I am so excited to have left 2021 behind and work towards a better 2022 for myself! I want to share with you what some of my big plans are! First off, as it’s by far the one I am most excited about, I will finally start working on my accessible sewing room at the end of January. Sewing has been an integral part of my being for nearly six years now. It’s something that I use as a coping skill quite frequently.
My New Accessible Sewing Room
Before I started using a wheelchair full time, I had a big sewing room on the second story of my house. When I switched to a power chair last year, I moved most of my sewing supplies and machines into my kitchen so I could still access this skill. However, having all my sewing supplies in my kitchen made the room feel very cluttered and look out of place. It really turned me off from sewing for a bit. Having a dedicated space that is completely wheelchair accessible will be such a big help to me this year. It will encourage me to get back into the swing of my craft!
Goals for Sewing More Garments
Secondly, I want to start making more costumes and garments this year, particularly ones that involve more labor-intensive methods and skills. In 2021, I spent the least amount of time sewing due to my health and lack of inspiration. Anime conventions were rightfully on hold. I didn’t watch many new anime or cartoon series, so there was a lack of motivation there. With the new year, there is a new hope that this year will be better overall pandemic wise. Events that allow me to wear my work will become safe to attend again. Regardless of whether I attend a convention or not, I want to work on my sewing skills more. My current goals include learning hand embroidery, furthering my hobby of lace making and learning how to do fancier appliques on my work!
Accessible Gardening
Another big plan that I have for this year is to make an accessible herb garden. Year after year, I have tried growing various things at my house. In recent years, it hasn’t been as easy as sticking a potted plant on the inaccessible porch outside and calling it a day. I plan to work with a good friend of mine and make some wonderfully raised planters that I can reach from seated height! This will make our yard look wonderful and make me feel happy at having the ability to do my own thing with my plants by myself!
Studying Herbalism
I recently have started studying herbalism again! While I understand the importance of modern medicine, (heck, I am hooked up to a feeding pump 24/7) I’ve always been interested in how to utilize the natural properties of plants and apply them in smaller home remedies. In 2015, I had the opportunity to work at a local shade plant nursery here in Maine. My boss was well versed in this subject and began teaching me a few basic things. This is where my initial interest came from! Then, I began taking some online courses to learn more about this subject. after a long hiatus, my goal is to enroll in a few more well-structured courses. This will help to give my days a bit more structure and enrichment, which I feel will benefit me!
Create More Digital Content
Finally, I want to start making more digital content again. I had a rough few months at the end of last year, and the content on my social media pages dropped off a bit. Having an accessible sewing room to function as my mini studio will be very helpful to me in this avenue. I will have a dedicated space in which I will feel comfortable with setting up my tripod and recording the progress on my sewing/lace work again. I look forward to making some vlogs of both the process on my sewing space and working on my garden!
About Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum is an award-winning cosplayer and Quantum brand ambassador. She enjoys fashion, cosplay and music and has a TikTok channel with over 380,000 followers. Click here to learn more about Chrysanthemum.
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