My New Sewing and Embroidery Studio

I'm all moved and settled into my new house. It doesn't feel like home yet in fact, I feel like I'm living someone else's life. I can't really describe it. I still feel like a big part of me is missing, and it is. I should probably replace settled with adjusting. However, with my new house comes my new sewing space. It's a lot different than the room my husband built special for me at the other house. That room had space for everything. Nothing had to be stored elsewhere. If you want to take a look at it, you can see it HERE. 

This room is so much smaller so there is less storage. I'm taking advantage of an extra dresser in my bedroom to store supplies that I don't use all the time. 

This room has no Murphy bed to turn it into a guest room. Since it's just me I have a second bedroom that is used just for guests. My granddaughter has taken over that room for her overnights here along with the guest bathroom. I let her decorate these two rooms and they are coming along nicely with a Paris theme.

My previous room had my desk where I do all the other aspects of business along with home management, journaling, correspondence, etc. I decided to buy a new desk and put it in the living room, which I do love since I spend so much time at it. As you can see in the image above. One thing remains the same, Berta, my trusty assistant, is always at my feet.

One of my favorite things about this room as the set of French doors where I enter the room. I just love them. And notice the sewing themed curtains? I got them from Amazon. 

When you look to the right, you'll see my new worktables. They are height adjustable, which is nice because when standing for long periods of time, the taller height will be so much easier on my back. I also have a three-drawer storage unit in the corner.

Along the other wall is another three drawer storage unit and next to it is my fabric cabinet with my colorful storage jars atop. Do you think I have enough zippers?

There is a little nook next to the fabric cabinet. What a perfect place to use my embroidery machine! I keep it on the old desk, and on top of that is a black box that my husband made for a completely different purpose. Funny how perfect it is to raise my embroidery machine. And the fabric drawers I picked up at Wal-Mart fit perfectly for some of my scrap fabric.

Of course, my aprons are included in this room. I think I'm starting a collection. I have a few that aren't up there yet. You'll also notice that I installed some shelving units for storage and cute things. My son came and did all the big stuff such as the TV mounts, fireplace mantle, curtain rods, and numerous other things. I gotta say, I'm quite proud of my installation of the small shelves. I hope they don't fall down!

I do love this new space although it's going to take some getting used to. Change can be so difficult but at the same time it opens new doors for new experiences and opportunities. I hope you enjoyed my sewing room tour. Maybe someday I'll do a YouTube video about it. Maybe...

The Worst Summer of My Life

As the title says, it has been the worst summer of my life! I wish I could start over again, but have it end with different results. My husband and I had been looking forward to a really nice vacation starting with a scenic train ride from Chicago to San Francisco, then spending four days in San Francisco in the beginning of summer. Unfortunately, he became ill, so we flew home. He passed away within 18 hours of getting home. He passed from pneumonia. It all happened so fast! One day he was fine and working in the yard, traveling and enjoying the scenery. In just a couple of days later, he was gone. 

So, my life is in a complete mess right now. It's the absolute worst thing I've ever been through in my life. Fortunately, I have an amazing support system with family and friends. My kids have talked me into moving closer to them, which I agree is a good idea since I do spend so much time with them and I now feel so alone out here by myself. It's really not that far (about 30 minutes) but now I've found a house a mile away from my son. In the summer it's not so bad, but we are known to have some brutal winters with a lot of that Lake Michigan snow. And driving can be disastrous. And it will be so nice to be right there with them. My granddaughter and my son timed their bike ride from their house to mine, five minutes and 15 seconds. My subdivision is across the street from theirs. She is really excited. I've even given her the task of decorating the guest bedroom since she will be the one to use it the most.

This is why the blog has been neglected. Between keeping the business afloat, grieving, moving, and trying to get my life back in some kind of order, I'm overwhelmed. So, hang in there with me and I'll be bringing some more informative articles, tutorials, and other fun things you are used to seeing here. I might just be moving a little slower at it than usual.

Photo above: One of the photos I took from our scenic train ride which was the last time and place I saw my husband's beautiful smile.

Travel Tray Pattern

I seriously can't stop making these! It doesn't get any easier than this. I've seen this little tray all over the internet, so I decided to create a pattern to share with my creative friends. They are so easy and so quick, you can make a bunch of them in no time. I'll bet they would be great sellers for your craft shows or Etsy shop. You can make them in any size you want. 

I made the first one for myself for our travels. They are perfect for setting on the dresser of a hotel or guest room to hold your small items. In my case, my husband kept throwing his pocket full of change into mine. The germs and gritty feeling of money creeps me out. So, I made him a smaller one just for that purpose. Now I can keep mine nice and clean.

I shared the tutorial awhile back but I've turned it into a PDF pattern so you can download it and print it out if you like. Personally, I like to read patterns from my tablet to save on paper and ink. You can find the download right HERE

If you prefer the tutorial on the blog, you can find that HERE

I'm slowly going through all my tutorials, and I'll be turning them into PDF documents. Keep watching either with my weekly mailer or follow this blog.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Finding the Grainline and Why it Matters

I don't sew clothing, but I do make a lot of bags. I make bags for every purpose imaginable. If you sew clothes, curtains or bags, you need to know how important the grainline is. If you are using a woven fabric such as 100% cotton or a woven cotton blend, you need to pay attention to how you are laying your pattern pieces.

Woven fabrics are made up of lengthwise threads, and crosswise threads. It is important to know the difference when you are making something that needs to hang properly or where strength is needed. The best way to find the grainline is by looking at the selvage. The grainline always runs parallel to the selvage. But sometimes you may have a piece of fabric where the selvage has been cut away, or maybe the fabric is an odd shape. Finding the grainline is very simple and I’m going to show you how. You can use the images above for reference.

The crosswise grain has a slight amount of stretch. It’s strong (as far as holding its shape), but not nearly as strong as the grainline, or sometimes called the lengthwise grain.

The lengthwise grain has no stretch at all. This would be the grainline. Can you see why this would be stronger and holding its shape when you are making a purse where it will be holding weighted items? If you are making a purse for example, you'll want the lengthwise grain to be vertical. This way there would be no "give" in the fabric and it will hold its shape. If you are making a matching strap, you definitely want to cut the fabric along the grainline for the length of the strap.

The bias has a lot of stretch. This would be at a 45° angle from your grain lines. When you pull the fabric along the diagonal, you get a lot of stretch. That is why you would cut a bias tape in this direction. The stretch allows you to go around curves easily. 

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Feeling Groovy in the 1970's

I was a teenager in the 70's. That was a good time to be young. Things were simple. We didn't have cellphones, computers, or even cable. Can you imagine having only three main TV stations? And worse yet, when I got a flat tire and that other time I ended up in a ditch, I had to walk to find a phone to get help. And how about prom? We didn't have our hair, makeup, or nails done professionally. We also didn't rent limos. I'm sure our parents probably appreciated not having to spend so much money. But we still had fun. As I remember it, the day after prom was the most fun because that's when you spend the day going someplace special. For us it was usually a big park, beach, or a day at Great America Theme Park. We also did dinners in downtown Chicago after prom. 

I had a blast looking through my old photos to share some of them with you. What a fun trip down memory lane! In the photos above you'll see me getting my hair curled by a friend for prom. At least we had curing irons! I also included a picture of my sister as she's getting ready to go to school. But the picture of my sister is how I remember the 70's fashion. Bell bottom hip huggers, wide belt, platform shoes, and of course long hair. And take a look at the picture of my dad in front of the floral curtains. Dad looked great but the curtains, yikes! Of course, it wouldn't be a true 70's picture without my first car, a 1970 Toyota. By the time I got to drive it you had to put it into neutral at every stoplight and gently press the gas pedal or it would die. It was mine and my sister's first car and we loved it at the time.

But back then, we really didn't feel like we were missing anything. So many things have changed in that short amount of time when it comes to technology. I can't even begin to imagine all the things my granddaughter will see in her lifetime. I do hope though that she will look back at her teens in a fun way just like I do.

After looking at the pictures I can say that the quality of our photos have come a long way.

Sign up for Sher's Creative News so you don't miss anything!

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Choosing the Perfect Color Palette

Did you ever notice that the most beautiful color combinations come from nature? Sunsets, flowers, the oceans, and fall foliage are so beautiful, why not think about them when planning your next project? Just use a photo, then take it into a photo editing program and pick colors from the image. You can't go wrong when you choose colors straight from nature.

When my kids were small, we would drive about an hour to my parent's house on weekends. On one weekend I looked at the trees along the highway and pointed them out to my kids. I told them to soak in all that beauty because you won't see them looking that beautiful for another year. They were at their peak, and it was beautiful.

A couple weeks later I took that same drive. I was heading to my mom's house to meet all the ladies in the family for our annual day after Thanksgiving shopping trip to Woodfield Mall in one of the Chicago suburbs. Yes, malls were a big thing back then before the big box stores and Amazon. Anyway, just as I was approaching that area of trees that I pointed out to my kids a few weeks prior it looked really different but in a good way. Since I was driving in the early morning, the frost was still on the ground and the trees. I look over and I see deer surrounded by the glistening tree branches and ground. It looked like it would have made a beautiful postcard or painting. I kind of felt like something was telling me to never underestimate Mother Nature because she will come right back at you in a magnificent way!

So next time you need some inspiration for a color theme, just look outside.

Sign up for Sher's Creative News so you don't miss anything!

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

What Happens on a Girls' Trip...

If you've never gone on a girls trip you are missing out! One of my mom's favorite things was going on girls’ trips. And for those who knew her will know that they were always centered around shopping. Mom loved to shop! Two of my favorites were Mall of America and Gurnee Mills. She always liked to stay in the nicest hotels too. I really miss those days with my mom, my sis and myself just enjoying non-stop shopping and having fun. My most recent was a trip to Frankenmuth with my daughter-in-law, my sis, and our granddaughters. And yes, in the photo above you'll see my 60-year-old sister hanging from the luggage rack. It's hard to believe that no drinking was involved. But that's just some silly fun we would have never had if we had the hubsters along.

What makes for a good girl’s trip? A girl’s trip is anything you want it to be. You can go on shopping trips, state park trips, big city trips, small town trips, and even wineries. For the wineries just make sure you grab an Uber and of course, you must all be twenty-one. And whatever you do, you need to journal it so you never forget a thing. If kids are involved, it's easier when they are older. Just be sure to include as much fun for them as for the adults.

Another fun thing to include is something matchy. If you are the planner, you can give everyone a nice little gift such as fun travel accessories or piece of jewelry. On our recent trip you can see that we all had matching (temporary) tattoos. Quite surprisingly they lasted the whole trip!

OK, one more rule. When you do travel with your granddaughters and they want ice cream for dinner, you have ice cream for dinner!

Where will your next girls’ trip be?

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Dream Journals

Let's talk about one of my favorite subjects...dreams! I am so fascinated with this subject. I always have crazy dreams and some of them seem so real. A few years back I decided to start a dream journal and I'm so happy I did. I love to look back at some of them and read them. It's always good for a laugh. The photo above is from a dream a few years ago. My friend and I were riding our bikes to downtown Gary to visit the lakefront. And yes, we were carrying ironing boards. Just why?! And if you're not familiar with Gary, you don't want to ride a bike, car, or anything there. And the funny thing is that we could have easily grabbed our ironing boards and visited the lakefront that's 10-mile (maybe less) drive from my house. Same lakefront but safer area and it has a beautiful lighthouse.

I find that recurring dreams are most interesting because I'm sure there's an underlying message, they are trying to send you. For example, for years and years I kept having this dream that I was trying to find the underground shopping in Toronto. I've been there in my much younger years and I guess it left an impression on me. In my dream I can almost find it but something just doesn't seem right. Well, fast forward to 2023 and my husband and I went to Toronto, and I was able to show him the underground shopping. It's called The Path and he really loved it! But after my recent visit, I haven't dreamed about it again. Strange!

I could go on and on with a long list of my dreams from my journal but I'm thinking you have your own funny dreams to think about. I log mine in my notes app but they have some really cool apps for Android and iPhone that will help you create a journal that can be a lot of fun. Some of the apps come with AI features that will help you animate or illustrate them. For my dream images I used the AI functions of ChatGPT and Copilot. It's one of those things that you can get lost in and before you know it, you're late for dinner!

I do have a few suggestions though if you want to keep a dream journal.

The key to remembering them is to jot them down right away. You can even use the microphone on your phone to talk into. If you don't do this, there is a good chance you will forget it. I don't know why. In fact, when I look back at my journals, I don't remember most of them. I am so glad I wrote them down.

Sign up for Sher's Creative News so you don't miss anything!

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Cookie Sheets, Spatula, Oven Mitt - For the Sewing Room?

Some of my favorite sewing supplies are actually kitchen items, and I use them all the time. There are other odd things I've found around the house that I find helpful as well. Right now I'll discuss my three favorites.

Baking sheets: I bought the set that comes with three different sizes. These things are the most helpful for everything. I use them to separate fabric pieces for projects, to set on my lap while I'm watching a movie and doing some hand stitching or clipping jump threads from my embroidery projects. They are also great for organizing the various steps in smaller items like the gift card holders above. If you want to make those, there is a free tutorial right HERE on the blog. It's a great kids project. I made some that I hand stitched instead of gluing and painting.

Rubber spatula: I think of this one as my hand and finger saver. When I'm at the embroidery machine and I'm needing to hold something in place or move something out of the way, I use this instead of my fingers. As of this writing, I've never had a needle go through my fingers!

Super thick oven mitt: This item is invaluable for ironing in areas that can't be laid flat when pressing. I don't use this as much as the other items, but when I do need it, I'm happy to have it. 

And no, I don't use any of these items in the kitchen also. They are now my sewing supplies.

Sign up for Sher's Creative News so you don't miss anything!

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Is This What They Call The Golden Years?

Does time seem to go too fast or is it just me? I have officially reached what they call the “Golden Years.” I celebrated my sixtieth birthday four years ago and in the past four years I feel like I’ve learned so much, mostly about myself. And it’s not all bad. The way I look at things is completely different than it was just ten or fifteen years ago.

I’ve learned where my priorities are. I’ve always put my family first above everything but I now I guess I look at it even differently. I became a Nana almost twelve years ago. I’ve discovered a kind of love that I’ve never known before. Having kids is amazing in its own way, but having a grandchild is on a whole other level. Maybe it’s because you don’t see them as much as you did when your kids were growing up, or maybe it’s because you are not the disciplinarian and are more relaxed and chill around them. I just know that when that beautiful child is with me, life stops everywhere else, and I just enjoy every minute.

Time is ticking along. Some say time is an illusion and I never understood that, and probably never will. The fact is that it’s moving ahead, quickly. All that being said, the way I prefer to spend my time is different than it used to be. I focus on doing things I enjoy, and I have learned to say no to things that I would have done before because I thought I had to. No more of that.

Giving is so much more fun for me than receiving. You reach a point where you really have what you need, and “things” don’t make you as happy as it once did. I find it more rewarding to share what I have or what I can with others that are in need. Time, money, or awareness can make a difference in your life and can help those in need. When you realize how blessed you are, in what ever way that may be, it makes you want to share that with others.

There’s more to life than what we have in Indiana. Yep, a lot more! I’ve always enjoyed traveling but these days, we travel every chance we get. I’d rather spend my money doing things and having experiences than buying material things. It’s a big world out there and we want to see it while we still can. We’ll be taking our first scenic train ride in a couple of months. It will be an experience. I’m glad my husband isn’t into taking pictures and videos because I’m sure it will be quite a sight watching me climb up into the upper bunk at night.

I realize that my health is my most important asset. No truer words have ever been spoken. As I watched my parents and others age, I realize that not only do I want to remain healthy to live longer but I want to keep my mobility. Years ago, diet and exercise were something I attained for vanity purposes. Today, it’s all about my health and mobility. I’ve gotten a good hold of that lately and am working hard at trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Next, I’m going to add strength training to my daily routine.

If you are still with me and haven’t fallen asleep while I ramble on, thank you. My final thought is that I hope you are inspired to take good care of yourself and those around you.

The photo above is my favorite photo from a two-week road trip we took last year. There are a lot of beautiful places out there!

Sign up for Sher's Creative News so you don't miss anything!

There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.