A Fresh Start

What is it about a new year that brings such optimism? I always feel unstoppable at the beginning of January. I know a lot of people see it as just another day, a made up holiday that doesn't actually hold any significance, but for me it's kind of nice to have that day to draw a line in the sand (or snow) and say "this is where I start doing better."

I have a lot of plans for this year, both personally and professionally. One is to be better at updating this site! Things like that are always put rather on the back burner when I'm on a show, but when I'm not, I'll try and be more involved.

I want to get a store set up here to sell small items. I want to branch out in terms of the kind of clothing I make. I want to take classes to learn more techniques. I bought a serger at the beginning of the year and I'm loving all the new tricks I can do!

The biggest thing that happened last year was that my roommate and I moved to a much bigger townhouse from our tiny, cramped, two room apartment. I now have a sewing room. My table on one wall, my bins of fabric and yarn stacked against the other, my three dress forms lined up under the window, a closet to store all my costumes and finished pieces.

Guys. I cannot express how incredible this is. We moved in September 1st and I was home for only a month before going to Sudbury for a shoot. Between that and other travel over the holidays with family and work travel last week, this is the first time I've really been able to sit in here and try some things. And the way I feel in here....there are no words. It's energizing. It's motivating. Having a space away from the rest of the house to work and create and sew and escape into my own little world of fabric and thread is the most amazing thing. I'm really good at getting distracted by household chores I should be doing, and at the old place those chores were always in sight no matter where I was trying to work. I still get distracted here, but the fact that in this room I'm tucked away enough from the rest of the house that it doesn't stress me out like it used to. I used to feel so guilty for taking the time to sew when I should be doing other things. I felt terrible for how much space my sewing stuff took up. Even saying it now, it sounds a little crazy. I intend for this to be my career and I felt guilty for doing it and having the supplies I needed to do it. Good grief.

It's so, so much better here. The rest of the house can be a house. My work space is for work. I can keep the two separate. And I'm feeling excited and energized about sewing for the first time in ages.

Here's to 2016!