Sew Supportive

I have a lot going on in the next few weeks, so you know what that means? A lot of rest in-between unfortunately. I can feel it bubbling right under the surface. The Flare. So what do I do? I rest. I eat healthy foods. I listen to my body when it says it can't go on. I take warm baths to ease my aching joints. BUT I WANT TO QUILT! It's frustrating. It seems like everything I do takes twice as long to accomplish now and that digs in to my sewing time. I have fabric waiting to be made into something new. A box from Island Batik I have a quilt to make with my daughter for the summer issue of Generation Q - and we are behind! So, I promise myself it will come this weekend! I will be sewing. I am determined to prep a few projects for easy sewing. I may document what I do. I am looking for ways to make working on multiple projects at once easier on my brain fogged mind.  In the meantime, I wanted to share what I have been doing this week. I have a few exci

It is interesting how being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder changes everything.  You never know how much energy you will have on any given day. You suddenly have to look at your time over the course of, say, a month and decide how much you can handle. You have to listen to your body and NOT push yourself like you normally would or you might end up not getting out of bed the next day.  Worst of all, you have to relearn how to do the things you love most.  That's why I started this blog. I have already given up so much. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP SEWING. So, as I venture forth into uncharted waters, what do you need? What do you want me to find for you?  What do you need help with most?  I have lots of ideas and I have lots of contacts with people who make great products. I just need to know how to prioritize and what I need to find when I go to Quilt Market in May.  So please leave me a comment either here or on my Facebook page and let me know

Quilting has become much more than a hobby for me. I write for Generation Q Magazine and I design projects for kids to sew in the feature We Sew 2. I also teach kids sewing classes . On any given day, I am going between writing, editing and sewing. In other words I keep several balls in the air as I juggle numerous projects each day. Add in an autoimmune disease like Sjogren's Syndrome and it is amazing I get as much done as I do. The struggle is real. Brain fog is real people.  It's a lot. I drop balls all the time. Some days I can't write because I am in pain. Other days I can't cut fabric unless I use my Sizzix for fear of ruining fabric. Most days I have just enough brain fog going that I have to retrace my steps on a project to remember where I left off. It's hard. This doesn't even go into my personal projects that sit neglected. Here is fabric that sits waiting for me to turn into a quilt using Victoria Findlay Wolfe's Tulip and Melon dies .

--> You may know heirloom quality Famore scissors from quilting and sewing trade shows. But did you know that company president Brint Fanizza has focused on helping sewists affected by arthritis? When I was working on my article about sewing with health challenges,  BadAss Quilter extraordinaire and Spool quilt shop owner Maddie Kertay chose the Famore 8 Inch serrated scissors as one of her favorites for accurate cutting when your hands don't wanna.    So I called up Brint to get photos of the highly acclaimed scissors. Well, we ended up talking for about a half hour because he was so interested in the topic. He said that he had arthritis and autoimmune sufferers coming up to him at sewing and quilting conventions telling him that they needed a better solution in scissors. We can understand why, right? Our fingers swell, get stiff, ache. It's hard to maintain control when your fingers hurt and the handles often don't accommodate swollen digits. And don