There is a great parallel between sewing and woodworking. Now they may sound different, but think about it. If you make a bad seam, you can rip all the stitches out and fix it. If you put some boards together the wrong way, you can pull the nails out and fix it. Things can be patched and covered, and the only thing you really can't undo is cutting. Even that can be corrected on occasion.
I've been doing a lot of both lately. I'm learning to be precise, to plan ahead, to focus. As it turns out, when you do those things, you can avoid a lot of problems! There was a time when I never would have accounted for the width of the blade, or the thickness of the wood when building something, and come up short on material every time. I have learned my lesson. Things go much more smoothly.
Varying the type of work I'm doing has helped me keep up my two project per week goal. This week, Rachel, Dad and I completed the media shelf. It's a gleaming monument to storage for a specific purpose and made at home at much higher quality than the ones you can buy in stores. No more particle board for me, thanks! I also finished one of the meditation bags commissioned by a co-worker. It was a small 6 x 8 inch velvet bag, embroidered and lined, and you'd have thought I presented him the hope diamond. Still, you can't beat somebody being excited about your handiwork!
Other incentive when it comes to woodworking and thinking ahead: not getting your fingers sawed off!
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