Keeping It Seam-ple

This Week

I am making slow and steady progress on my pillow cover project! I took each piece that I had already cut out and began piecing them together in rows. I clipped the middle pieces together, stitched, and then kept moving outward until the whole row was finished. 

Clipping pieces together for sewing

Adding more pieces to the rows

I also made sure to press open my seams so that I can more easily put the rows together, which will hopefully happen next week.

Pressing all of the seams

I was able to finish all eight rows this week, and the front of my project is coming together really well!

How the project looks at the end of this week!

I have really enjoyed participating in this new occupation so far! I feel that I have learned a lot of new skills after finishing my first project. I can see how this has increased my enjoyment and also is showing up in how my project looks. I find it a lot easier now to make sure my stitches and cuts are straight, and I can do this much more quickly. I am a lot less timid with running the sewing machine at a higher speed. There has been some trial and error within this process, such as in finding out what was jamming my machine, or in having to seam rip and re-do stitches. Still, I’ve found a lot of joy and relaxation in being able to learn and figure out these problems. I also feel like I now have more confidence to try more creative and complex things. I am really excited to quilt my current project because I think I already know what kind of pattern I want on it!

Occupational Deprivation

Occupational deprivation is “a state of preclusion from engagement in occupations of necessity and/or meaning due to factors that stand outside the immediate control of the individual.” (Whiteford, 2000, p. 201) These barriers can be systemic, economic, or cultural, and can come from the environment, from other people, or from societal perceptions/norms. (Durocher et al., 2014) I have only been pursuing this new occupation for a few weeks, but there are some factors that I could see posing a risk of occupational deprivation in the continued pursuit of this new occupation.

First is that sewing can be an expensive occupation. Fabric costs money, as do all of the tools and supplies you use in order to actually put everything together. I am very lucky and my aunt gifted me this sewing machine during the summer, as well as a lot of other tools, like a rotary cutter handle, a ruler, sewing clips, and some extra fabric. I also have access to a couple of craft stores and local quilt shops, where I was able to buy new fabric for this project, but I was also able to get it on sale. Graduate school is expensive, and depending on the project, sewing can be too. I can see how this would be a factor that could be preventative of engagement in this occupation. 

I have also been very lucky to have my aunt and grandmothers as people who have provided me with a lot of knowledge regarding this when I have questions or need help. There are lots of online resources as well, but sometimes I am not sure what I am looking for or I have a hard time finding instructions that make sense. They have been incredibly helpful, and I can see how not having a resource like that might prevent someone from trying this occupation or continuing to try new things within this occupation.

Lastly, and the biggest factor for me and my occupational participation has been time. These projects can take a lot of time, especially as I am just starting out and am not very efficient at certain tasks yet. In addition to that, I also have a lot of other commitments and responsibilities in my life that take up my time, especially graduate school. Not having enough time between school, homework, family commitments, and taking care of my apartment and myself, limits the amount of time that I have available to sew, which makes it hard to participate in that occupation.

References

Durocher, E. Gibson, B. E., & Rappolt, S. (2014). Occupational justice: A conceptual review. Journal of Occupational Science, 21(4), 418-430. doi: 10.1080/14427591.2013.775692

Whiteford, G. (2000). Occupational deprivation: Global challenge in the new millennium. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(5), 200-204. doi: 10.1177/030802260006300503