I spent the weekend at the Trois Rivières Grand Prix. Not the most handmade-project inspiring place in the world, you might think, and you'd be mostly right. My husband is involved in amateur touring car racing and was there on a team that was racing in support of the NASCAR and Star Mazda races. If you know me, and most of you do, except for the really lovely new people I've met over the past couple of weeks through the blog (hi!), I'm not exactly the most girly-girl, but I'm definitely fond of ye olde feminine pursuits. I'd definitely fit in with the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice - wandering around in cleavage-enhancing dresses, doing embroidery, and pining over boys, especially if they are Colin Firth. Or Hugh Grant. Wait, that's Bridget Jones. Sorry, I'm totally off-track now.

So.. anyway. Being at the track is a bit difficult for me in that there's a LOT of car-talk, and sweaty mechanic-types lying under cars talking a different technical language that I'll never fully understand. I do love the d-i-y grassroots aspects of the race league my husband is in, and I'll probably talk about that one day, but today is for another kind of RAH. I did bring some embroidery to do this weekend, and actually sat in the shade of the trailer and created some cute flowers on linen coasters, all while surrounded by drive shafts and torque wrenches!

Yesterday, I spent some time with my friend who I haven't seen in while. I absolutely adore her kids who are independent, funny, crafty, loving, and generous. I've received countless beaded necklaces and earrings and cute cards from them over the years. The youngest (15) had a question about their sewing machine which she had pulled out of the basement for something to do on a hot summer's day. I took a look at it (in between being served drinks from her mother), and showed her how to thread it - it's an older vintage 1940s Kenmore. She was thrilled and I went back to drinks with mum on the porch. Within half an hour, she had made a couple of things. Now, these items were perhaps not the most well-made, nor the most useful items - they were, of course, just experiments in using the sewing machine. But they were just little things that had been created. Quickly and without any analysis. The picture shows mum showing off her new purse. Yes, the strap is just one strand of thread. Yes, the purse does not actually open. But who cares? Her daughter had just jumped in and created something fun. She learned how to use the machine and was just happy to have spent 30 minutes doing something creative. The end product wasn't the point. Totally inspiring to me!

So all of this to say: you can create handmade stuff whenever, wherever! I sometimes get caught up in the process, and the context of the process, and the context of the context - ie. I can't make anything until my craft room looks good, I can't make anything until I learn everything there is to know about the history of thread, I can't make anything until I get the right shade of blue because crafting CANNOT continue until I have the right shade of blue! Yes, occasionaly I am crazy.

Just create!