Sew Therapeutic

Some of you may remember that I caught the sewing bug some time around last Christmas. To be quite frank with you, I didn't do much more with it after the holidays. Until this past Christmas. I had this idea of making gift sleeves for mix CDs with felt, and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun.

It's been a while since I've used the buttonhole stitch. I'm talking 25 years plus. So it took me forever to figure it out, especially because I didn't know the name of the stitch to search for it on google.

Once my fingers remembered what to do, however, it was pure contentment. I like sewing in straight lines, as there is a meditative quality to the repetitive movements. Yes, I've got callouses on my right thumb and index finger, not to mention more needle pricks that you can count, but it's all good. And I've even gotten a little more ambitious...

I found me this totally awesome vintage shirt at the Salvation Army on Christmas Eve, and I thought it would look pretty rad as a bag with those pockets and the stitching and all. I wasn't sure how to proceed, but I found a very simple pattern for a lined tote bag which I modified to include a zipper.

It's far from perfect, but it was definitely a worthwile learning experience, and I can't wait to make another one, if I happen to find the right shirt.

I won't get into my little journey into felting wool sweaters and making mittens just now, as I haven't got any photos (because I haven't got anything worth photographing). Maybe one of these days I'll be able to salvage that project...

Well, I don't think I'll be getting a booth at the DIY Trunkshow or Renegade Craft fair anytime soon, but it was fun to make something with my hands for a change, instead of just pushing buttons on a keyboard or a camera.