Counting down the days

I am counting down the days until I can get back to my sewing machine.  I'm in the middle of a long show and I miss getting to let my creative juices flow like I did when I made this little taggie a couple of weeks ago.

But at least we are having some fun on our long days.  Like I got to make one of the guys wear the headband Ella got me for Christmas last year....

Then we got to have some cake....

Only nine more days down here in the basement of the arena :)

Mesearch

When I was a senior in high school, we had to write these "mesearch" research papers.  Thirteen years later and I don't remember what mine was about.  If I had to write it all over again...I know what I would write about...my love for sewing and why I think I love it so much.

I love this little frog fabric...

 and the flip side of this reversible dress

It's only been in the last year or so that I have really started to discover who I am.  I figure I'm doing pretty good figuring it out at the ripe young age of 30.  Some people never figure it out while others spend their whole lives trying to be something or someone they're not.

One of my first projects completed from a pattern :)  My youngest niece got an adorable apron out of it.

I have discovered myself through sewing.  I played with my mother's sewing machine when I was younger and could make a pretty mean pillow at the age of 12 but that was it.  I grew up, went to college, got a job, a car payment and a mortgage.  Fast forward six years and I now have a husband and do freelance work in television production.  Two years later, I quit smoking and started moving up in production.  The days I work are now fewer and farther between so I bought myself a Singer Simple, the $100 sewing machine from Wal-mart.  I wanted to make sure this wasn't a passing phase before buying something fancy and expensive.

This is a "faux" chenille blanket for a cute little baby of a childhood friend

My passion for sewing hasn't faded or fizzled...it's gotten bigger and better.  Sewing is in my genes.  With encouragement from friends and family, I opened up an Etsy store in May of this year.  I figure if I'm sewing on my days off anyway...I might as well try to make a little money while I'm at it to help pay for my new healthy addiction to fabric.

How cute is this little elephant fabric?  This is a dress for my oldest great niece

So check out my store here and I'll be back to explain why sewing is in my genes and post pictures of projects that I am working on.  I do more than sewing...I love all crafty stuff.

Beginning to be creative

I needed something to help me kick the smoking habit so I started making tutus (to keep my hands busy those first couple of months).  Then I got tired of tulle and tutus and bought myself a sewing machine.  I felt like I deserved it and my husband got the biggest smile on his face when he walked through the door that night and saw me sitting at the kitchen table with a sewing machine trying to sew some straight lines.

My first completed project was this little dress for my great niece :)


I am now addicted to fabric....I love looking at and buying it and dreaming up all kinds of wonderful things that I could make with it.  There is a little fabric store close to where I live called The Stitcher's Playhouse.  It is AWESOME.  It is in an old house and they carry Moda, Michael Miller, Art Gallery, Riley Blake....I could spend hours in there and feel like I was just scratching the surface.  I found the fabric for this little outfit there:

How cute is she in those little double ruffle pants and flutter sleeve peasant top?

I've gotten pretty good at making baby quilts too...

It's hard to believe that I got my sewing machine only nine months ago.  I've just been teaching myself by using patterns, reading books and googleing just about everything that has to do with sewing and serging.  If I can do it...anyone can do it.  Now I need to dig into my stash and sew up another little outfit for that cute baby...

until next time...