Wednesday Gratitude ~ Sewing

Heidi is hosting Wednesday Gratitude at Heart and Home. It is a wonderful way to gather in friendship, support, and a moment of gratitude.
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My gratitude comes from something so simple yet precious; sewing. Our recent relocation to a new city put so much demands and stress on me as a single mom. My job promotion is demanding, my 2 teen kids are slowly adjusting, and my sewing business has been slow. I have been too exhausted to be creative. Finally this week, my passion for sewing has started to return to normal. I am grateful to God for giving me patience, wisdom, and support the past few weeks. I'm filled with gratitude that I do have the means to be creative, because without that I feel like I'm not growing. Sewing is therapeutic, rewarding, and gives my family a little extra income. For that, I am filled with gratitude.
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Here is a glimpse into my creative process: First I see a picture, for example these pillows. Most people see pillows, but I see apron design inspirations.
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Next, I gather fabrics from my collection or at the fabric store. I like using a variety of colors and textures. I like the contrast look and feel of fabrics. I use the inspiration picture for my base design.

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Next, I layout different art works and designs. My hope is that each apron have it's own character. Below is a pre-finished design draft.

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It may sound weird, but each apron has a piece of my heart. They are like my kids. God gave me the gift of sewing when I was 14 years old. I honestly feel that it is a gift because of the happiness it brings me. I'm not the best designer or seamstress but I am grateful to God for my sewing passion.

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God bless you all dear friends! ~ Yoli :)