Stress Relief

Lately I haven't been doing much of anything besides work.  After a full day of chasing 1 year olds around I'm about beat.  I've come to learn that all my sewing project have become a nice stress reliever.   That's not to say that sometimes I don't get frustrated with my sewing machine and want to chuck it out the window ... espeically when the thread comes out of the needle eye for about the 100th time.   With Todd being gone more frequently now (planned or not) I've gotten quite a few projects completed.  Here's what I've done since moving to Germany.

1. An Apron (for myself)

The fabric line is by Amy Butler

2. Placemats, Napkins, and Napkin Rings

This is the same line as the above apron (if you hadn't figured it out yet).  I decided to make 8 of each.  After doing most of the hand stitching to finish up the placemats (6 of 8) I got bored and decided to start on another project.  I still have yet to sew together the napkin holders.  Its all cut and ready to go, I'm just finding it a bit difficult.

3. Baby Owen's Quilt

This quilt is for a very special friend of mine.  We met at Auburn, both starting the Med Tech program at the same time.  We've both traveled across the country to attend each other's weddings.  Even though we don't get to talk as much as I'd like she will always be someone I call a friend.  Her name is Carolyon and her husband is Chris.  They recently had a baby boy named Owen.   This project was one of the reasons why I quit the placemats and napkin holders.  And its a good thing I did - she ended up having Owen a few weeks early.

I've used this line before, but I've found that everyone loves it, so I continue to use it.  For those of you who don't know its called Lollipop.  I also used this fabric for a baby quilt for my sister-in-law.

4. Diaper Clutch

I also made a diaper clutch to match the baby quilt for Owen.  This was the first time I've ever made anything like this.  It was definitely a learning process .... just ask my mom how long it took me yelling talking to her on the phone about how to do the bottom corners.  Overall I think it turned out pretty good!  Hopefully after a few more under my belt I'll be able to do these in my sleep.

The clutch should hold at least 1 diaper, a small diaper changing mat, and travel wipes

When I started sewing I had no idea it would become such a stress reliever for me, but either way I'm glad I finally got into it!