While I adore making soap (obviously), there are times when I simply must break away from soapmaking in order to be better at it. My favorite non-soap craft endeavor is sewing. I really like machine sewing pillows and gift bags, though I’ll also cross-stitch on occasion as well. I had three sewing projects in queue going into this week, and I’m proud to say that I’ve knocked out two of them.
The first project was a pillow for my husband – a late birthday present. I found this fabric remnant on sale, the price was right, so I got what I needed to make a pillow for him. I have to tell you, being an N.C. State fan, this pillow was painful to make. I finally found the time to finish it late last week and am really pleased at how it turned out.
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| Peter‘s ECU pillow |
My second project was a baby doll sleeping bag for my older daughter’s baby dolls. I’d bought some of the material for project #3 (which I can’t disclose at this time) and had some left over. My daughter jumped on it and was very excited to have something just for her dolls. It also gave me a great chance to review how to sew in zippers, something I hadn’t done in many, many years. It was a success and one or two of her dolls sleep very snug and warm each night.
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| One of my daughter’s favorite dolls tucked in all cozy |
Today I was back over the soap pot. I made a test batch of soap for a great supplier and prepped the lye mixture for a batch of green tea soap. I was excited about soapmaking again, telling me that taking a break to sew was exactly what I needed.
What do you like to do to refresh your creative juices so you can work better and with more enthusiasm? Share it below in the comments.
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What a super post! "I must break away from what I love in order to be good at it." That is a powerful reminder, and one I need to take to heart myself in many ways. I love to break away by reading a good book, watching an engaging documentary about someone else's interesting life (I love history), and going for a run. Looking at the lovely pillow you made, I wish I had paid more
My soapmaking has been recharged and turbo-charged since I made these items. I read all the time, so it's more of a breather for me. My mom likes sewing, but I learned how to make pillows in home ec in junior high (7th grade, I think). I still have that first pillow I made, actually, upstairs in my bedroom.