I've Found My Thrill (again!)

Mom will be proud of me... I've uncovered my sewing machine and I've started sewing again! This is very exciting to me because something that I used to love doing was put on the back burner because of a demanding school schedule, work and other life concerns in general. I believe that ultimately, it was the lack of space in our shoe box of a house in FL that banished my sewing machine into the depths of the nursery (an even smaller shoe box) closet. I think that I have enough balance back in my life to start sewing again and so far it has worked. 

I've started little projects again, but not to the clothing proportions that I used to be able to do as a teenager. But I'm not rushing things, it will all come back to me soon enough. I have been focusing my energy on all things with four sides: burp cloths, napkins and kid sized book bags. I decided that I was getting a bit bored with this and I moved on to making pacifier clips (many friends and family have all of a sudden had babies!) and fabric covered buttons as well as hair bows. With the springtime holidays approaching, I knew I had to make the kids Easter baskets for the various school, church and community Easter egg hunts and other springtime festivals. 

I bought this cute Easter basket e-book pattern (http://sewsensible.blogspot.com/2008/01/easter-basket-sewing-pattern.html) and thought, "I have to make it!" Besides the fact that the woman who put together this tutorial is so creative, she is also a loving mother of eight! So I went to Hobby Lobby with the kids, who were bribed with a cookie if they were good (bad mommy, bribery is bad!) and I bought my materials. There was only one problem: I had no idea where to get the "Peltex extra firm stabilizer." We were unfortunately short on time because I had to get Lily to school, so I decided that the Easter basket project will have to be delayed a day so that I could do a little research on where to find this elusive stabilizer. 

So far, so good! I have my patterns cut out and now I am just waiting for the weather to clear up a bit so that I can venture out to the fabric store this time to ask the experts what this stabilizer is. To the best of my recollection, I don't remember using stabilizer in any of my childhood sewing projects, so this will be new and exciting! I will keep you all posted on how it turns out! So I have started sewing again and hopefully all of this crafting business will get Lily into crafting. She's a bit more into her microscope right now, but I'm sure I can sway one of my children to pick up a knitting needle or sit at a sewing machine. 

A few other things I have been doing: Reading "Eat, Pray, Love" which is an almost life changing book! Simply amazing! Watching Lily play soccer again this season. Watching Sophie grow like a weed and laughing at her back seat conversations with herself. Still watching Project Runway and Lost. Going to church again and consistently making time to go to the gym! This new year is unfolding in the most pleasurable manner! Happy Spring and don't forget to reset your clocks this weekend! Err, except for my folks in Arizona!