Projects, projects, projects...

I came home from my journey a little more than a week ago and it took me all this time to go back to my normal routine. I love to travel, it's definitely my favourite passion (apart from crafting, of course!) but I need a little time once back home to recover and reflect on what I experienced.
Those two weeks were great, I spent gorgeous days with my family and had the chance to see how my brother is doing up there in Northern England (btw, he's doing great!). I also got to know better some friends and had a fantastic time in London! We hanged mostly in the East and I discovered good places to eat and to shop. The fave from the weekend was definitely the Columbia Flower Market: I saw so many beautiful plants and flowers and so many gorgeous furniture for gardens that really made me want to move there immediately, only to be able to buy tons of that stuff!
I came home with loads of inspiration and I have a long list of things to make, do, mend, refashion, recycle...
Therefore, in order to be more productive with all this projects, I signed up for a few things here on blogland...

First coming up in chronological order is The Creativity Boot Camp!

It is "a two week intensive e-course designed to take your creativity to the next level. The course will consist of daily creative conditioning exercises to shift your life patterns allowing for a full embracing of your creative selves leading to higher levels of creativity". In other words, I'm looking for some more inspiration and tips and tricks to transform my creative energy in finished projects. And I am also looking for finding some courage and bravery to start a long loved project.

Then, there's the Christmas in July International Gift Exchange!

I will make and receive a handmade gift... I already met via email the girl who's going to send me her handmade goodness and my gift will be coming straight from California... I can't wait to see what will arrive! I am waiting to know the name of the girl I actually have to send mine!
I love the feeling of waiting for the post to arrive and also the slight embarassment of giving to an unknown person something made with love. I'm always thinking "will she love it???". If you too love swaps, there's still time to sign up!

Here comes the tough stuff... I really want to learn to make my clothes and become a better seamstress so I signed up for two really demanding projects...

The first is The Pattern Challenge, organized by the lovely Sarah of Come and See the Seitz!


It's very simple: I need to find a few sewing goals, make them, blog about them and share pics on Flickr. Easier written than done. I'm still thinking about my goals. I need to make myself at least a couple of summer dresses, one blouse and a couple of skirts and I also have a neverending pile of clothes to refashion... So, once my ideas are clear I will devote an entire post to my goals and start to sew immediately after that!

The last project I embarked is certainly the most challenging for me. I signed up for the Self-Stitched-September from the super amazing Zoe of So,Zo...

I loved her Me-Made-March and May projects and I craved to be part of that, seeing the beautiful outfits she put together only with clothes she made for herself. So, when she said if anybody was interested in join her in September, I didn't even think of what I was doing.

I am going to take the light version and will wear at least one item of clothing or accessory made or refashioned by me everyday for the whole month of September. I have three full months to prepare... I really need to work hard but the Pattern Challenge will be of some help.

It's going to be a fun summer, I know! I just think... will I be able to bring my sewing machine to the seaside???? Mmmmm... better learn how to hand sew!!!