Georg Friedrich Kersting, A Man (artist) at His Desk. 1811. Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Goethe Nationalmuseum

1811 caught my eye and stopped my Twitter scrolling. Kersting never fails to please, luminous watercolors and delicate details. Summer is here, along with events in so many years I feel quite distracted.

1780 this weekend (L’Hermione in Boston). 1775 a few weeks later. 1814 in August. 1833 in September. You could get whiplash looking at waistlines and sleeve silhouettes.

What I need is to take the time to sit, like Kersting’s man, to reflect and to write and to make a plan. I’ve fallen behind on the garment-a-week program, and need to catch up quickly. The faster I sew, the less like the Young Mr can outgrow the garment before it’s finished.