A new leaf!

So I've become obsessed with reading all these sewing blogs lately. It's ridiculous - I've starting reading like twenty a week or something! I tell myself it's because I find it inspiring, but the fact is that I'm just super nosey and I love watching other people's creative processes.

The thing is, though, that right when I hit the depths of creation for Christmas this year, I realized that I have stopped documenting my own creative process, and that somehow in my mind I started valuing my own work less. I had few moments of panic in the week before the holiday when I was convinced that my gifts were somehow unworthy, that my effort in their creation devalued them. I ended up buying more presents in an attempt to offset the paltry nature of what I had made. Can you spot the problem with this, dear reader? Can you see where my reasoning went horribly awry? I spent dozens of hours stitching love into every inch of all these different project - a fez for the Cap'n, a sewing kit and new doll clothes for HRH, a bespoke amp cover for Z - and my heart was convinced that that meant less than a $25 videogame. I didn't even bother to take pictures of these things.

New Year's rolled around, and as you probably know, making resolutions is not really in my nature. This year, though, it feels like I need to give myself a chance to treat myself and my work with the respect it is due. In that spirit, I am going to start - and try to finish, though we all know the outcome of that already - a project every week for the whole year, for a total of 52 by December 31, 2012. AND - this is important - I am going to get a picture and write a little blog post so that I can't hide whatever feeble light I have under the proverbial bushel.

I have finished the first one, and I am impatient to post it, even though the person it's intended for hasn't seen it yet. Consider this a warning, La Fabulous: if you look now, you'll ruin one of your Christmas pressies. Also, this is why your package was so damn late going in the mail.

this did not photograph as well as i'd hoped

Project numero uno accomplished, friends. I used some gorgeous yarn I'd been hoarding for a long, long time. It's a Japanese silk and wool blend, originally quite expensive, but I picked it up at the White E for well, White E prices. I only had a single skein of this deep olive color, and so my choices were limited. Scarflette it is, then. I also managed to teach myself a new crochet stitch. So there's that.

I have started my second project already - another crochet scarf because it's freaking cold over here right now, and I can crochet while nestled under all the blankets on the couch while watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy again.

I have lots of things I want to make and do and sew and embroider and so on and so forth. I have a friend who is into lomography, and who wants me to pick up the Holga I've been neglecting for three years. I want to sew a Western shirt to match my sugar skull skirt. I have ideas, and I think I've made good inroads into the motivation. You guys can help by cheering me on.