Obstacles ... Real or Imagined

Are our obstacles to sewing real or imagined? Do we have to wait until we find the perfect fabric, the perfect pattern or the perfect notions before we sew? Of course not. However, often we create barriers because we are afraid of failure. There's no point in sewing if it isn't going to fit is one comment I hear time and again. My response is "how do you know unless you try". Fitting is a lifelong journey as we gain a better understanding of our bodies and develop our own sense of style. Anything I sew (whether it is perfect or not) is much better than I can find in a shop or online. What I sewed 30 years ago when I was in my 20's are not the styles that I sew today in my 50's. My body has changed and is not as firm as it once was. Also, in my 20's I needed a career wardrobe, now my lifestyle is casual at best. A pair of slacks or a skirt, nice top, and a lightweight jacket are all I need for any social occasion that pops up. There are not any parties or formal events in my life nor likely will there be in the future. However, I still create obstacles for myself. As I ponder about this, I challenge you to think about the obstacles in your sewing and how do you get around them. What holds you back?

Yay for Baby Girl

Tonight my DD called to let me know that she made the dance team at her university and will get an additional $500 scholarship. She is over the moon. It will give her an opportunity to travel plus her uniforms and shoes are furnished. Then later she called to tell me that she was offered a job on campus at the coffee shop. It's hard to realize that my Baby Girl is growing up and away from me. Just tonight I was thinking about her first time in choir at church when she was 3. Time really flies and she is gone too quickly. Treasure these moments with your children as they soon leave and go out into the world on their own. We are left with our memories and phone calls.

Called ...

Yikes, what have I done... For the past year or so, I've felt restless and have been trying hard to get my health stabilized. Maybe it is empty nest syndrome or missing being employed. Whichever, I have prayed for something meaningful to do with my days. So I proposed to our church council to start a sewing ministry at our church by providing alterations thru the church and teaching others to sew at a nearby community center. I feel as if I have been called to do this. The vote was this weekend and I have been approved for this ministry. This is a giant leap of faith for me and a challenge to my sewing skills. Doing alterations is a big step as I hate to do them even for myself. However, with 4 retirement centers within 2 blocks of the church and a university within walking distance, I feel that this is a service needed in the community for financially strapped families and students. Have I totally lost my mind or what??? What do you do to share your love of sewing with others?

Knitting

This week I'm knitting a prayer shawl thru a program at our church. Years and years ago, I learned the basics of knitting but have forgotten most of it. I cannot remember how to perl so I'm just using the basic knit stitch. I finished one shawl (?) which looks more like a lap robe and am working on the 2nd one which looks like a long scarf. The yarn is very soft and should provide comfort to the recipient. This is good for me as it forces me to sit and think about "life" issues while I wait in doctors' offices or for the latest test results. While knitting I pray for our congregation in general. I try to visualize which member will get the shawl and wonder if it will bring them comfort. What are some of the things that bring you comfort so that you feel loved when things are not going so well?

Quilting ???

In sewing baby bibs for our upcoming ASG fundraiser, I thought they needed a little pizazz so I decided to try to quilt them. It's my first time trying to quilt. Used some fusible batting and started with some decorative stitches - a flower design with zigzag stitches in between the rows. Took 1-1/2 hours to finish one baby bib. So today, I thought that I would try a stippling stitch, after all, how hard could it be. Well ... 3 hours later I'm still trying to stipple this one bib. Of course, it doesn't help when the phone rings, people come to the door, and life gets in the way. I'm determined to finish this tonight. Hopefully, the other 7 bibs will go quicker. I feel as if I'm in school writing "I will not talk in class" 100+ times. I don't think I'm "quilter material". Do you have any projects which bog you down? If so, please tell me about them.

Mail Call

One of my favorite things to do is to collect sewing books. I just placed an order Thursday night with Sew True for the book "Altering Women's Ready-to-Wear" by Mary Roehr. Today, it arrived by UPS. That's quick service that I really appreciate. If you have a chance, check out their online store at http://www.sewtrue.com/.

A Sunday Afternoon

One of the nicest times of the day to go shopping is late Sunday afternoon. Most of the crowds are gone, employees are looking forward to going home so they are extra helpful, and one can still take advantage of those great sales. This afternoon I went shopping at Hancock Fabrics. I bought several Vogue patterns, some McCall patterns and a New Look pattern. Will post photos later. Took advantage of the sale on notions and stocked up on hand sewing needles, needle threaders, cones of serger thread, embroidery floss, etc. On top of these goodies, I bought 3 yards of an eggplant colored poly-gabardine-rayon and 2 yards of a turquoise matte jersey. I am very pleased with my purchases and hope to get to sewing on these items real soon. When is your favorite time to shop?