DONNA MCLEOD
From full-time mum to quilt designer, Donna of XOXSEW shares how she balances the two
“Mama, what’s for snack?” I pause my fabric cutting, check the time (3:00pm), and suggest the oranges sitting on the kitchen counter.
There’s profound joy in fulfilling my children’s needs, but there were moments – back when both my kids were under eight years of age – when I felt like I was nothing but a 24/7 food dispenser. Before quilting, this feeling reared its ugly head almost everyday. I was a stay-at-home parent, and didn’t recognize it at that time, but I was struggling from a loss of identity, motivation, and purpose. The thing is, I enjoyed working in general. It gave me measurable goals and it satisfied my careeroriented aspirations. However, due to employer-based healthcare coverage in the US, it was difficult to go back to the workforce without wrecking our family’s health insurance. So, for a long time, I felt stuck. That is, until I came across a sewing class on how to sew a zippered pillow cushion at a local fabric shop. My mom’s sewing machine had been sitting in the garage for years, and I thought it was a great way to finally put it to good use.
Since then, I try to quilt whenever I can. Quilting is innately a practice of self-care, but it also gives me a sense of purpose. Outside of it, I’m faced with responsibilities and tasks that require careful attention, time and effort. With quilting, it’s all about whatever I want out of it. There aren’t any strict rules to patchwork piecing, so it’s liberating to shrug mistakes and get lost in the art form. The outcome is a usable work of art, no matter how imperfect it’s stitched together. For me, there’s no better feeling than making something from my own hands and seeing pieces of fabric come together to create a tangible item that my loved ones can cuddle with.
“Mama, what’s for dinner?!”
Ahh, speaking of loved ones. I look at the time. It’s barely 4 o’clock. I tell them to give me 30 minutes, and then I resume pressing my fabrics to remove the wrinkles. These days, I no longer feel stuck or feel like a food dispenser on standby (or have the desire to work for a boss). I have something else I can focus on that gives me a sense of purpose, even when dinner time rolls around. And that feels wonderful.