making space for creativity

It's been so long since I have written here. I actually had quite a long gap in creativity. Between a pandemic, a move, a career change that requires a lot more from me, a career change for my husband, and then another career change for my husband and another move, and again, the pandemic......... Well, after all that, I did not have the mental energy to be creative. I remember sitting down at my sewing table dozens of times in the summer of 2020 and just waiting to be struck by inspiration. I had one snap of quilt motivation when we finally moved into our house in Oklahoma and made one quilt. But that was pretty much it.

That's it. My one Quilty make in 2020. I gotta say, though, it was a good one and I use it just about every day. It's a compilation of all my long-hoarded Ruby Star prints, from way way back.

I made a few pouches for friends. And some key fobs. Some baby items for friends have babies and one baby quilt that went to my shop. 

I loved these wonky stars.

I also totally started a bib addiction. These were really so fun to make!!

But the absence of my creativity weighed on me. I wanted so much to feel motivated, but just felt sapped of all creative energy time and time again.

Then 2021 came. Another change in life. Moving to FL from OK in late spring, after being in Oklahoma less than a year. I packed up my sewing stuff and prayed that when we finally settled in Florida, I'd unpack my sewing bins and feel revived. Turns out though, my sewing things stayed packed for several months as house after house fell through and we were stuck living in our camper for 3 months. Let me tell you. 5 kids, a dog, a cat, a fish, two parents, one of whom works remotely, in a camper for 3 months........well, it's just as insane as you are probably imagining.

And then, finally, a home. We moved in, got settled and I unpacked my sewing stuff. This time I set up shop in a loft upstairs because this home doesn't have a special space just for me. Honestly, with 5 kids, it was amazing that I ever had my own sewing space, and I was lucky enough to get it in 2 houses.

And with each box I unpacked, I decided to shed some of all the stuff I had been holding on to. I donated a TON!! And then I made scrap boxes. It felt good to lighten up. And from that, the desire to make slowly started to come back. 

I will be sharing more of what I have made recently, but here is the first quilt after a long hiatus. This is a quilt I designed myself and have made several times. I only have the rough measurements written down, but it is one of my go-to's when trying to come up with a new idea.

Between the texture of the linen and silkiness of the Art Gallery fabrics, it crinkled so wonderfully.