Do you still do london purple?

That's the number one question I get these days. The short answer is yes, I do. I still love to sew and I do it whenever I can squeeze in time, but it's a matter of priorities. A few years ago when I was doing craft shows and purse parties every few weekends, all I did was sew. I hardly saw my husband, I never exercised, my house was a mess, and I never made time for anything else so sewing became a chore. I'm learning about balance so that it stays fun. So what have I been doing the past few months when not sewing? Things I love to do!

• I run when the weather is nice, and when it's not I exercise indoors a couple times a week.
• I am participating in the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge at Home Storage Solutions 101. Believe it or not, this is fun. I love to be organized and it's much less daunting one week at a time. Never having Tupperware crash down on your head again = priceless.
• I knit and crochet so that I can spend time with the hubby, catch up on some TV and craft simultaneously! Go multi-tasking!
• The hubby and I are planning our first trip to LONDON! Soon we'll be spending 8 days in London with side trips to Scotland, Wales and Paris! Can't wait to bring back real London pics!

I do still sew, although I never seem to have time to take pictures before I send the items off to their new homes. I did manage to actually make something for myself which means I have a picture! Here's a cute little flying geese pillow cover, in pink of course (which is actually my favorite color).

One other reason I haven't been sewing as much is that it's given me a lot of back problems. Yeah yeah, I'm only 26 so I shouldn't be complaining. But like I said, all I did for months and months was sit at that sewing machine. It was bound to have an effect. It's gotten better with physical therapy and simple changes like this, adding a pillow to my desk chair for some lumbar support. I still have to watch the amount of time I sit at the machine though. Gone are the days when I can get home from work and finish a whole bag in one evening. My maximum time limit is about two hours on a really good day, or about an hour after a full day at work. Really cuts down on productivity, but a benefit is that I get to spend time on all my hobbies, not just one.

I have a few more projects that are in progress, including a quilt for a friend, a bag for a customer and a travel set for myself for my London trip! Photos are to come, I promise this time. I also need to take photos of my newly renovated sewing room! The colors are below. The swatch on the left is the wall color, which looks a little more grey here. In real life it has a nice bluish tone. The baseboards and as many accents as I could paint are the color of the almost white swatch on the right. Nice light colors to keep the room bright and finally give me a place to take photos for my shop!

Still a couple items left to go on the room renovation. This was a DIY project for the hubby and I, so of course the last minute items that we don't quite have the experience or tools for are dragged out. When ripping out the carpet, I accidentally cut a little too much back at the doorway. Also I bought a chandelier that requires some actual wiring and attic exploring. Both these items will be contracted out. But I did mount some shelves and curtain rods myself, and I can't wait to get some hooks up to take photos of purses and quilts! More pictures soon, I promise!