Fabric Friends

This one might get a little mushy, so fair warning!

Prior to rediscovering sewing a couple of years ago, I was very active in the babywearing community. Guess I’ve been attached to a fabric habit on one way or another! Throughout my journey, I have had the amazing experience of meeting some amazing ladies who have become my virtual best friends!

Though it all started with a casual “I love your carrier” on a post or a sale transaction with conversation while awaiting shipping, these friendships have become my lifeline in surviving motherhood and life in general. I’ve been through some personal struggles the last couple of years, both personally and professionally, and have needed to rely on others more than I typically do. I often feel like I have become a negative person, which only makes things worse, but I feel blessed to have these ladies who have a way of making me feel normal and comfortable venting. They’ve been with me through the best of times and some of the worst of times.

I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to meet a few of these gals in person, and it was amazing how quickly we adapted to face to face conversation. It’s as if we’d been chatting face to face all this time. There are others that live much too far away (we’re talking international here), whom I hope to have the opportunity to meet one of these days.

So here’s a shout out to the wonderful turtle loving mommy who just needed some Tortuga scrap, the mommy who gave me dolphins on a Cousteau Tula, the mommy who bought my Rei Romeo and made me immediately regret it, the local mommy who met me at Balboa Park for my very first wrapping play date, and the amazing ladies who took wrap chopping to the next level and gave me a Drama Free Haven. You guys are amazing!

My fabric friends have since transcended the babywearing world into the sewing world and have helped me push my creative limits. One of these amazing ladies not only got me hooked on Oscha Matrix, but is also one of the creative masterminds behind 42 Custom Fabric. Her designs tug at my nerdy heart strings, and her friendship continuously lift my spirits when I’ve had a hard day and keep my heart singing when I’ve had a good day!

Through my experiences as a strikeoff sewist, I’ve become brave enough to “apply” to be a pattern tester for a couple of very talented designers, which will continue to be featured here. These ladies help me try out new things (which is also why I’m doing the 52 week sewing challenge), expand my sewing skills, and give my feedback to help others make beautiful garments as well.

So thank you to the brilliant minds behind 42 Custom Fabric, Mother Grimm, Splashing of Fabric, Ellie and Mac, and Sofilantjes Patterns for trusting me with your creations to make some of my own!

This week, I finally cut into her Amberpine Anemone by 42 Custom Fabric (a World of Warcraft inspired print) that I had been saving for something special. The Vivax pattern I was testing for Sofilantjes Patterns seemed pretty perfect and the result was AMAZING! I love how easy it was to follow the pattern and all of the options it has (2 necklines, 3 sleeves, and 2 overall lengths). She looked so adorable that I had to make another!

I finally found the right pattern to use for the “Mischief Managed” panel from Affordable Fabrics and More I’d been saving to make my little lady something to match her brother’s “I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good” shirt I made for the week 4 challenge.

I also got some new swim fabric from Splashing of Fabric to sew up for the upcoming Endangered Species round. Coincidentally, we’re starting swim lessons back up, so this was a perfect opportunity to sew up some new gear to get us ready! I made the raglan rash guard is from the Swimmers bundle by Boo! Designs and the tank, skirt, and shorts are from the Swimmy Suit bundle by A Sparkly Baby. These turtles are just so cute!