago, I bought a knitted 100% silk scarf at the thrift store for $6.00. It was really long, and I figured I’d unravel it and make something out of it. When I got it home, I noticed that it had a mildewy smell, as though it had been in a damp basement for several years. So, I put it through a gentle cycle and then laid it on a towel on top of the radiator to dry. The next morning, I unraveled the scarf and got a giant ball of yarn. The mildewy smell was entirely gone, and about half the ball of yarn became a very soft, fuzzy hat:

I’ve also made some good progress on my sweater project. I’ve got the front and back completed, as you can see:

I’m also nearly finished with one of the sleeves. As soon as I get both sleeves done, I’m going to block the various pieces and then make some time to see Rachel at the yarn store for help with sewing it all together. I’m not really in a rush to get the sweater done before spring. At this point, making the sweater is as much about learning the skills needed as it is about making something to wear.

Today, I’ve put the fiber art aside because we have one of my favorite Jewish holidays coming up: Purim, which begins on Monday night. (If you don’t know about Purim, you can find some good, basic information here. The page even includes a gluten-free recipe!)

Then, we made the chocolate chip kind:

They smell and taste as good as they look!

© 2009 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg