For as long as I can remember I’ve dreamed of being a designer. Growing up, I worked on my art skills, kept my grades up and by college was admitted into a highly competitive design program. Then, three semesters away from graduation, I was diagnosed with POTS– a chronic condition that affects my heart and leaves me extremely fatigued. Every day. Bummer.
But when life gives you lemons… you try desperately to make something delicious with them. Right?! I finished school and searched for something I could do with the health I have. I started designing toys and fell in love.
My amazing engineer husband, Doug, figured out a way I could sew from bed so I could save my very limited energy. I published my first pattern in 2012 and we literally had a party the day I sold my first one. It felt good to fight back and find a way to be myself despite the path Life forced me down.
We’ve come a long way since we threw that little party back in 2012. A whole line of Sweetbriar Sisters patterns are now carried online and in shops around the world. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found a way to accomplish so much from bed. It might not be the exact career I dreamed of as as kid, but I have to admit- it’s a whole lot more fun.
Take that lemons!
This is my awesome ‘Sewing Machine in Bed’ hack. Isn’t it the best?!
PS- I wrote out my whole ‘sick’ story here in case you want to check it out.