Guiltless me-time. Every Thursday.

My husband got me a sewing machine for my birthday. Did I not mention that yet? Hm. Well, he did, that fabulous tuned-in man that he is. He got me exactly what I wanted without me even knowing that I wanted it. Believe me, I'm not just saying this. Or writing I guess. I love to sew. Alot. This obsession started when I was a teenager and getting close to that pivotal moment when I would pack up all my personals and truck it off to college, and I realized that my mom wasn't always going to be right there in the next room to handle all of my pants-hemming needs. My mom has wicked pants hemming skills, by the way. And pants hemming-skills are a necessity when you live at under 5 feet, because even when you DO happen to find pants in a size short, they are still too long. So I marched up to my mom one day and boldly told her that I was ready to take heed to all of her homemaker lessons. She was patient, and I hacked up many a pair of pants before I did a pair that was acceptable enough to wear afterwards.

This was the beginning of my love. For some reason I enjoyed screwing up all those pairs of jeans, and that sense of accomplishment when I finally got it right. Then I got married, and I wanted to make curtains for our apartments. So my mom drove up to Rexburg and let me use her old sewing machine, and taught me how to make curtains. Then I needed a bridesmaid dress and my mother-in-law showed me how to sew with a pattern. Then a few years later I used those skills again when, like a dummy, I volunteered VOLUNTEERED! to make mine and all my sisters bridesmaid dresses for my little sister's wedding. Um yeah. I've made quilts, curtains, Halloween costumes, hemmed alot of pants, etc. etc.

So back to my birthday present. It was a surprise, true. I hadn't even been thinking in that direction, at all. Apparently, Craig came up with the idea back in October when I was whining about how my old sewing machine was such a piece of junk, and the tension was always screwed up, which meant I never got a great stitch, I broke thread and needles constantly, and basically stopped wanting to sew altogether. My two least favorite things about sewing are threading the machine and replacing the needle. But had I thought to ask for a new one, no. See what a good listener my hubby is. It was time too, I wasn't exaggerating about my sewing machine being a piece of junk. It wasn't a bad sewing machine in its day, which was a long. time. ago. I received the little hand-me-down 5 years ago from my mother, right after I got married, she had sewn on it for about 12 years herself, and purchased it at a garage sale, before which it had been sewn on for who knows how many years. Yeah, it was time.

I got my birthday present, and went out a day or so later to buy a bunch of cute bright material to make the reversible aprons I've been wanting to make and putting off, because of aforementioned machine issues. So I got my fabulous Singer sewing machine, which has stitching capacities beyond my wildest dreams, and even better looks kind of bubbly--like it just might be Minnie Mouse's sewing machine. Does that make sense?-- Meghan would understand.

So I've got my machine, my material, and guess what happened next. Nothing. I haven't even plugged it into the wall pulled thread through the machine. I don't even know HOW to thread the thing. And. that. is. pathetic.

And it bothers me.

Because I want to play with my new toy.

And sew my aprons.

Because I like to be creative.

Even though I'm not artistic.

But I want to be.

And I started thinking about all my little projects that I have sitting in my craft box and my closet, that I just haven't gotten to yet. And why haven't I gotten them? I don't make the time, that's why. I let everything else get in my way, and that has become painfully apparent this week as I have this overwhelming itch to pull my new sewing machine out and everyday goes by and it doesn't happen again.

So this week, I made a decision. No more. I'm done with not having time for things that light me up, and make me feel human, and creative, and happy. Not that I'm going to spend endless hours crafting it up and ignoring my motherly duties, but I will give myself a few hours, once a week to just do whatever little project I want. No guilt. No apologies. Let's say Thursdays. Yeah, I like that. Because today is Thursday and I want to sew tonight, especially since Craig is out of town. And I'll post my little projects in their in-progress and finished states, so you'll know I'm living up to my word. And you can send me along your little craft ideas(please include pictures), because I'd love it. I'm totally an idea stealer. Send them along. I'm ready. I'll put you on my schedule. Every Thursday.

corilynn6@gmail.com