In My Happy Place

It seems like every time I have a deadline and HAVE to sew/write patterns/create ANYTHING, which it seems there is always some sort of deadline, I go through the same cycle. First I am excited to do what I am about to do. I can't wait to get moving on it. I start. I start cutting and sewing and thinking. Then I start getting interrupted. I dread interruptions.  You know? The phone rings, someone needs a sandwich, it's time to pick the kids up from school. And then I get back into it with deep focus. But the problem is that that I get so driven to complete my projects that I don't take the time to enjoy them. I am DYING to complete the thing so I can get on with other things.

I wish so much that I could just enjoy the whole process. Sometimes I find myself there. But usually, I grow impatient for the end of my process to see the finished project.

Well, now I am in an interesting place. I have completed so many necessary things over the past month and a half. And now I have been organizing my house and working on other things. And I find my imagination running wild. I have so many ideas in my head for fun projects and a really great pattern design idea that I can't wait to make.

But now I hesitate because I realize that the best part of the process is really when I am building it in my head. This is where I don't mind the interruptions. I can see a finished product in my mind, and that is sort of satisfying. This is my happy place. I think I'll stay here a while.

Babies Grow Up and the Storage Grows Too!

I have been thinking lately about how I would really like to preserve some of my babies' clothing and items that were important to me as their mom. I don't want to just collect all of their stuff so it takes up space in storage and clutters my house, collecting dust. But I am looking for some projects I can conquer in a year or two that would be a great way to preserve these memories. I love this bench, for instance, made out of a baby crib. It comes from Casandradesign.blogspot.com We have a cute crib that is very similar to this one. It would be adorable.

Then there are bins of baby clothes that I treasure. You never get any significant amount of money selling used baby clothing. And if you lend it to friends, it ends up coming back to you when their baby outgrows it. So as soon as my little Macy (21 months) is 4 or so, I am going to cut up all of hers and Savannah's (age 9) baby clothes, and make quilts for both of them. Then they can cuddle up to them forever and have a memory to hold onto.

I wish that I were showing you my finished products here, but I am still in the baby trenches. Before long, I'll show you what I come up with.

SO SO SO BUSY!!!!

At the start of January, Riley Blake hired me to design a bag pattern for them using their new line, Dainty Blossoms. I had to start from scratch and get through the whole process start to finish by the end of the month. Below are the fabrics I used, in two separate bags. The bag pattern isn't released yet, so I won't post exactly what I came up with. But I will show you these fabrics and the bag that I pulled together as a sample, made out of Amy Butler Fabric.

I call it the box bag. This pattern will be put in kits with Dainty Blossom fabric and all of the supplies needed to make the bag and sold in stores. So much fun! I love the result.

Also, I was testing a diaper bag and am still testing a changing pack to go in the diaper bag for Joel Dewberry. I can tell you now that the diaper bag he is coming out with is adorable and beautiful and will be available after Spring Market.

Additionally, I made a new Ruffle Duffle as a sample to sell my pattern at Pine Needles in Gardner's Village, here in Utah. Amy Butler's new line, Lark, has appeared on shelves and this is my Ruffle Duffle tribute to Amy. Very cute and oh so wild. I love wild combinations.

So as you can see, I have not forgotten you. Between a husband running for congress and many wonderful opportunities in my sewing world, I had to set the blog aside for a bit. But I am back. Hooray!