I've often wondered why I like sewing so much. I have a lot of reasons (making something from "nothing," stress relief, sense of accomplishment, engaging the mind, skill building) but I think it boils down to connecting to the past and the future. My mom sewed and it reminds me of my happy childhood. I love the history of quilt-making. I enjoy working with my hands to make something, and not just something I'll eat! When you make something, it will remain behind long after we pass. That's why I make quilts for my nieces and nephews, although those early ones won't last because I had no idea what I was doing! However, there is a sense of connectedness and longevity from each project completed. Your "whatever" is out there.

I love vintage sewing stuff. I love rick rack and buttons and lace and ribbon. I inherited these old needle books from my husband's grandmother. I got some shadow boxes and included them with some of her rick rack and a thimble.





They hang on the wall above my sewing machine. I think of her when I sew. She gave me a set of Singer sewing books years before she died. The other day I found a note in one from the early 90s. It was from a girl thanking her for making a scarf to wear over a prom dress. A small thing, but important.

I think you need to have inspiration around you to choose projects that interest you. My love of rick rack has spilled over to baby blankets I make. Here are a few examples:



I also love reproduction prints. Check out the Repo Depot for some great prints. If you happen upon some fabric that you love, even if you don't have an immediate project in mind, buy as much as you can afford. For me, it's typically 2 yards--enough to make a skirt, shirt, or a majority part of a small quilt. I saw a Scandinavian print on a moderate quality fabric. I loved the colors and print and bought 5 yards (it was cheap!) I knew it wasn't heirloom quality, but I loved it. It inspired my sewing loft (pictures to come when it's clean!), but here are some pillows I made out of it:

The print was a striped fabric and I mitered it to make a square (a project for a later blog!) Even with all the choices out there, the primary colors are still my favorites.

Consider this week an object, picture, fabric swatch, or even music (anyone checked out the latest Maroon5?) that inspires you and set it in your field of vision. If you work with fabric that you love, you'll be more likely to work on it! Projects stuck in baskets don't finish themselves, trust me, I've tried! Let's start and finish something this week!