This month’s SBQ is actually a group of questions that kind of all go together as a theme. I’m going to address each portion separately.
Stitching is an activity that tends to be solitary. Sometimes I wonder if we choose stitching because we are more comfortable with pursuits that we do alone, or does our stitching cause us to be loners? So what do you think?
I am a loner by nature, although as I get older I’m finding myself trying to break out of my need for alone time because I’m a bit too extreme with it. I don’t think my enjoyment of stitching caused me to be a loner, though – I’ve always been that way. So perhaps it’s because I’m comfortable with pursuits that I do alone.
However…
I find that stitching is honestly one of the more social things I do. Yes, I work on my individual pieces, but I’m usually stitching while sitting next to my husband watching TV (or he’s playing video games), or I get together with other friends who stitch. So solitary stitching time for me really isn’t the norm.
Since we’re stitching alone most of the time, it seems to me that we get great joy from coming together with other stitchers. It can be such a good feeling when we find a group of people who speak our language and understand our stitching excitement and passion. But since not all stitchers are perfect, not all groups can be perfect either. So…if you could create your own perfect stitching group, what characteristics would make it perfect?
For instance, would you all be near the same age, or would you like your group to span a generation or two? Would you enjoy political or religious discussions while you stitch or would that make you shy away? Would you like a big group or a small group? Those are just a couple of variables in groups…tell us what’s important to YOU.
This is a harder question for me – a few of my alumni sorority sisters and I have a comfortable, very casual stitch ‘n bitch group going, and it’s a perfect blend of stitching and socializing. The absolute ideal group for me would probably be a little bit broader – both in age and in crafting interest. But it would need to be a blend – a few people my age, a few people older. I find, however, that as a woman in my mid-30s I trend toward the younger group of stitchers. I’m slowly entering the age where I’m finding more people my age, but it seems that cross stitch trends a bit older. As far as group size – I’m not sure. I know I’m personally much more comfortable in super small groups, but I can’t see where a larger group (say 20-40 people) would necessarily be bad – especially in a guild format where individuals take turns teaching techniques and such.
I know I would run away screaming from any political or religious-themed group. My experience with them is that stitching groups with that type of conversation tend to combine the two and tend to trend conservative and Christian (usually evangelical) – and I wouldn’t fit well in either of those. I don’t mind a snark/bitch fest at get-togethers but I think that’s something better left to close friends.