So, getting back in the swing-

Now that a much anticipated trip to Disney is done (thankyouthankyouthankyou Daddy) it's time to get back in the swing of frantic summer sewing and ebaying before it's time to start school. The ebaying is to raise money for a new sewing machine, the sewing is for everything that has been waiting. I have two major drawbacks when it comes to sewing time. One is procrastination. I gots it. Bad. The second is a little harder to deal with and that is that I can't let myself sew when I have something else that has to be done. Like laundry. Or dishes. Or a new front porch. For some reason, I think it's because sewing time is 'my' time I feel like I can't allow myself to enjoy it unless it's absolutely free time. Since I live in an almost 100 year old house with several other people, most who call me "Mom", I ALWAYS have something that needs to be done. If a get a sewing job that is time-critical; that I can justify. But sewing for me?

Right now I MUST finish a project that has me both thrilled and scared to death. I 'met' a sweet young woman online that wanted a costume based on a cartoon superhero from the eighties. Anyone remember She-Ra? Well this new friend desperately wanted this costume and I desperately wanted the challenge of creating her, since no commercial pattern is available. (And yeah, I'm probably breaking some copyright law but I'm not producing them to sell, just for one Halloween costume and there's no profit involved so I figure Mattel won't come after me.) So I've been piecing She-Ra together for the past few months a little bit at a time as time and inspiration allow. I've played with different ways of doing her breastshield, spent hours toying with satin to make good arm bands--- stuff like that. Fortunately my She-Ra-to-be has been very patient but it's time to stop diddling and get this gal delivered! My fear is that after all this time the costume will fail and all will be for naught. Even though I've sent women down the aisle in the dress of their dreams I still worry my work won't satisfy. I hope that is what makes my work good and I never become complacent.

(On a side note: my friend recently found a commercially produced costume that looks like She-Ra's. Of course they can't call it that. But how ironic is it that as I'm putting this one together a ready-made one appears out of nowhere. It's not like there's been a "Return of the Masters of the Universe" released. Or has there?)

Introducing myself

Well, I guess the point of having a blog is to interact with folks and the only way to do it to read others' stuff, respond to others' stuff and write my own stuff. So today I'll write and tell anyone who wants to read it about me.

I'm almost 47. I've been happily married to B for almost 24 years. We are retired Navy; he from active duty and myself from active/reserves. He now works for Chick-fil-A. We have four terrific kidlets who I refer to as their first initials while visiting with folks online. 'A' is 22, married last December to a kind and sweet youth minister ('P'). She's studying elementary education and loves working with children. 'C' just turned twenty; is a hard working, music loving business student. 'P' is 12, loves Legos, Star Wars and comic books, hates cleaning his room. Our "baby", 'J' is nine and is a delightful, if confuddling, mix of pirate, ninja, and Cinderella. She's the tomboy who'll climb a tree in a prom dress-- as long as the dress is made from camouflage. They are all my joy and my life.

Not being big on school, my formal education was an Associate of Science in Public Broadcasting which prepared me for my Navy career as a Dental Technician. Or not. I loved dental lab work because I got to 'craft' all day and didn't have to deal with patients as much. I did continue with lab work and assisting after I got off active duty but ended up doing what my heart truly called me to--being an at-home mom and homeschooling.

I have sewn for as long as I can remember. I recall begging my parents for a sewing machine for my sixth birthday. I got one when I was ten. I sew primarily crafts but at different times in my life the focus was on other things. I costumed in college, hemmed and put patches on uniforms while I was active duty (and developed 'my' signature baby blanket when my collegues and then I started having babies), got into wedding gowns and formals for several years and then I fell into porcelain dolls. An friend needed someone to sew the bodies for her----I exchanged sewing for firing and painting lessons. Eventually I bought her stuff, kiln and all, and got a little obsessed. After J's birth I had some trouble with depression and just didn't do anything for a long time. I started visiting a discussion board online and met a sweet lady who pretty much talked me out of my funk and got me moving again. Now my biggest problem is having too many goals and want-to-do's and not finishing any of them! I set myself up an ebay store as well as an account on Etsy in the hopes that I will finally make and sell these ideas that have been rattling in my brain forever!