This is my kind of love

Handmade, one-of-a-kind

Hi All,

I’ve been telling you that I believe in a physical world balanced with a digital one. I tell you that I like to repair things, sometimes. I tell you high quality things are the best and most important for a circular economy. I also usually mention how important beauty and joy are…

or, if I haven’t made that clear, I cannot make it clear enough. Beauty and joy make everything matter. Something beautiful, something joyful is wanted and loved and makes me smile.

Something like THIS.

This is the gift I recently made for my sister’s almost-born baby. I collect fabrics consistently with no specific plan… I just want them because they make me happy, and then someday, sometimes I use them to make a gift with my two hands. These robot-like stuffy toys start out as a pile of fabric, thread and stuffing, and they become something handmade and full of joy.

Part of what makes these special is that they are produced one by one, not in massive quantities all exactly alike. This is an example of what I mean by joyful, quality things. My sister will keep this stuffy for many years, as opposed to the fate of the dozens she will buy and receive over the next few years. Most will likely be given away and donated where they will likely be exported to other countries or thrown away, but this stuffy has staying power because it was made for the owner with love and because it brings joy.

I think about how easy and fast it is to just buy something cute on Amazon (I’m not throwing a stone, I do it!), AND how difficult and time consuming it is to make something like this gift. It can be a hard pill to swallow- to decide to make instead of buy, but once I’m in it I feel happy, knowing that every stitch is in service to someone I love. Also, I can feel the quality I’m actually creating, which is satisfying.

I’m nervous that the puke-factor of this newsletter is high, but I’m trying to care less what other people might think, so I’m just going to sign off.

Cynthia