30 August 2011

Non-Soapy Adventures

While I adore making soap (obviously), there are times when I simply must break away from soapmaking in order to be better at it.  My favorite non-soap craft endeavor is sewing.  I really like machine sewing pillows and gift bags, though I'll also cross-stitch on occasion as well.  I had three sewing projects in queue going into this week, and I'm proud to say that I've knocked out two of them.

The first project was a pillow for my husband - a late birthday present.  I found this fabric remnant on sale, the price was right, so I got what I needed to make a pillow for him.  I have to tell you, being an N.C. State fan, this pillow was painful to make.  I finally found the time to finish it late last week and am really pleased at how it turned out.
Peter's ECU pillow
My second project was a baby doll sleeping bag for my older daughter's baby dolls.  I'd bought some of the material for project #3 (which I can't disclose at this time) and had some left over.  My daughter jumped on it and was very excited to have something just for her dolls.  It also gave me a great chance to review how to sew in zippers, something I hadn't done in many, many years.  It was a success and one or two of her dolls sleep very snug and warm each night.

One of my daughter's favorite dolls tucked in all cozy
Today I was back over the soap pot.  I made a test batch of soap for a great supplier and prepped the lye mixture for a batch of green tea soap.  I was excited about soapmaking again, telling me that taking a break to sew was exactly what I needed.

What do you like to do to refresh your creative juices so you can work better and with more enthusiasm?  Share it below in the comments.
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2 comments:

Donna Maria @ Indie Business said...

What a super post! "I must break away from what I love in order to be good at it." That is a powerful reminder, and one I need to take to heart myself in many ways. I love to break away by reading a good book, watching an engaging documentary about someone else's interesting life (I love history), and going for a run. Looking at the lovely pillow you made, I wish I had paid more attention to my mother when she tried to teach me how to sew ...

Sara's Soaps 'n Such said...

My soapmaking has been recharged and turbo-charged since I made these items. I read all the time, so it's more of a breather for me. My mom likes sewing, but I learned how to make pillows in home ec in junior high (7th grade, I think). I still have that first pillow I made, actually, upstairs in my bedroom.