Making things

Making things is pure joy!  For me making things is not about saving money, in fact sometimes I could buy them cheaper.  It’s about the pleasure of knowing that what I am eating, wearing, sending, looking at, is like nothing else in the world. 

Last night I started making a new tee shirt.  One of the problems of being a crafty type person is that I often buy stuff and then don’t get it made up into whatever – see what I mean about not necessarily saving money?  Last night I used a length of fabric which has been in my stash for at least ten years.  That makes me feel thrifty in that the fabric is now used, but I know that I shouldn’t have bought it in the first place and there are umpteen more fabric lengths waiting to be made up.

Neither is making jams and pickles particularly thrifty.  I’m disabled so can’t stand for ages at the stove stirring.  Instead I have to use an electric jam maker.  The fruits and vegetables I use are often given by friends with even more prolific gardens than I have.  They know that they will get a jar of the jam or chutney as a thank-you and we are both happy.  But when the original cost of the jam maker is factored in I have to admit that I am kidding myself if I claim to be thrifty. 

I make cards but know that the cost of the card making gear could never be recouped.  I have a glorious garden which I know I couldn’t manage without some paid help.  I could go on and on.

But that would be to forget that pure joy of the taste of new potatoes from by garden, the pleasure of the homemade gift or card sent to a friend, the pride in wearing a new skirt knowing that it is unique – again I could go on and on.

No, I can’t claim to be frugal – I am definitely Frugally Challenged!  Instead I know a rich kind of joy which comes from creativity.  And I am happy.