Hi everybody! Welcome to 365by3.com.

For over a month I have been planning my first post. Totally paralyzing.

What to say?

My oldest daughter had a one minute presentation to give on the Pantheon (punishment for not doing her homework – and very effective punishment I might add). She too was paralyzed on how to begin. Then I (or she?) suggested the 5 W’s: Who What When Where Why. And today, more than a week later, I had my epiphany.  So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, my blog…

Who am I?

• I am a Canadian  living in the Netherlands, the motherland, from whence came my ancestors.
• I love to sew, crochet, make jewelry. I love Farmer Boy. Mother Wilder inspires me. She made everything from scratch and she did it well.
• I’m an aspiring children’s writer. I’ve had stories in magazines, but have yet to crack the book market. I’m working on it.
• Random fact: When I was twelve I saw the roller-skaters at Universal Studios with their Dolly Parton hair, and decided I would be a part-time roller-skater, part-time author when I grew up. Some dreams need to die.

What?

• What is 365by3.com? For this year at least (next year’s them to be announced in December) I will make 365 things in 365 days for 365 euros.
• What kinds of things? Mostly sewing, some crocheting, some beading, and maybe I’ll even do some box-making again. (I took a course 14 years ago, made about 50 boxes, and then abandoned the hobby. But I still have enough supplies to make a couple dozen boxes, so if I’m searching for projects later in the year, this could be a possible fall-back.)
• What am I allowed to spend money on? Anything I want, but the limited budget means I will need to choose wisely. I have enough beading and box making supplies, so those get nothing. I might buy a few skeins of yarn, but since my crocheting tends to focus on amigurumi, a little goes a long way. This leaves the bulk of my budget for sewing: thread, interfacing, miscellaneous supplies… and of course fabric.

Where?

• Where do I live? Near The Hague, in the Netherlands
• Where do I do my crafts/sewing: Sewing upstairs in the guest room, crocheting on my favourite blue velvet couch in the living room, beading at the dining room table
• Where do I get my supplies? My favourite yarn shop around the corner; the Haagse Markt – the fabrics, oh the fabrics, for a song; anytime I travel I look for beads; online – that wide wonderful universe where everything is possible and available. And only rarely from garbage piles.

When?

When do I make stuff? Morning, noon and night.

Why, Why, Why? 

1. To improve my sewing. I want to begin sewing clothes for myself without looking like I sew my own clothes.
2. To bring consistency to my writing. I’m aiming for daily (or near daily) posts.
3. Stewardship. The same reason I try to use the leftovers in the fridge in meal planning. To cut down on waste. To improve my finances (or not damage them). Also, before I start buying the good fabrics to make beautiful clothes, I want my skill level to offer some reassurance that I’m not going to be throwing money down the drain.
4. Because I have too much stuff – yarn, old jeans, fabric scraps, patterns… and clutter gives me hives.
5. And because I am at my most creative when I need to make do with what I have. Choice paralyzes me. Just like I make my best meals when my pantry is down to two onions, a tin of lentils and a bottle of Worcestershire sauce, my favourite sewing, crocheting and beading projects often come out of the leftovers.

Over the next weeks I’ll play catch-up, posting about the things I’ve already made. Plus making new things. Plus prettying up this blog. Plus cleaning up my sewing room. Okay, maybe not the last one.