I've always been an avid sewer and crafter. At the end of each school year, my mom would ask us to plan what we would like to do for the summer. Because we were so heavily involved in 4-H, sewing something was always on the list to get us ready for the county fair and pageant. As my sisters and I got older, I seemed to be the only one with the sewing bug. I made wallets out of my old jeans, backpacks out of sweaters, jammy pants for my cousin and did most of it by hand. The Christmas after I turned 16 my mother bought me my very own sewing machine.
I didn't have much time to sew after I entered college, but I did get the chance to take up knitting in the UK Knitting Club. I know - 20-somethings huddled in the dorm lobby clickety-clacking our metallic colored needles. It was quite fun :) I didn't really get the chance to sew until my 2nd child was born. My son is a bit OCD about his textures so he must have satin on his skin while he sleeps. He also seems to grow exponentially, so his 'silky' was getting a bit small. I tried to make a replacement for him, but once his younger sister got it, she never let go. She started sleeping through the night, nursing more soundly, and had something tangible to comfort her at the sitter's house. And it just steam-rolled from there. Every one and their mother (me included!) needed a silky satin blanket.
My studio has progressed from a small desk with one little sewing machine to two large office desks with 4 sewing machines and more fabric than I know what to do with. I hope and pray every day that one day I'll be able to stay home with my children and just make blankets. Right now, it's a great supplement to our growing home (you'd think a chemist position would pay well...yeah, me too) and a good excuse to buy more fabric.