Hey, I’m Sadie.

I’ve started somethingsadie.com to collect all my creative projects in one place. You’ll mainly find sewing, knitting, weaving, embroidery, mending and general textile adventures. I might also share my painting and other crafty pursuits as I go.

I have like, a million hobbies. Why?

My friends and acquaintances often comment on the sheer scale of STUFF I’m doing. And they have a point. While my main passion has been textiles and fashion, I’ve also had 1+ year stints with dancing, kung fu, stand up comedy, singing, and I could go on.

This isn’t about being a ‘do it all’ person, though it bloody sounds like it. The consistent thread is having a project, having a something that I’m working on that is expressive and challenges me.

Creating not consuming can be sustainable, political, beautiful and improve your mental health.

I've experienced low mood, burn-out, and the odd existential crisis, and always come back to 'I need a new project'.

Spending my time in constructive ways, even if I'm failing and learning, gives a sense of purpose and meaning to my time. I don’t care if it’s an illusion, it feels good! I can take pride in the skills I improve, and the well made items I have remind me of that when I see and use them.

Specifically, I believe creative hobbies demand you to develop a sense of identity and self.

I think a lot of the fear of creation can come from doubt over who you are and what you stand for, or a reluctancy to wholeheartedly embrace that. A firm concept of your individual style and taste is empowering - and when this is deeply about you, it's much longer lasting than capitalist trends or fashion, and that’s inherently more sustainable.

I could go on about how creatives hobbies also connect to the process of making in general, and breeds an understanding and respect for workers. It’s a lot harder to throw away a pair of jeans without mending them, when you emotionally appreciate how long it takes make a pair in the first place.

Bringing all of that together, this website itself is an exercise in everything above. It’s been a real hurdle in self confidence and I have to thank my priceless friends for their graphic design, photography skills, and sheer persistence to keep me accountable to my goals and make waves when I dip.

So, I have all these hobbies to connect me to myself, to others, and to my values.

The common reactions I get to things I have made are shock and curiosity. Not curiosity about the item, but how I have the time, knowledge, and an elusive question that goes something like ‘where did this hobby … come from?’

Practically, everything I know about sewing, has come from free online blogs. But really, this is a confidence and world-view question that I’m not sure how to answer yet. What I do know is that for years before I had the money and confidence to dive deeper into my hobbies, I loved watching other people create too. So maybe that’s a start.

Thanks for reading x

Sadie