Gross Domestic Product

I have to level with you. I never took home ec. Not a semester, not a class. I went to this rather academic school where, it was determined, skills like nutrition and sewing would only get in the way of one's running the world. Motto: Ladies pour tea. Women change the world. (Note: I'm not running the world.)

And yet, I would have had so much more fun for the opportunity to learn these fabulous creative arts / life skills in a classroom. Don't get me wrong. I had my hands full with chemistry and calculus (which I absolutely sucked at) and French and English etc. Lord knows, I needed the time I would have spent enjoying learning how to cook on figuring out meiosis.

But let's consider the facts: Sewing teaches spatial reasoning and three-dimensional thinking, algebra and geometry, patience, proportion - and a freakin' skill you can do something with! Nutrition / cooking is absolutely essential. As a society, we are coming to realize this while a third generation moves toward adulthood with little understanding of how to make an omelet or boil an ear of corn.

Of course, girls and boys both need these skills. Just as it's helpful to know how to build things (the skillsets are very entwined, those who know both subjects - unlike me - will tell you). My husband has the mind of an engineer. He doesn't read the manual (though he can). He feels it takes the fun out of the process. He's not afraid to make something - to make mistakes. In his world, that's self-sufficiency. Given my background, it's unheard of. I know I've said this before: my people are outsourcers. We don't fix it. We call someone who is trained to fix it. We don't make, we buy.

Having said this, I've discovered in my adulthood - in the years I've been with Scott - that I am a creative person in a very pragmatic sense. I build food (esp. baked goods), sentences, songs, outfits. And now - I am starting to build clothes.

I get this. I love the feel of raw material in my hands. I love the alchemy of production. I love starting with nothing and ending with something and letting it be ok if it's not perfect, because there's always a next time. I am so glad, at this stage, to recognize that skill is five parts planning, one part patience and a little bit of luck.

So I will show you my new project (just gotta stage some photos and this week has been insane) warts and all. But first, I'll tell you about my awesome trip to FabricLand. Coming up next post.