Turning 35 this year was traumatic, more than I am willing to admit (I guess I just did though). It has made me contemplate where I am going and what am I doing!!?
Yes, yes. Raising my sons is the greatest job in the world (thankfully more days than not). However, along the way, I seem to have lost a sense of who I am. With turning 35 there is a sudden urgency for me to answer this question and accomplish something.
So at this point I enter a phase of experimentation. I turned gentleman (is gentle-lady a word) farmer and grew all sorts of edible goodies.
Then it got really hot and humid, and farming didn’t seem like so much fun. The kids didn’t even like being outside so much, unless we were going to the pool of course.
So, I moved onto a nice indoor activity. Sewing. I’ve been “taking up sewing” for about two years now, and I’ve made little progress. A year ago my mother and I took class to learn to make a tote bag. Mother uses hers all the time. Me? Mine has been sitting in a closet until a few weeks ago, when I finally dragged it out and finally finished it.
It was a good class. I learned how not to do a lot of things, and learned how to do more than turn my machine on and off. See? I learned how to install snaps and zippers. Too bad I can’t remember how to do that zipper part anymore, well that particular zipper configuration anyways.
This summer, I signed up for a clothing construction class. The first part I learned to make pants. Not rocket science I know …
But I learned a lot of new stuff like installing elastic, making button holes (for drawstrings) and hemming. Next week is the second part and I will learn to make a shirt. I will be making something to match these cute pj pants for Griffin.
Then I got a little too big for my britches. I’m not really very patient for walking when really I want to run. So, since Mother had taken a quilting class, I decided I would make one too.
First I altered my pattern. Then I just sort of started sprinting and got in over my head.
Well, after spending way too much time with my machine, “You’re sewing again, Mommy?” has become a frequent phrase around here, I have finally started mastering what is referred to as freehand quilting (I think?).
Just a little glimpse of the play mat I’m working on for a certain set of twins living in CA. (Close your eyes Virginia.)
I didn’t want to quilt over the nice graphics, I wanted to outline them. FYI-sewing in straight lines is way easier than this.
I am quite pleased with myself that I can manipulate the fabric around twists and turns without losing control of my machine. And it makes for a really cool silhouette affect on the back.
Hopefully the pictures illustrate what I’m trying to describe. Did I mention that I’m really pleased with myself? This was not nearly as easy as I tried to convince myself.
(I’ll post more of the finished mat after I mail it to its intended recipient.)
With all my work experimenting with the quilting, but not actually producing anything, I had to take a break and whip up another tote …
with a matching zipper bag, of course.
I’ve made some other things, like curtains, but those don’t photograph well when they are laying draped over a chair cause I haven’t gotten around to purchasing or installing the needed hardware for said curtains. Oh, and I’ve had to take breaks to actually work. “Mommy? Are we having cereal again for dinner?” started to get to me.
Thank goodness the school year has started. And for four blissful hours a week nobody will be home to make me feel guilty for ignoring them.
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