Crazy Times at SewSewStudio High

Wow, soooooooo much has gone on since my last post!  Christmas and New Years alone was a doozy but add to that the sickness/illness/injury of 3 special family members/friend and you have the makings of a whole lot of distractions from sewing.  Isn't it funny how sometimes in the midst of terrible you can have the most wonderful times of peace and contentment?  I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the kids at home and my husband was even able to join us for the week between Christmas & New Years.  I think this was his first time off in two years!


My most exciting personal news is that I believe I have found my soul mate ... that is if a sport was a person ... and you could have a sport soul mate.  I am going full tilt ahead, trying feverishly to become a member of the newly forming:

"What is a Hooligan?" you ask, and "Why would you want to associate with such riff raff?"  Well, you see, they are the first Roller Derby team forming under the newly created Ridge Meadows Roller Derby League.  No, I've not succumb to a 'thrisis', I am still perfectly sane, I assure you!

All throughout my youth and well into my adulthood I was a competitive athlete in many different sports.  Sports were my life and if you asked me to define myself, the very first word out of my mouth would have been athlete.  When I became a mom, I put this part of my life on hold.  I felt it was extremely important to focus my time and energy on the little people who God had entrusted to my care.  I didn't want to be a mom who made their kid sit in a stroller, watching all the cool and interesting rocks and plants zip by while I got my exercise.  I tried, believe me, but I just couldn't do it.  I guess I believe that you raise an active kid, not by them watching you be active, but by allowing them to be active.  But, always, in the back of my mind, was a promise to myself that at soon as the kids had independent ways to learn and grow and I had the ability to leave them all behind, I would re-connect with that part of myself.  

Slowly, over the course of a few years, I have been working my way back to the fit body I used to own, and specifically since last spring, I have been running.  However, in the winter, the air has become too cold, heavy and moist for me to be able to run comfortably and still breath, so I started thinking about indoor activities.  Now I admit, I have a lot of unused competitive aggression.  I like to go hard, challenge myself or die trying.  It invigorates me, it's almost like a drug to me.  I have to say Roller Derby pushes all my good buttons.  I have been to 5 practices and I am surprising myself with my skating ability despite only skating here and there over the course of my life.  

So there you have it; I'm a Derby Girl and I have to say I am so very very happy.  The only negative is that with all this skating I am toning up even more and now really and truely the only piece of me made clothing that fits is my housedress because I had the forethought to make it adjustable and even that needs a padded bra to fill it out the way I should!  My highwaisted, wide leg wool trousers unfortunately are now impossible to keep up without suspenders LOL.  

Yesterday I made progress on my Simplicity 6844 front wrap dress from the 70's:

I am using an old Ikea duvet cover and you know what?  now I remember why I felt uncomfortable in the dresses that my mom sewed for me in my youth...the armscys are WAY TOO SMALL.  I mean I scooped that baby out and still it is a close fit!  I am a sweater, LOL, no, not a fuzzy warm knitted top, but a person who perspires for no reason other than I exist.  Will I finish it...yes... but there is a reason I am drawn to dolman sleeves, they just are more comfortable on my broad upper back and give me at least a fighting chance at avoiding sweat patches on my pits from the moment I get dresses. I'll try to post photos soon, promise,


In the mean time, if you don't mind, send a quick prayer UP that I stay uninjured in my quest for the team.