Lessons From a Life Well Lived
Recently, I lost someone very special in my life, and an inspiration to my sewing. My aunt is my shining example of how to live a great life. Our birthdays are just 4 days apart and we shared our celebrations for many, many years. Later this week would have been her 103rd birthday. She didn’t make it to 100 like she’d planned, but she lived a great life. Those were the words of the social worker...
Make Time for Personal Goals
Yesterday I was feeling rather sad. Once the Christmas holidays are past, it sometimes takes me a few weeks (or months) to find something else to look forward to. January is a time to refocus on personal goals. It's easy to say another year just sucked, but that would make it even more true. So look with me on the bright side of things. What was good about 2024 for you? Here's my list: 1.)...
How to Choose the Best Sewing Machine
What’s on your Christmas wish list? If it’s a new sewing machine, I have some tips what to look for to find the best sewing machine for your budget. Two of my favorite brands are Pfaff and Bernina, but I recommend you do your own research before you go to the store to find the machine that best fits both you and your budget. Whether you sew for yourself, your family, or your dolls, choosing the...
Nesting Indoors? Here’s How to Have a Cozy Creative Winter
November is not my favorite month, I must admit. This is especially true since I moved to a island over a decade ago now where the temperatures are even cooler than the city I previously lived. It seems I hardly turn the page on the calendar, and the rains begin to fall. Working on our art and craft projects helps us to forget about the chilly, wet weather outside, and focus on making it a...
Teach Yourself to Knit!
Living in a mild climate like the Pacific Northwest, with cool summers that rarely get above 70º F (22º C), it's always sweater weather! And anytime is the right time to teach yourself to knit! Most mornings I wear one of my hand-made cardigans. Even though it still feels like summer out with endless warm sunny days, when October comes around I start thinking about knitting again. However, many...
31 Inktober Prompts or Make Up Your Own
This morning, I posted my first Inktober artwork on Instagram. If you haven’t heard of Inktober, it was started by Jake Parker in 2009 as a challenge to himself to improve his own inking skills. There’s a website, and they have an official prompt list here. But you don’t have to follow it. The rules for Inktober are really simple. 1. Make a drawing using ink. It can be traced over a light pencil...