Stitched Pleasures

I started sewing almost 41 years ago when I was in 4-H. Throughout the years it was a hobby that I would pick up and drop away from, not really getting passionate about it, but keeping my skills from getting too rusty. I mainly made clothes, first for myself and then for my children when they were little, including some pretty awesome halloween costumes!

Time passed and the symptoms of bi-polar disorder began to set in, leaving me unable to work. Idle time was not a good thing for my brain, so I flitted from one craft to another, seeking a creative outlet that would hold my interest. Something that was broad enough to keep things interesting, that I could also pour all my focus into while I worked.

Over the years, not only did I have the mental health issues, but several physical issues came up as well, limiting my ability to do a lot of the normal day to day activities that would help keep me busy. Some of the worst were developing chronic migraines and joint pain.

Stitched Pleasures was born three and a half years ago, when I started making reusable items like bowl cozies and unpaper towels. It was fun, sewing and coming up with new ideas. A nice hobby that now and then brought in a few extra dollars. Like so many times before, it was something that I would do for a little while and then let go for a time.

In 2020, COVID hit, leaving everyone stuck at home. I began sewing fabric masks to donate to area health care workers as well as friends and family. Just like with toilet paper and sanitizer, fabric became scarce. People would rush out and buy every scrap up to turn around and sell it at a profit online.

Like quite a few others, I joined several fabric Facebook groups and began collecting more and more. Each time I would find something I liked, another sewing project would take shape in my mind and I expanded from masks to dice bags, and eventually came full circle to making clothes again.

One fateful day, I joined a Facebook group for people to be connected with others that could pick them certain fabrics that are available in other locations. This is where I met Marina, who would quickly become a fast friend, fabric enabler and a maker of some really awesome plushies. She encouraged me to jump down the rabbit hole into the world of plushie making and I fell in love! To watch a piece of beautiful, yet ordinary fabric turn into become fleshed out into a cuddly little creature is so satisfying, gratifying and just plain fun!

I look foward to seeing where this adventure takes me. Thank you for coming along for the ride!