God Has Other Plans

Dear Lola,

I'm back to blogging.  Hope that you missed me as much as I missed you while I was gone.  I was feeling guilty about putting you last in my life, especially since posting here is therapeutic and helps me get my creative juices flowing.  Even if absolutely no one but me reads these posts, I enjoy them.

During my hiatus from blogging, my life has been busy and hectic and happy.  My kids are great and my family and friends make me feel loved and appreciated.  Oh there have been those moments when I get exasperated - like the dog has an accident right after I mop the floor or I make the same sewing mistake multiple times in a row and I become intimately involved with my seam ripper on the same seam too many times!  But all in all, the good outweighs the negative by 100 to 1!

I loved my job at my local quilt shop and helping many customers buy fabrics, new sewing machines and notions.  I helped launch a very successful new sewing machine department including a service department.    I designed lots of fun and very popular Facebook posts that continue to be seen across social media all the time. I was the leader of a wonderful Block of the Month Program and made lots of wonderful sewing sisters.

It was a wonderful experience, but God had been sending me little messages that I was missing.  I had my priorities confused.  I wasn't putting the important things in life first.  It was time to get off the "gerbil-wheel" that experiences, jobs and relationships sometimes become.

The good news - I was able to start spending more time in my little sewing space; and you started to whisper wise words into my ear, Lola.  You asked me:  "Are there lessons in all of this?"  I answered,  "Oh yes, for sure."

1. Focus on who you love and what you love.  
2. Change is good. 
3. Time is the greatest gift.
4. Just keep sewing.

As my alter-ego, Lola, you are wise and patient.   And because of your whispers in my ear, I know that I can move on and still do more great things.  Yes, a chapter is over - but amazing things happened.  I was responsible for changing things for the better!  The experiences I had also changed me for the better.  I'm taking my lessons with me to the next chapter.  I also know - it's okay to make it up as I go along.  Long term plans don't always play out the way we hope - but if everything was predictable - where's the fun?

I'll focus on what I love - God, my family, life and sewing.  I'll also focus on chatting with you Lola.  You don't judge me; you inspire me to be creative; and you find a way to look on the bright side of things always.  For that, I am truly grateful.

Sew New and Don't Know What to Do!

Dear Lola,

As you know, I am “Sew New” to blogging that I most definitely don’t know what I am doing.  I’m still learning how to post, edit my posts, create hyperlinks and read comments.  Responding to posts from the wonderful folks who have stumbled upon my little blog has even been challenging! 

What a sweet surprise I got as I was reading my posts -  my very first follower – Teresa Codona of Common Quilts nominated me with this fun Liebster Blog Award! This award is for small blogs with less than 200 followers.  Since I have all of 2 followers – I believe I qualify as a small blog!  LOL!

All I can say to Teresa is Thank You from the bottom of my heart.  How fabulous to get a vote of confidence at such an early point in my blogging life!  I can't wipe this silly grin off my face!  This was like winning a blue ribbon or heck even an Academy Award!  Life is good!

As a way to network - it's my turn to nominate 5 small blogs for the Liebster Award! Here are some of the blogs I visit when I am Sew Sleepless. They've inspired me in sew many ways. Finding other small blogs encouraged me to dive right in and give blogging a try! I hope you will enjoy them, too!

1.         Quilting in The Cold – Being from Finland – she knows about Quilting in the Cold!

2.         Poppy and Poochie – Cute, fun and enthusiastic blog!

3.         Jeliquilts – Love all the creativity here!

4.         Betty at Anything Goes – Stumbled on this blog from the Netherlands!  Bright!

5.         Love to Color My World by Ellie – Great photos, great read!

And there you have it – my 5 Liebster Blog Awards.  By the way, I hope I have done this right!  My intentions are good.   

Sew glad I’m out here in the blogosphere.

Hugs and stitches,

Sew Sleepless

Relax - The Water is Fine

“Relax - the water is fine,” is what my sewing alter ego, Lola would say.  I’ve been thinking about trying a blog for a few years now and in every conversation I had with myself, I would find too many disqualifying questions to proceed.  Here are a few examples of the questions that stalled me:

• Who will read it?
• What intelligent things will I talk about?
•  Do I have the stamina to stick with it?
•  Isn’t it too pretentious?
•  Am I creative enough?

Sewing in my home is an individual sport.  As the mother of 3 boys, with only 1 left in the nest, our group activities tend to involve action movies, sports and car-pooling to the first two on the list.  My boys (that includes hubby) have never bonded with me over my need to craft and create.  They support me, but from afar!

When I am in my sewing space, I find myself having conversations with my imaginary friend, Lola.  I didn’t name her originally – she was just some creative muse who listened to what I said, without a critical ear and of course, she never talked back.  Qualities that are totally underrated!  Every once in a while, my son or husband might walk by and inquire, “Whom are you talking to?”  I started out saying, “No one.” And then I realized, my steadfast friend and sewing companion regardless of her imaginary status, deserved a name and Lola was born.

There are many great things about Lola.  There is her fearlessness, her creativity, her ambition, her sensitivity and her serenity.  She is motivational.  She reminds me that every mistake I make is a learning opportunity.  She didn’t even laugh at me that time I sewed the sleeve to the neck hole!   Lola can be all the things I long to be and I find that if I hang out with Lola long enough – she rubs off on me just a little.  As we all know – a lot of “littles” add up to a lot! 

So I recently had my “blog conversation” with Lola.  She addressed each reservation on my list: “Who cares if no one but you reads it.  I listen to you all the time and you seem intelligent to me.  Stamina isn’t vital to a blog, I’m pretty sure there aren’t any “blog police”.  If you are honest, you won’t sound pretentious.  And finally, doesn’t a blog help you become more creative?” 

I have to admit Lola is right.  So why not relax and dive in – the water is fine!  So here I am, entering the world of blogging!  Since Lola believes in the experiment and she’s so easy to talk to, from here on out – all my posts will be addressed to Lola.  If you are reading any of my posts – you are a Lola of sorts!  You are a sewing sister/sistah or brother/brotha– someone who embraces the creative odyssey that is sewing.

When I took up sewing, just for kicks and an estrogen fix, I had no idea where it would lead me.  I love it all.  I still haven’t found that one type of sewing that’s so special it’s all I want to do.  I find I love the exploration of many, many techniques.  In fact, I’m so “all in” I find that I can’t sleep many, many nights. I have so many ideas and projects floating around in my head.  I read every magazine, book, blog and forum I can get my eyes on!  If I can actually be sewing, I'd rather be thinking about! So just call me:

Sew Sleepless!