StitchLeft: stories from a lifetime crafter

It’s official.  I have accepted a job offer with Eta Engineering Consultants, PSC and will be leaving my current job at Houghton International in Detroit.  This Friday will be my last day and although I am very excited for this opportunity, which will be better suited for me personally, my body has shown many signs of sadness.  And I know sadness… when I was going through grief counseling after Brandon’s death, I was given this book about loss and coping.  I don’t really remember all that much about the book except that there are many things in our lives that are considered losses and can cause us to grieve, albeit to different degrees.  Change can be viewed as good or bad, but either way, there is some grieving associated with major changes, even when those changes will be better for you in the long run.  Like my current job situation, for instance.  I am ecstatic, but still feeling the process of grieving, even more than I thought I would.  (The thing about depression is that you don’t decide you’re sad or decide you’re okay again… it can happen whether you think it should or not.)  I have found myself with the similar feeling of lack of motivation, not wanting to get up in the morning, and not even caring about activities I have been energized about before (like my Bible Study).  Since I know that I do care, I know that this is just a period in time that I need to get through and past me.  In any case, I am very excited about this new position and I hope that having all of next week off will get me back to my re-energized and motivated self.  Besides, I have so much to do!  I plan on completing my two quilts, the Chi Omega t-shirt quilt and my “first” quilt from the class I’m currently taking (tonight is class 3 of 4).  After that, I want to create some more YouTube videos and post some help for others on some of my patterns.  If I can do those things and perhaps complete a couple of unfinished projects, I think I’ll be feeling kind of good!  Also, if I can get my office papers in order and the wedding thank you notes complete, I’ll pretty much be on top of the world!  It’s so funny to me that the best vacation is one where I can just pick up the pieces and start fresh!  Maybe some day I’ll get to go on a true vacation (or honeymoon) but this will be terrific for the time being.  This book I’m reading too, Letters from a Skeptic, for our Bible Study… it’s fascinating.  I am remembering how much I love and miss reading.  I hope that’s something I can pass on to my kids (if we have them). 

So that’s it!  More ramblings… but hopefully I’ll be back on track to do some really neat things!  To new beginnings! :D

I’m taking about a week off from crafting to clear my head and regroup.  I have had a lot of great ideas, but none have really come into fruition so I’m stepping back, trying to get the rest of my life reorganized and then I’ll be back on the horse after while. 

Also, I am working on my spiritual journey.  I have decided it needs more attention.  I need to figure out what I’m going to do about attending a church, daily prayer, and walking better in step with God and his teachings.  To be honest, I am seriously considering Catholicism, but before I jump in, I am studying and reading more on it so I better understand.  So far, it turns out that I had very little correct information in regard to the controversial issues (and where Roman Catholics actually stand), but I’m learning, and that’s the point.  Either way, I am actively working on getting it together, which is encouraging.

Other than that, I just need to catch up on the condo.  Sadly, I just took down the Christmas tree last weekend, if that gives you any indication of how far behind I am on things around the house.  I especially need to get our documents filed and organized so we don’t keep throwing mail all over the table.  So, anyways… I may be out for awhile, but then I’ll return.

Take care and happy stitching.

got an iPad today! This should help me stay connected and organized and not using my work computer! Very exciting! Also, look for new items for iPad carriers, holders and purses!! that’s it for now! Happy Saturday!

I have sold my first order, a knit hat, on Etsy!  Granted, it was to one of my dear friends, but still… :D  I have my first sale under my belt and another prospective sale coming up (maybe even a custom order for a wedding favor!).  Life is good.

Also, I am slowly building my YouTube subscriber base which has been nice.  I plan to post a few more videos this weekend to get back on doing that, which will make me feel less guilty to all of those people who cared enough to subscribe to my channel! 

Well, that’s it for now… I have quite a busy week though!  Today after work I have my Bible Study, tomorrow I am meeting with the volunteer coordinator at the hospice, then Friday it’s Happy Hour with friends!  Busy but fun! :D

So, today is Friday, which is exciting!  I am actually going to a job interview today, which would put me closer to home and get me out of this current position, which has been frustrating for the past six months (but hey, I’ve lasted longer than the last two engineers combined!).  Last night, I actually had another informal interview which wouldn’t put me any closer to home, but would be more enjoyable, I’m sure.  I think I would like either position, so we’ll see if I get an offer.

Aside from that, I’m currently working on a few new designs, and toying with the idea of showing a wall piece at the Ann Arbor Power Center for the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild.  I think it may be cutting it too close with timing, but I’d also like to jump in.  I have a couple of cool thread ideas that I think could have the potential to show well (which would help in my publicity scheme).  So, with that being said, I’m also working on a couple of new hats, one for a friend of mine, which I am very excited about.  I finally finished the sizing and design of the main portion of the hat and now am executing it with knit cables and other fanciness. I’m optimistic that it will be a stunning addition to my Etsy shop.  Along with that, I plan on finishing my loose sweater top that I’ve been working on and off for the past week or so.  It’s like a lacey top that you’d wear with jeans and a tank top.  I think it’ll be really stylish, something I can wear to the next A2 Fiberarts meeting. :)

Well, that’s it for now… just wanted to post an update.  I went to a t-shirt quilting class last week and I finishing the front of the quilt and will soon finish it… I hope to post a bunch of pictures soon!  And videos… need to get back on my YouTube videos!  Look out, I’m busy! :D

There’s this fortune cookie that I got sometime after the tragedy in my life and for whatever reason, I thought of it again today… it’s amazing how something so small can make even a little bit of difference!  Below is what it said, and I still keep thinking of it when I feel stopped, slowed down, or unmotivated.

It’s time to get going, your spirits will lift accordingly.

So true, so great, at least for me. :)

So, I am on a website called My Fitness Pal, where I track my food intake and exercise daily and in doing so, I’ve lost over 25 lbs and am about 30% to my goal weight. 

Well, this past week, after being on the site for a year or so, I finally started reaching out to people and the first person I added as a friend was this guy from Utah who had a very interesting, poignant blog that kept me reading more (which I think is amazing given all of the blogs and things to read/do on the internet nowadays).  Anyways, he asked me if I would share more about myself, as little or as much as I wanted.  And it’s interesting, telling a complete stranger your story, I realized.  But now, I have a fairly short description of the story of my life and how I came to where I was in my journey for a healthier life.  So, because it was so condensed, I figured I needed to reblog it, so maybe anyone else who wanted to, could get to know me better.

About me… well, there’s a lot to know I suppose. I’m heavy into crafting and this year finally took the big leap into selling my crafts online (Etsy, Lilyshop). I haven’t quit my day job or anything; I’m a chemical engineer by profession, and I somewhat enjoy my job although this particular company has some major administrative problems that make my life harder. :) But who doesn’t have issues with work? So enough about that. I spent most of my childhood in Indiana, and traveled a lot to Alabama and North Carolina where my dad (parents are divorced) and grandparents live, respectively. I fell in love in college and was going to get married on Valentine’s Day 2009 but God had a different plan in mind (I am a practicing Christian, although I fall often it seems… and I’m not one to push my views on anyone else… I find other’s philosophies fascinating). In April 2008, my Brandon was killed in auto accident on his way to work (he was a mechanical engineer). My life was turned upside down, as you can imagine. I lost a good portion of my scholarships my senior year since I failed the quarter after that (I wanted to take the quarter off, but my family refused, since they thought I wouldn’t return). By some miracle, I got this special grant and managed to graduate. After that, I went to work for Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan and a couple of years later, I met the man who I just married last October. He is a wonderful person, very passionate (for better or worse….:P) and smart to boot (he is a software engineer… I guess I love my engineers… :) ).

So, despite my plans with my life, I’ve realized quite a few things and learned a lot of blessings in disguise, I suppose. I feel a lot older than I am (which is why my husband and I get along so well… he’ll be 38 in June) even though I’m only 26… yet I know I’ve already had the worst day of my life. Somehow that’s kind of reassuring. Some days, I’m overly emotional, irrational, sad, depressed… all normal I think… I’m not as hard on myself about that stuff anymore. But most days, especially lately, I’ve found new purpose… making things… starting fresh in a new place. I don’t have many friends in the area, but I’m happy to get back to the things I enjoyed before… like volunteering. I have signed up to bake goods for the Ronald McDonald House, I am making a couple of hats and blankets for cancer patients and I’m training to work at a local hospice. And crafting… I love my crafting… I feel it’s a little like engineering because I take ideas from one area and apply them somewhere else. And it’s fun. Lots of fun. Since my husband is finishing his masters degree this year, I have so much individual free time.

As far as the other aspect, the reason I’m on here [MFP] and everything else… I was highly active in college and felt pretty good about myself (the best that I ever did before now). I was a cheerleader, lacrosse goalie, track & field discus thrower, and I did other “college-esque” things like intramurals frisbee football and volleyball. After the accident, I initially lost 12 pounds that week and another 20 pounds in the following month. For whatever reason, the gears shifted and I went the opposite direction… picked up smoking for awhile since there was a guy I dated who smoked… didn’t care about anything or myself. I thought everything would change when I graduated and moved to Midland… fresh start, you know? It did and it didn’t… not entirely, that is. Some good changes and progress happened, but I still didn’t fully give my health its due. When I met my husband, I wanted to make a bigger difference (even though he fell in love with me just as I was… I think a true statement of love)… finally I took action after months of “thinking” and “hoping” for it. I had previously used mypyramidtracker.gov but I found that their food database was so terribly outdated. That’s when I switched after finding this website and have been on it since. I’ve found that really recording what I eat and do and comparing it to my goals has been truly helpful. It sounds so silly, because, of course, I should’ve known that, but it wasn’t until I did it that I realized how BIG a difference it made. So, just the act of doing that kept me motivated and held accountable, because I had to type it in! I started seeing steady improvements, most importantly in how my clothes fit and how I felt. Finally I could sleep at night and feel like getting up in the morning! Finally I FELT like I was being healthier. Another testament to that was I started craving veggies… I had an hour and a half commute when I moved to Ann Arbor but still worked in Midland and I would play this game with myself when I was hungry about what I would eat if I could have anything at all… I reached a point where it was snap peas… all I wanted of everything (sushi, fried rice, steak, etc.) was simple wonderful fresh snap peas. I knew I had reached some sort of milestone. Another absolutely great thing to hear was my mother-in-law look at me and tell me how skinny I looked. :) She is a wonderful person but is especially concerned with my husband’s health since he has diabetes and gout. In translation, she was equally concerned that he married me, who wasn’t the skinniest person in the world (that my lifestyle habits would be detrimental to him… which I guess is understandable… couples do tend to imitate each other). In any case, she complimented me on that, and she’s not one to hand those out freely! The holidays were rough on my schedule and I want to say that I wasn’t able to make it to the gym, but in honesty, I didn’t make it a priority and I have to just accept that instead of make any other excuse. But the happy news? I didn’t falter on the changes I’ve made to my life and so I didn’t gain any weight! In fact, I lost a couple of pounds! After the holidays, I noticed that I wasn’t sleeping as well, and I figured it was because I wasn’t expending enough energy in the day, so I was still restless at night. It was weird to miss the gym, but I did. And I’ve been happy to be back. Like I mentioned in my comment on your blog, I hate hate hate running, but I told my husband I’d run a 5K with him… and I did. I definitely wasn’t as “prepared” for it as I guess I could’ve been but I had been exercising regularly and just kept telling myself that if all these other people could do it, then so could I. And I did it. Never thought I could. Then yesterday, I was thinking about what to do at the gym and I started running… why? I don’t know… but I did and I finished a mile and walked another mile (not a long workout… had a sewing class that night too!! :D) which was satisfying. I am finding that I enjoy working out more and more… that my body craves it, that I feel so good afterwards, so happy, so accomplished. I’ve learned that I think my body tells me everything I need to know if only I choose to listen. I know now the difference between being satisfied and overeating, and I’ve been very good about not crossing that line, which is exciting! Anyways, I guess there’s a lot more to say, but that’s pretty much my story, the brief version, at least.

yesterday, I started attending the Beginning Sewing Club at the Ann Arbor Sewing Center (www.annarborsewing.com) and this month we learned to make button holes and sewing buttons on.  This was great for me because it was the first time I’d ever used my machine to sew on buttons.  It all actually turned out great!  I was so proud.  Next month are simple slip-on pillow cases and I found one that will be perfect for my niece. :)

So, now I have an idea for buttons… because I can easily sew them on!  I am going to make a cowl with buttons… tons of buttons.  So… I’ll post that picture when I make it!

So, I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish, but I didn’t quite get to all of them.  However, I got to other things so it seemed to even out.  On Friday, I wasn’t feeling too great and running a low fever so I didn’t get too much accomplished.  There is this ombre style yarn I bought thinking it would be really pretty but because of the way it was dyed, I found it very hard to find a design that made it look good and not splotchy.  So I decided once and for all that I would get rid of this yarn, stick to the project and finish it… so I came up with this motif cowl that I could adjust the motifs in order to eliminate a high concentration of one color in a particular area (when I post the picture you’ll understand what I’m talking about.  In any case, I did it, making the cowl and doing it in such a way that there is no back seam.  It turned out as good as I could’ve hoped for given that I wasn’t in love with the yarn at all.  It’s now my “Sierra Cowl” on my Etsy shop.  Eventually I’ll make a solid color one that I think I’ll like better personally, but I’m pleased with how it turned out and the yarn is super soft and lightweight which is really great.

After finishing the cowl, I moved on to cleaning up my craft nook, taking pictures of all of my remaining projects.  I made an additional fluffy skinny scarf too.  There’s another yarn that I’ve been working to get rid of because I’ve found that it’s harder to work with than I initially let myself believe (I was fooled by how pretty and texturally interesting it was).  So, of course, I buy like 6 skeins of this stuff and I’ve now had it for about 8 months as a result.  So, I think that I’ve finally found a way to use it up in a couple of cowls/scarves, which is great too. 

Then, instead of buying a sketchbook, I decided that maybe it would be better to almost “scrapbook” my ideas… that way, I can write whenever wherever and in whatever I have and then put it all together in a binder.  For now, it’s not something I’d show anyone, but it’s organized by using sheet protectors in a binder.  It works for now, but I’m hoping to make my “sketchbook” something a little more artistic… something I wouldn’t mind pulling out and showing people.  In time though… in time.

Then I made that quilted pillow that I just posted (see post below), which is exciting.  My first quilted project.  After that, I was about ready for bed, so I cleaned up and jumped into bed with my laptop to watch one last episode of “Lost” (turns out my sister was entirely right, that I would really enjoy that show).  As I was waiting on the electric blanket to heat up, my toes were so cold so I started making an adult version of my “No Button Baby Booties” in a Caron Simply Soft red yarn.  Instead of knit or crochet, I used the Tunisian simple stitch to make it, and the first one turned out great… except that I want to add something to the heel to make sure it stays on my foot.  Either that or pulling out some rows and making it tighter.

So, anyways, I got some good things accomplished, and tonight I think I’ll be able to get some more YouTube videos posted.  I’ve been slacking on that, especially for knit stitches.  Anyways, just wanted to follow through on letting you know what I did (and didn’t) accomplish this weekend! :)

Finally I have a weekend to myself, with no plans and no traveling!  I think it’s the first since before Thanksgiving, so I’m really happy and looking forward to spending the whole weekend at home working on crafts!

I am going to get a new sketchbook since my older one is well, old, and small.  I need a new and bigger one.  Then I can scan in my book and post it (maybe) if I want to.  I noticed that I’ve been writing my ideas on a lot of scrap paper so it would be nice to consolidate and have everything in one place! 

A couple of things I’d like to accomplish: make a couple more cowls, finish my mitten knit-in-the-round design, finish my baby bibs and post to Etsy, make a couple more YouTube tutorials and start my new sweater idea.  I think that’s reasonable, but we’ll see how it goes.

On a side note, I got up early today to get on the road before everyone else because dealing with ice and snow is one thing, but dealing with ice and snow and idiots who’ve forgotten how to drive in ice and snow is far worse.  So, it’s 7:00am and I’ve been at work for about an hour now.  Looks like I’ll be able to leave early and hopefully avoid some traffic too!

Well, back to the engineering work… then time for fun! :)