Been Sewing Myself Slim!

This time of year I usually get into the bathing suit panic zone and start some kind of diet that wears thin within a couple days.  This year however I am going to sew myself thin!  Only one other time in my life have I been this overweight and that was right after I gave birth to my youngest child - who is now a junior in college!  At that time I needed to take drastic measures to get the weight off, so I, like Oprah went on the OptiFast diet and had nothing but shakes for four months. 

When you are not eating meals, preparing meals, or cleaning up from meals you have a great deal of time on your hands!  I used that time to sew for my little girls and sometimes even my young son.  It worked!  It kept my hands busy and my mind off food and I was able to loose 65 lbs in less than five months.  It was miracle then, but seems unwise at my current age. 

 I have been highly influenced by two women whom I have recently met at trade shows, both of whom I have know for a few years - Martha Stewart and Phyllis Hause (Aunt Philly's Toothbrush Rugs - coming soon in the Marketplace)- both looked amazing after they went on a sensible eating program.  They simply eliminated white sugar, flour, alcohol, etc from their diets.  I have also eliminated dairy for a while and will substitute soy milk and like products. 

So, that leads me back into my sewing room for my "sew myself slim" program!  I am getting more done and sewing more variety than I have in years, and having a ball!  From time to time, I will let you know how it is going!  At my age, it is critical that I get the weight off to avoid a family legacy of Type 2 Diabetes, but I didn't think it would be so much fun.  Now if I could figure out a way to sew on a treadmill, I'd really see progress!

My weekend was dedicated to sewing for my 4 year old niece.  When we were filming at cool cottons quilt and fabric shop in Portland, Oregon they had samples of an adorable pattern for little girls called Britches and Bloomers by Jackie Clark.  Pam Oakes and Marie Ritten were a great help in finding this adorable print - which is one reason I love to shop in quilt shops.  Sue Ann