Well it has been over a year since I have been back here. Needless to say much has happened in this last year and it would take many posts to even begin to share all of it. Much of this last year has been very difficult, but there have been just as many blessings.

As I have been able to get back into my studio the urge to get my creative juices flowing again has been so fun. I am looking at things a little differently and with a new perspective. So with that in mind I dug out all of my unfinished projects and looked at them honestly. The first thing that struck me was that I have a lot of them, the second thing was that I wanted to finish them. That doesn't happen often for me. Usually by the time I'm close to the end of the project I am already looking ahead and planning the next. The planning is my favorite thing. I love the hunt for the project, then finding the perfect fabric, and then creating. It's what I love to do. I started seriously sewing eighteen years ago when my youngest son was born. I had learned a bit in Home Ec, but being a tomboy I wasn't really interested. But after my son was born and I had three active kids I felt the need to do something for myself. Many friends told me that I would have to wait until my kids were older to sew, read, or do anything for myself. I decided that wouldn't work for me. Doing that would have made me resentful and bitter, I didn't want to be that kind of mother. So I devised a plan where I gave myself ten minutes a day. Sometimes I would read, but most of the time it was reserved for sewing. Believe it or not I got quite a lot done. As the kids grew and changed my time did also and at times I had more and at times I had less. But I never gave up!

Recently I had a conversation with my beautiful niece Rachel about finding the time to sew with little ones afoot. She is the mother of twin daughters Stella and Sophie, and baby sister Poppy, all under the age of 2. They are the most delicious little girls ever but do I even need to say that Rachel is busy? I told her how I did it when my kids were little and encouraged her to give it a try. The next week she posted a picture on Facebook of a dress for Stella that she re purposed from a lace skirt that was her moms. The buttons she used were vintage from her husband Mark's Grandmother's collection. I was over the moon excited and so was Rachel. I love the fact that with a little encouragement she was able to find some time to create something beautiful. In doing so she found satisfaction and joy. That means the world to me!

So I share all of this to encourage and prod. Everyone has ten minutes, seriously, you do. Find something beautiful to do for yourself whether it is reading, painting, cooking, or my favorite sewing. Trust me you won't be sorry.

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog post for Sew5Sisters! This is a new and exciting experience for me and I look forward to many new ideas and projects being shared here. I want this to be a place where I can share my love of all things fabric and much more.

I have been creating for many years. My Grandma Nellie taught me how to crochet and needlepoint when I was a little girl. I would walk down the street to her house where I knew Hot Cocoa and "store bought" cookies"were waiting for me, something that was foreign in my house! My Grandma Lottie lived farther away so I didn't see her as often, but when I did she always had something beautiful for me that she had made. Grandma Lottie was the Queen of the Goodwill. She would buy women's clothing, cut it apart and sew me a dress, coat, or whatever moved her. She used no pattern but I really believe her love helped sew me the neatest clothes a little girl could ever want. Both of these women were incredibly strong and lived through some horrific things. No matter what was going on in their lives they never stopped creating.

I love the whole story of creating! It is my goal to teach and encourage everyone to find the beauty and healing of making and creating something by your own hand. It does wonders for the soul. As I create through whatever is going on in my own life whether joy or sorrow, I find the end result is the same.....peace.