Say "Aperture"!!!!!

Being a crafter and micro-preneur requires wearing several hats most of which I am comfortable with except:

Photographer!

Oh, yes photographer- I struggle with this hat. Right after keeping the books (i.e. accounting) it my least favourite job. 

I've read many articles, bought a couple of books, asked fellow crafters and even professional photographers for advice. I've got a board on Pinterest dedicated and  even did a two-part course on photography. 

They've all helped but still the thought of 'aperture', and 'natural lighting' makes my tummy go funny. Why can't it all be as fun and easy as

Instagram on my iPhone?  

I hope one day to finally 'get it' and learn to love this part of my work... In the mean while I will continue reading, asking, pinning and moving my studio around sewing room till I get it right!

Say cheese!!!!

Follow me on Instragram: oh_sweet_of_mine 

Here is my Pinterest board:  http://www.pinterest.com/sweetbagofmine/photography/

Fabric Swatch Wall

If you're gonna have an addiction, it might as well be a Fabric one!

 The colours, the patterns, the weights, the shops form which to buy are endless and I could spend all day (spending all my money) on fabric.

But how do I store it all and keep track? Well, when I started, I didn't. I started off  buying metres upon metres of a fabric if I liked it. Now I am still stuck with some of my first fabric purchases and they are for sale here on my Etsy haberdashery supply shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/OhSweetBitsAndBobs

I started getting a bit more organised back in 2012 when I first discovered Pinterest. I saw this pin and went ahead and ordered these boards. I Love them and cereal boxes work just as well.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/257479303669752636/

I tried my best to organise them into sections according to patterns and colours.

My current problem is that since I haven't been keeping a note of where I bought the fabrics, the designer and/ or the name of the fabric, so now I am chasing those up.

I am currently pulling out my receipts, checking emails from suppliers and even emailing the online shops I frequent to gather all the info I need. 

It's going to be at least a few months till I've gathered all the info for all the fabric I have but I am well on my way to being a super organised fabric addict. 

While at a local fabric shop I came across their organising system and asked if I can snap at shoot.

I went home, got my tag punch, my hole punch and my scrape basket out!!! 

I am blessed to have my own sewing space where I can do what I want so the hammer and nails came out!

 I attacked my fabric scrape basket (I don't throw away any fabric- this stuff is just too expensive) and using crafting glue and my button jar and got crafting!!

                               
                                 Here is my Swatch Wall - work in progress

I found the wooden letters at a local garden centre but you can either make your own (there's loads of cool tutorials on Pinterest) 

If you are a bit lazy like me, you can get your letters here at Amazon. They are called Splosh.

Check out my fabric Organisation board on Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/sweetbagofmine/fabric-organising/

Dear Cookies

Dear Terry's Orange chocolate chip cookies,

What have you done for me lately? Well, let me count the ways:

-The way you make me feel even by just thinking about you and considering making, usually the unnecessary trip to the co-op to buy you;

-The way you smell- full of sugar- just the smell of you sends my insulin levels into over drive- much more so when I devour you- all four of you, as I can never just eat one!

-The way you steal away all my energy  so that almost immediately after eating you I need a lay down because you make me so tired;

- the guilt of know that you are the most shit food that I eat, so shit that I eat you in secret and then bury your wrapper at the bottom of the bin so that no one will know- trying to not only trick others into thinking that I haven't had you, but to trick myself into forgetting that I have;

-Well, forgetting until you show up on my thighs, preventing me from fitting into my cloths, preventing me from having energy to play with my boys, preventing me from feeling sexy for my husband, preventing me from being the best me I can be. 

You see - Terry's Orange Chocolate Cookies, you are costing me so much more that the £1.31 I dish out for you- you are costing me my healthy, my happiest and my life and so I am letting you go! 

I am saying good-bye. 

Next time I pass you on the shelves of the co-op, I will no longer physically shake from the anxiety of knowing that you exist and you once had such a tight grip on my life. I will look you in the eye and smile- knowing I have chosen to spend my £1.31 on a healthy, happy option!!

Stung By The Bee

This is the year for working that Bucket List of mine!

The items on my list seems to be mostly ones of Nostalgia, and this one is no different - fond memories of having sewn a few pieces of clothing for myself as a young girl.

I recall an olive green wrap skirt and a blue, African print dress. As poorly made and ill fitting as they were, I wore them proudly.

The desire to do it again has been lingering for a couple of years now and I even went as far as to buy this lovely book.





























Now, thanks to BBC 2's highly anticipated (at least in the crafting community) The Great British Sewing Bee, I am ready to get started.

Last night's episode addressed the one thing that has been holding me back: the dreaded 'pattern'.
The show reassured me that they aren't all that scary and inspired me to fish my book out.
And I know, I know... I sew bags and purses so patterns should not seem all that intimidating but I rarely use them in my bag making.

But I am ready now. I have the space, most of the tools, a guru - Mini G - a funky, cool, talented lady (discovered on Pinterest) to guide me and most importantly, the ambition.

Watch this sewing space!!

So, Sow, Sew

Recently I have been trying to work on being happy. 

Here are some of the ingredients from my recipe:

So:
It's all about letting go and picking your fights.
If like me, you are an executive manager of your home/ family and a small business, you are going to have to say,' so' be it to many things. A lot can get done in 24 hours but not everything, everyday. So learning to let go and let GOD is important. This is something I need to remind myself of on a daily basis.

Sew:
When I am at my sewing machine I feel at home.
It happens every-time. If, for whatever reason I take a few days off from my craft, I mildly panic that I will either lose my passion for it and never want to re-enter my studio again or I will have somehow forgotten how to put pieces of fabric together with thread and love and make a purse!
But of course neither has happened!
When I sit at my machine a feeling floods over me…that comforting feeling of coming home.
Sewing is one of my childhood hobbies that has come flooding back to me in recent years.
Finding a creative outlet is vital.

my space; my work

Sow:
Very much like my sewing, the desire to get out in the garden and grow something has returned from my childhood. I am starting to recall having sowed and then reaping corn on the cob, peas and even a squash with my sisters when we were young girls.
Now, my 5 year old son is very interested in growing food and so I got this book and these seeds and we sowed these last week Saturday. The excitement of seeing them grow and change on a daily basis is so satisfying.
They do need to go outside soon so fingers crossed that Spring actually shows up in the next week or two.

the book

the seeds

tomatoes; corn-on-cob & lettuce

                     

A Spring in my Run

Oh, how sweet it will to be to start seeing glimpses of Spring. So while we wait patiently for that to happen, I've put a spring in my step, or should I say, my run.

I started running over a year ago, but recently took the leap from thread-mill to road.

Initially daunting but now, a mere 4 weeks and one official 1 mile run later, I don't know what I was afraid of! To put it simply, I am hooked!!! I used the app C25K to get me started on the thread-mill and using the same app outdoor. Love it!!

                        trainers, number, first medal ever and my bubble hat that kept my head from freezing



You see, it is on my bucket list. Running a 5k has been on it for a few years now and come June, I hope to check it off! I've even managed to rope in a few seasoned running friends. I keep asking myself why though, since I will either be left eating their dust or slowing them down. But it is Race For Life so it should be a great day out for a fantastic cause.

And talking about my bucket list, playing Mas in Trinidad has been checked off and will surely be repeated come Carnival 2014. I had The Best Time Ever and here are some photos to prove it.

Carnival Tuesday in costume

On a boat party

My younger sister who showed me the best time ever!!! Love her!

 Despite bulging in places I'd prefer not to, I felt great in my skin. And that calls for a certain amount of self-confidence when surrounded by slim, sexy women and men! I didn't feel too out of place.

But saying that, my sister and I have re-dedicated ourselves to working even harder to be healthy and in shape and we have made a pact to loss 52lbs in 52 weeks.

Very do-able I say!!

Ode to My Motherhood

Motherhood is hard
Motherhood is sweet
Motherhood is filled with guilt
And all sweet things in between

Coming from a childhood not full of men
To a household full of them
I try to teach and bring them up to be well rounded men
To have good manners, to be gentlemen

It is my duty as their mom, not to be their friend but to be an example and a good leader, to ready them for life

All this mom wants is a cuddle and a kiss
For them to say on their wedding day that their mom has brought them bliss.