Whoa! Not only has it been awhile since I blogged, but we have been through the ringer with illness in our home lately! Yuck! Come on spring, we are ready to air out this house, get outside for some lovely vitamin D and burn off this cabin fever! One thing that I dislike about living here is the length of the winters. However, it is home for now and it is just right!

Being sick with a lot of down time allowed for some special hobby planning and creating for myself though, and during nap-times I have found a very pleasurable way to keep myself busy. You might remember just before we found out we were expecting Aveline that I had begun sewing a bit again just for fun. You can read that blog HERE!

My husband will tell you, as long as he’s known me I have been hungry for a hobby. He has guns, reloading, painting models, and video games… I’ve never had that hobby that just “stuck”, nothing I truly loved, enjoyed, and gained pleasure and fulfillment from…until now.

I have a friend that sews a lot of her own clothes, I have always had a knack for sewing, but have always been slightly “afraid” of it, I guess you could say. Maybe intimidated would be a better word. This friend introduced me to some of the Facebook groups and sewing blogs that she is part of, and I finally took the plunge. I ordered some fabric, found a few beginner patterns for free. Then printed, cut and taped them together. I had no idea how to follow and sew with a pattern (but there’s a first for everything, right?   Thank goodness for friends, sewing support groups online, YouTube, and a lot of patience on my part.

I figured it out, found what would help better next time, lots of trial and error… in the end I got more confident, and I continue to every time I sit down in front of the sewing machine. I have since made 2 shirts for myself, a whole slew of “mommy cloth” (cloth menstrual pads). The shirts are from the Love Notions, Laundry Day Tee pattern (here), and the pads are from The Happy Hippos Patterns (here), I used several different ones. For the shirt I used the pattern, but made some self modifications to fit my style.

I have since ordered more fabric, and just finished the last of my pads. My favorite project so far though, I made some sleep shorts for Ryan, and he said they are the softest shorts he has ever put on (cotton/lycra knit for those of you who know material). For his shorts I used the Greenstyles Creations Men’s Hampton Shorts pattern (here), button holes are a bugger, and next time I might try doing grommets instead!

 Next up, I plan to make leggings and dresses/skirts for myself (and I am sure some more tops, and a slew of other things), as well as some play dresses  and tops for the girls for this summer!! I am so excited about this new journey and hobby!! Novella asks me everyday if I will teach her to sew, some days she sits and watches me, she loves getting to help with any part of my projects that she can! Such a useful skill for her to learn, albeit she cannot do much yet, in time she will, first we will start out with hand stitching I think. It brings me so much joy that she is showing interest in something that I too am learning more about, enjoying and having fun with.