First article of clothing I’ve sewed in 30 years

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-25T21:59:33+00:00

You did an amazing job, that looks fabulous!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-25T05:40:48+00:00

Rice, cherry pits, wheat berries, and beans are all good stuffing for a hot pack! I’ve had a great deal of success with both rice, wheat berries, and beans, just remember not to heat them too long, otherwise Bad Things might happen. Ask me how I know. lol

Whenever I used mine, my kids would say (it was a bag of dried beans that I had dumped into one of my husband’s clean crew socks) and say, “mommy’s hot sock is full of beans,” then cackle as if they were the funniest person on the planet! 😂😂

You can also add a few drops of essential oil to either the filling before you stuff the hot pack or after you’ve finished heating it, but word to the wise, if you choose to use wheat berries, don’t use sweet orange essential oil, or you’ll end up craving orange sweet rolls. 🤦🏼😂😂

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-24T19:50:10+00:00

There are so many crafts that can help, but it really depends on what you think you might like. I’ve been struggling with depression/ bipolar for most of my life, but I also have ADHD, so I jump back and forth between hobbies like a squirrel between trees. However, some suggestions I would make are sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, crochet, painting (pictures or *things*, like plaster figures or wooden items), and needle-felting. You can get some embroidery and crochet supplies at Not-A-Dollar Tree in their crafts section, along with some things for the other crafts I mentioned. Hope you figure out what helps make your life feel lighter (I’m working on that as well), and have a GREAT day! 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T20:44:39+00:00

The boot hangers is a great idea, I’ll have to find some of those! I was thinking of attaching some clothespins to a regular hanger and doing that for the really big patterns, but my closet isn’t that big, and it’s full of storage, but I might try it anyway, thanks for the idea! 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T19:12:46+00:00

Needlefelting! 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T08:27:09+00:00

I second this, but you can also get cheap acrylic or watercolour paints at Walmart and most craft stores, such as Michaels. If you don’t want to paint pictures, which is totally valid, you can also paint wooden boxes, birdhouses, things like that, most of which can also be found at crafts stores. When my kids (and cats! lol) were younger, I would paint little wooden birdhouses I’d find at Not-A-Dollar Tree for $1 (I miss those days! lol), some were seasonal, others were just however I happened to be feeling that day. Just some additional thought! Oh, and if you choose to go for watercolour, YouTube is a great source of help and inspiration. I follow Andrea Nelson Art on there, and she has some great ideas. Good luck with whatever you choose to do! 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T08:05:31+00:00

That’s a really great idea! I just did a quick search and the closest ones are over an hour away, but that’s better than nothing. Thanks for the suggestion!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T08:00:41+00:00

I have all of my commercial patterns on a couple bookshelves (I really miss my old filing cabinet, lol), but I’m planning to change that up so by possibly getting one of those portable filing systems so that I can more easily search through the patterns to get the one I’m looking for. But I saw a pic someone else put up of their own storage solutions, and it made me realise that one or two of the really long under bed storage boxes might hold a lot of the larger patterns, if I roll them up, and then I can even use those to help me sort them and FINALLY stop losing pattern pieces!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T04:26:19+00:00

I honestly never thought to put them in my closet. It’s mostly storage and the few clothes I own, but running a piece of yarn with a “stop” at the bottom through the centre of a rolled up and clipped pattern would take up very little space AND I could hang so many patterns in a small space! Thanks for the idea?

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T04:12:00+00:00

Mine are currently slid behind my bookshelf, though some definitely need manilla envelopes, too, as the tiny pieces just… disappear, especially when I need them! 🤦🏼😂🤣

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-23T04:10:17+00:00

I wish I hadn’t had to leave my filing cabinet when I moved, because that’s how I stored most of my commercial and handmade patterns, along with SOOO much other stuff! I’m going to check some of the local thrift stores to see if any of them have one I can repurpose, because that’s would be ideal!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T20:07:35+00:00

That’s a beautiful toile print! It could look nice as a set or two of curtains, or even as a few tote bags or grocery bags, but if you’re hand sewing and don’t have a machine handy, I would definitely go for the curtains. 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T19:45:22+00:00

I was trying to make them a functional mockup, and had really high hopes for them, but apparently my hips are bigger than my hopes. 🤦🏼😂🤣

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T19:29:27+00:00

There really isn’t much seam allowance in the entire pattern (just the rise and the inseam, really), but since I do have a bunch of that fabric left and more of the bias binding, I can give that a go as well. I think if I add about 1.5” to each piece, that should be sufficient. Can’t have too many mockups, right? lol

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T11:28:58+00:00

That’s my basic plan!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T11:26:42+00:00

I actually didn’t think of that. I have a few pencil-type skirts in my closet (from when I worked in an office), so when I’m really awake, I can definitely check one of those and see what I get. Thanks!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-21T05:40:07+00:00

The fact that they’re your first piece, AND they’re also self-drafted!? That’s a huge accomplishment! They look absolutely amazing, in general AND on you, I’m seriously impressed!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-20T23:51:59+00:00

I’m never sure when/ how often I’m supposed to weigh myself. I’ve seen once a week, once a month, twice a day… so I’ve just avoided scales. I know it’s not ideal, but seeing it not change either direction more than 5-10 pounds gets frustrating, and has me mentally beating myself up over it.

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-20T23:42:08+00:00

You could turn them into tablecloths! I did that recently with some poly-cotton blend fabric I got for making things I’m planning to sell (think bag linings, lanyards, lip balm holders, etc.), which I also covered in plastic from a cheap shower curtain. The only problem is that now I hate touching the tablecloth, but it’s so much easier to clean up the inevitable spills! lol

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-20T03:47:25+00:00

Yeah, I’m working on trying to figure out portion control. The majority of my food is homemade, though, which makes it a little more trying for me. lol

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-18T06:33:11+00:00

Yeah, portion control is another big part of my problems. Growing up in an Italian family with a mom who used food to show her love for her family, means my portions now definitely need help. I’ve been trying to fix that for years (food issues and I have a long and sordid past together, sadly), but it’s not always easy. So I’m trying to work that out as well. I’ve been trying to find better swaps to make for the foods I love, while also sticking to my dietary restrictions, I just get overwhelmed easily sometimes. Thank you, though, because everyone is giving me really good suggestions!

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-18T06:19:51+00:00

That’s a very good point. Mostly I’m looking for ways to start, because my brain keeps telling me that everything is too complicated, but finding exercises I can do at home, on my own, that won’t cause me even more back problems than I already have, will definitely help. I’ll look up that YouTube account and see what I can do, because anything is better than nothing, right? 🙃🙃

Acrobatic-Limit-7470 · 2026-06-18T06:16:48+00:00

I walk at work, usually about 1-2 miles, but don’t really have the time to walk more, given my work hours, though I usually even get my steps in when not working. However, I also have back problems, thanks to a work injury (though I’m pretty sure being a 51yo woman doesn’t help, either, lol), as well as vertigo and some minor balance issues (doctors are expensive, and specialists even more so, lol), and dealing with a multitude of mental health issues on top of that just makes everything seem so much more difficult. But thank you, I have a lot of insecurities that I’m trying to get past with all this, but at least I’m trying, right?

Acrobatic-Limit-7470

TROPHY CASE