One of my hobbies

Hobbies keep us happy and I’d like to share one of my hobbies with you:  sewing.  It’s great to learn something new and this is my newest adventure.

Why are hobbies so important

I’ve often talked about how important it is to have a hobby, especially to fight off depression.  Hobbies are so important because they give your mind something to do.  When you are working on something you enjoy, your mind is free to relax and it actually helps you to feel better.  This happens because you’re not always ruminating about the problems you have in your life.

Everyone has problems and no matter how big or small they seem to others, to you, they are a big deal.  This causes stress in our lives.  It’s OK to feel stress, sadness, and any other negative emotion as it is OK to feel happiness, joy and other positive emotions.  The problem with negative emotions is that they can turn into a black hole – unless you do something about it.  Otherwise, if you continue down the path, it can lead to depression and anxiety.  This can lead to stress induced skin issues.

Hobbies can help fight the depression and anxiety because it can help you forget about the problem or the stress – even for a moment.  This is because you have to concentrate on something else, which gives your mind a break from the problems.

Getting this break is what can help you figure out the answer to your problem.  It may not come right away but it could come later in the day or even the next day – that is, sometime in the future.

Sewing is one of my hobbies

It’s because of this that I am always working on something.  I love to learn new things – as frustrating as it can be.  So, I started sewing and now, sewing is one of my hobbies.  It’s so much fun to learn something new.  And, yes, as I said…it can be frustrating – but it can be so rewarding once you make progress.

I made these tab top curtains recently.  I even embroidered some honey bees – you’ll see why below…

Want to make your own tab top curtains?  Here’s how:

Tab Top Curtains – instructions

First, you need to determine the size of your finished curtain.  Mine was 22″ wide by 28″ long.  Add 4″ to the width and 9 inches to the height – this is so you have enough fabric to hem them.

Next, you need to figure out your tabs.  For my curtain, I found the cutest fabric ribbon so I just used those.  But, you can make your own by taking coordinating fabric that are 2″ W x 4″ H.  In order to do this, I would cut fabric that is 5″ x 9″ pieces and sew the long ends together.  Note:  you also need to figure out how many tabs you need.  As a general rule, I found you want about 6-8″ of space between each of the tabs.  The best way to do this is to lay out the curtain and space out the tabs, ensuring enough space in between.

Now, it’s time to sew the curtains.  Hem each side 1″ and iron.  Then fold over another inch (again, each side) and iron again.  Sew down the length for each side.

Then, you’ll attach the tabs.  Remember to place the tabs so they are evenly spaced.  Sew them to the top of your curtain.  Hint:  make sure the tabs are facing down on the right side of the curtains.

I found that it would look nicer if you cover up the tabs with another piece so I cut a piece of matching fabric that was a couple inches wider than the finished curtain width and 4″ high.  You’ll then fold over each end 1″ so that it is inline with the width of your curtain panel.  Iron.  Fold the bottom about 1/2″ and iron.  Then, place right sides together, pin together.  Sew across the top.

Open up your fabric.  Fold the piece you just sewed and iron.  Then, sew the bottom edge of this piece to the curtain panel.  Sew the ends as well.

Now, it’s time to hem the bottom.  Here is where you’ll want to make sure of the length of your curtain so I took mine to the window to get the hem exactly right.  I measured and hemmed appropriately.  I double folded my hem, ironed it, then sewed across.

My next project

My next project was roman blinds.  I love the way roman blinds look and really wanted to make them.  These were much harder (for me).

But, they still turned out great.  And, I even matched them with the tab top curtains by including the embroidered bees.

Even though the roman blinds were harder for me, I still enjoyed doing them.  It was so gratifying when I hung them up.  I’ll be working through my other windows and will probably be making some roman shades on a couple more windows but I think I’ll also be trying out some back tab curtains for the bedrooms.  I can’t wait.  It’s such a stress reliever to work on something you enjoy – plus, it’s great for your brain to learn something new.  It’s just one of my hobbies!

Other hobbies

But, sewing is just one of my hobbies.  The other is beekeeping.  You can see my Adventures in Beekeeping via pictures on Pinterest.