Somebody stop me....please!

Well, I didn't think it was possible, but I've actually burned myself out on sewing!! For most of the last year I have constantly had several projects going all at once at all times. Then, to top the year off, I decided to make most of my Christmas gifts.....

This is what I've spent the last 3 weeks working on:

Wine bottle cozies; perfect for using up scraps of fabric and ribbon


4 San Diego Chargers Aprons

"Joseph" costume for a pre-school program

9 tote bags with exactly the right fabric for each person

3 necklaces for the 3 oldest granddaughters using charms from this ETSY shop (not sewing, I know, but I did put them together myself)

A photo apron for the other Grandma of my two youngest grandkids, their "Nana", with their pictures on the pockets.

12 scarves........4 made of fleece and 8 made from a soft, furry fabric (??) that makes a huge mess when you cut it but makes the most fabulous, silky scarf when you sew a tube and then turn it inside out. (This is going to be what I'll make in the future when I need a quick last minute gift from now on....I LOVE THESE!!! They only take 10 inches of fabric and 5 minutes to sew up!)

3 totes made from 99 cent re-usable bags from Wal-Mart. I printed photos on fabric and appliqued them over the store logo. I tried using different colored bags from different stores ( red from Target and light blue from the 99cent store) but they melted when I tried to iron the photos on.....only these black Wal-Mart bags worked for some reason, and I like the black best anyway....I will definitely be making more of these.

and........last but not least (finished late on Christmas Eve) 5 "reading pillows" for 3 granddaughters and 2 nieces, all avid readers. This pillow holds your book open on your lap with ribbons and has pockets for your glasses and pencils/notepad. I bought the pattern here. They were really easy to make and it taught me how to make bias tape and piping, which was very easy, much to my surprise!

and in between all of this there were 3 custom apron orders to make and one apron swap to finish.

WHEW!! No wonder I'm burned out! That wore me out just listing all of it!

This week I have 3 projects to finish for other people and then on January 1st I'm closing up the "studio" and putting all my sewing stuff away for a while.....and I really mean putting it away! I'm folding up the ironing board, putting the sewing machine in it's rarely seen case and making room for it in the closet.

I'm going on sewing hiatus at least until the end of January when I receive my next Apron Swap partner assignment....I know my creative battery will be recharged, the creative juices will be flowing, and I'll be ready for some FABRIC SHOPPING (YAY!!)

Wednesday morning......

I decided to start off my Wonderful Wednesday this morning by making something off my list of new recipes to try.

I made "Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins".

Pumpkin muffins with a cheesecake filling and streusel topping, baked in a mini-muffin pan.

How could something with all those goodies in it not be fantastic!

LOOK!! I got a two thumbs up!!

Isn't it great to have such willing taste testers?

Now, upstairs to the "studio" where I have MANY unfinished projects that need my immediate attention before I'm off this afternoon to help Oldest Granddaughter with something she needs help with.....

Studio dreams....

Several times on this blog I've mentioned how much I dream of having a sewing "studio". I even just love the term "studio"! It sounds so artistic and professional.

It would be a large space with several different kinds of sewing machines, a cutting table area, ironing area, lots of storage for FABRIC and PATTERNS and projects in different stages. An office corner would be nice, too, for a computer and whatever else a studio needs........

I enjoyed a little taste of what this might be like this past weekend when I had the house to myself for 5 days. I dragged all my sewing stuff downstairs and set up my "studio" in the family room/kitchen in front of the big screen T.V. (that was a bonus I hadn't considered! I'll have to factor in a big T.V. for the future studio!) I set up the cutting area on the kitchen island. I set up my machine on our huge dining room table. I lined up the intended projects......AND I HAD A 3 DAY SEWING BINGE!! It was so nice to just leave things out at the end of the day and it was all waiting for me in the morning just as I left it!

I embellished a set of kitchen towels for Daughters new kitchen :

I made 4 dishtowel aprons for the (open any day now) ETSY shop:

I made 3 flannel blankets for a long-time co-worker who announced recently that they are expecting TRIPLETS!!! 2 boys and a girl! (I am so excited for them! He says I will be the "office" Mimi !)

...and lots of cutting! I hate the cutting part, but with so much space to work in and a big screen T.V. to watch, it wasn't so bad. I got quite a few future projects all cut and ready to go.

Part way through all this my Viking machine, my $800, less-than-a-year-old Viking, seized up! I took it immediately to the repair shop where I had to leave it for the next 10 DAYS! NOOOO! What bad timing!

WELL...... in my future studio I would of course just use one of the many other machines that would be on hand, so I dug out my long neglected, trusty old Kenmore that I got 33 years ago on my 18th birthday!

I oiled her up, somehow found all her accessories, and got back down to business. And for the life of me, I don't remember why I thought I ever needed a new machine! She (are all sewing machines female?) just hummed right along and did a beautiful job. She appliques even better than my new, fancier Viking! I didn't realize how much I'd missed her!

While looking for Kenmore's accessories, I came across some real treasure! Several boxes of forgotten fabric, patterns, and unfinished projects, including a little dress I started on Daughter's 1st birthday (she just turned 34!). Thinking of the future studio's organization and storage, I collected every sewing related thing I own and put it all together in a small area of the garage.

I've had such a good, productive time playing "sewing studio", but it's time to put everything back upstairs in my room.....the family will be coming home tomorrow...(YAY!!)

AND THE DREAM CONTINUES.............!