MAYBE YOU CAN GO BACK

I have been busy this week. My good friend Suzanne got the cutest purse as a gift and I admired it a few times, well a few weeks ago she made a copy of the purse and it was BEAUTIFUL and I decided I wanted to give it a try. I asked her if I could borrow the bag she made so I could measure and make me own pattern and try to make one for myself. She was gracious enough to lend me the handbag. I was so excited, but at the same time a little nervous. I am not a novice at sewing, but had never made a purse.

So after bowling Monday morning I went to JoAnne's fabrics and looked at their upholstery fabrics. I was in heaven!!! It was so much fun to walk down the aisles and touch the fabrics, hold one against another to see if the two would work together. It has been so long since I have been "really" sewing I forgot how much I enjoyed it. How much I enjoyed the hand of the fabrics, walking through the notions isles and looking at the different trims and buttons and recognizing the potential each one has of becoming something beautiful.
After choosing a couple of beautiful and luxurious fabrics I headed home and converted my kitchen area into a sewing room. I do have a craft area, but I wanted to be close to the kids as they worked on they worked on their homework and ate dinner. I made a pattern using an old brown grocery bag, which worked perfect and the cutting began...the exterior body, lining, pocket, handles. There is something so awesome in cutting a piece of fabric knowing that when everything is done this flat piece of fabric will become something and have a personality.
By 2:00 am, long after the kids had gone to bed, I had finished my 1st purse. It was beautiful, better than I thought it would be. I made some pretty satin flowers to decorate the front of the purse. I couldn't go to bed until I took pictures and posted what I accomplished on Facebook, but it was more than just a purse that had emerged. There was a piece of me that had been reignited.

Many years ago I was a student at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) with the idea of becoming the next Donna Karan. My life changed a year after starting school and I knew what I wanted more than to become a world renowned fashion designer was to be Steve's wife and a mom to our children. A mom that was focused on them and their accomplishments, so the creating side of me went dormant. I came up with ways to use those talents as a mom...I have spent hundreds of hours scrapbooking and creating a beautiful place to store the memories of my wonderful children and our trip and events. When the kiddos were little I made Halloween costumes and dresses for my little girls and decorations for the different holidays to make our home a fun place to be in. Don't get me wrong, I have LOVED my life, I don't regret any decision I have made. I am extremely blessed in every way. But now that my kids are getting older and don't need mom around as often, it is neat to know that there is that creative side of me that, once I shake the cobwebs off of, can still take a simple piece of fabric and transform it into "SOMETHING".
Welcome back CREATIVE NIK.
I hope you will stay a while.
~~MOMMY NIK