Sew Relaxing

My sewing hobby started a few years ago when I visited my granddaughters. They had a container full of Barbie dolls and all of them were NAKED! Some of the clothes were at the bottom of the container. When I asked them where were the clothes, they replied with a shrug of their shoulders and continued to watch Spongebob. Most of the dolls had their fingers and toes missing from being chewed off, others had their hair matted and tangled, but they still played with them. At that moment, I decided to go to Walmart to buy the dolls' new clothes. When I got there and noticed the prices for those items, I went swiftly to the fabric section and bought 6 18"x21" fabric squares. I was going to make them.

Because I was a long-distance truck driver, I had to find a way to be able to bring everything I needed with me. So, I packed thread, needles, scissors, and the fabric in a bag and took it out on the road with me. After driving my allotted time of 11 hours, I had to take a full 10-hour break. Normally, it takes me about 2 hours to wind down so I can sleep, so I take that 2 hours and started sewing the Barbie clothes, on my hand. They turned out really good. When I gave them to the girls, they were very happy! My granddaughters were 9 years old at the time. Later that year, Santa left them American Girl dolls under the tree. Now, I have larger dolls to sew for. And sew I did! I ended up making 20+ outfits for those dolls! The next year, the girls got 2 more American Girl dolls, which they had more than enough clothes for all of them.

After trying my hand sewing doll clothes, I tried sewing for people! So, I bought a Brother sewing machine. It was my beginner machine and I used it to make shorts, skirts, and tops for my girls. Soon after I purchased a Singer computerized machine and it sews like a dream. I use this machine all the time. I recently made an outfit for my niece for her bridal shower. She loved it and so did everyone else. Everyone thought she had purchased it from Macy's or Kohls or even ordered online. They were surprised to hear that I made it. I got several inquiries about making clothes for other people. Unfortunately for me, I really don't have a lot of time to sew anymore. My work schedule has changed and I am now working 12 hours a day and 6 hours on Saturdays.

I researched my ancestry and found out that I am 89% West African, Nigerian, to be exact. So, I looked up websites that sold African print fabric. I found 5, including Etsy and Amazon. But, you have to be careful about some sites because the fabric is not genuine. You have to research the site and make sure the fabric was not made outside of Africa. Some were made in China. I only buy Genuine African Print Fabric! I have made several skirts, tops, capris, shorts, and pants. I would like to make something formal now. Especially, something I see on Pinterest.

Sewing is so relaxing. I get up at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and go to my Sewing Room, turn on my music and get to work. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing your finished garment. I feel so accomplished when I see someone wearing what I have made! Especially, when you get great reviews from people around you or them. Makes me glad that I've decided to keep it up, even though I don't have a lot of time to get things done. Every few minutes help!