Look what I did!

This was my first official sewing project. I've had this material for almost a year now. It was majorly on sale, came pre-packaged and was SO cute. I just never got around to learning how to sew! So, I taught myself to sew a few months ago via a "sewing for Dummies" book. And boy am I a "dummy!!" I won't even tell you some of the things I did during the construction of this little beauty. It is in no way perfect, but it's original. I like to call it a "Monet blanket." From a distance, it looks pretty good...but up close, it's kind of a mess. By mess, I mean not square. It's close! But Coco doesn't care!

The sense of accomplishment was amazing. My little Coco loves it and sister can't wait for hers! I love that they will have something made by my own hands to cuddle with! I couldn't help but think about my Grandma (my dad's mom) and how she made all their clothes when they were younger. I found myself thinking about her a lot while I was working away. It may sound completely cheesy but I felt close to her. My Grandma Janie passed away the summer before my 8th grade year due to complications from Huntington's Disease. When I was born, she was already showing signs and wasn't herself. She was bed ridden for years before she finally let go. I would give a million dollars to have a day with her before she got sick. Don't get me wrong, she was a blast to play with when we were kids because you never knew what she was going to do! Plus, we had and endless supply of Dr. Pepper, oatmeal pies and Big Red Chewing Gum!

I feel a real sense of pride that I am learning something new. Something that Grandma did all the time. In a world full of computers, blogs, i pods and playlists, I am excited to adopt a new hobby that has been around for ages. AND I'm excited that it's JUST a hobby! I can't imagine what my family would look like if we had to rely on my sewing skills to provide clothing! Yikes! I've got a long way to go, but as I tell my kiddos..."Practice makes progress!"