About Me

This is my story...

I sewed my first doll quilt when I was 7 years old (back in the 80's).  From there, I made pillows, curtains, odds and ends here and there (with help and just once in a long, long while.)  I got busy with life and didn't really sew much, nor did I have the confidence to create something truly amazing. I had an old mechanical clunky Brother sewing machine that I had purchased from a friend. It was clanky and didn't sew very well. Then in 2010 I found out about the Singer Embroidery Machines and I just had to have one. I figured I could embroider baby clothes and sell them. When I got the machine, I absolutely loved it! I fell in love with sewing. It was smooth and did an amazing job when I sewed, and the possibilities of embroidery were endless.

I wanted to learn more about sewing and using the different presser feet, so I purchased a book called The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible by Lorna Knight, along with some other of her books. Then I found a great deal on a Singer 9960 (which I absolutely LOVE), loaded with feet! I purchased it and bought some more feet that I didn't have, and started sewing like crazy. I love to sew--it's my passion. I'm very detail-oriented when I sew. I want everything I do to look professional. I posted my projects on my "Creative Mom Projects" blog (which is now sleepless-crafter.blogspot.com). The compliments I received boosted my confidence at an all-high. I started to believe that if it could be sewn, I could make it!

I had been going to college to earn an Ultrasound Tech degree, but things got hectic, I was extremely stressed out about it, and I hardly ever had time with my kids. I came to a dead end of my career goal due to my local hospital not allowing any other colleges other than the one that they had a contract with for clinical hours.

Then one day, I received a lot of vintage Barbie sewing patterns from my aunt. I had never tried sewing Barbie clothes before because my mom and grandma always said that they were too difficult. I had been sewing clothes for Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and I didn't think they were difficult at all, so I thought I'd give Barbie clothes a try. Amazingly, they were easy to sew. I saw on eBay some auctions of handmade Barbie clothes that were going for really high--like $400. I thought about starting my own business selling handcrafted items on eBay for an income rather than pursuing my degree. The potential to earn just as much money selling things on eBay as I could as an ultrasound tech was there. I asked the question to friends and relatives,

"If you had the option of doing something you love, that makes you happy and brings you joy and also brings in a profit of about the same as if you went to college, earned a degree, and got a job that you really aren't as passionate about as you are with the first thing, what would you choose?"

So in 2012 I decided to start my own business as Sew Inspired, LLC. I began selling Barbie clothes on eBay and had a lot of fun with them. My very first outfit I sold can be found here.

I also have had a blog that I posted Cabbage Patch Kids that I had rerooted and made clothes for.  I started getting emails from people, asking me to reroot CPK dolls for them. So I shifted my business away from Barbie clothes and started focusing on Cabbage Patch Kids. I came across an estate sale with a lot of dolls and purchased them for my reroots. I began selling them on eBay. My very first reroot that I listed on eBay can be found here.

Although I loved selling my creations for an income, I was pressured to get a job outside the home, working at my favorite store--Jo-ann Fabrics.  Unfortunately, because I tend to over-work myself, I tore a ligament in my right wrist. I'm right-handed, so it has been extremely difficult for me.  I later learned that I have ulnar positive variance, which means my ulna bone is longer than my radius, which causes all sorts of issues in my hands.  I also have chronic tendonitis.  I've had to literally change the way I do everything, and I can no longer do certain things.  I've had to give up a lot of things that I love doing.

Over the years, it just got harder to make my business succeed, so had to make a very difficult decision.  With a very heavy heart, I decided to end my business and my hobbies in 2019.  I sold many of my craft items and fabric.  I got a second job, working as a merchandiser.  Unfortunately after a couple years, I had to quit Joann's.  

Then something horrible happened.  I started being tired and fatigued all the time--more than usual, and no matter how much sleep I got, I still felt like I hadn't slept for days.  My body ached all over, both wrists were hurting to the point I would drop anything bigger than a can of soup, I was dizzy, lightheaded, had heart palpitations, I got migraines nearly every day.  I felt like I had the flu nearly every day.  I could barely function.  I couldn't remember anything. I was getting all sorts of weird symptoms, so I finally went to the doctor.  That is a whole other story in itself!  Many doctors later, in 2021 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia!  I also have PVCs, anxiety, and CPTSD.  I tried to put in for FMLA, but it was taking too long to go through HR, so I just quit.  Since then, I decided to go back to my business, rebrand it, and make it my main source of income.  As I layed awake in bed, trying to sleep, I kept getting a flood of ideas in my head for what to craft next.  Thus, my name changed to Sleepless Crafter.

So that's my story how I went from crafting to working outside the home and back to crafting.  I hope you enjoyed my story and learned something from it.  I learned that you have to follow your heart and don't listen to other people if they tell you to work outside the home instead of focusing on your business.  Had I not listened to them, I probably wouldn't have been in as bad shape health-wise, and my business would probably be booming.