You may have thought I was finished with my knitting needle holders, but that’s just not the case.

I often find myself buying fabric with no project in mind.  It's so common for fabric to be stunningly gorgeous that it's hard to keep myself restrained all the time.

I think that is one of the greatest things about quilting and sewing.  I can take these magnificent works of art, and let them speak for themselves.  I have been known to go out of my way just to showcase a fabric I found to be particularly splendid.

So here's my advice for any crafter: buy the things that sing to your soul.

In the knitting world, we often jest about yarn or fiber "talking" to us, but it's true that sometimes there are certain crafty things that just feel like they belong with us.  It's almost cathartic to take that perfect thing home, even if it doesn't know what it wants to be yet, because one day you will both know and you will be happy you didn't walk away.

I can hear people chanting “enabler” now, and I'm proud of it.  

Life is busy, the world is chaotic, and it's a miracle that any of us can catch our breath.  Do something for you.  Do something that makes you happy and involves goodness and kindness.  I have am often a culprit of forgetting to invest in myself and, as a creator, few things will lift my spirits like giving myself the material to keep doing what I love.   

This all together took about 2 yards of fabric and a rainy afternoon to make; that's around $20 and a relaxing Saturday to create something that will let me enjoy storing my double point needles for the foreseeable future.

Obviously some of us can be tight on finances, and $20 of material in one go might not really be an option -- and that's okay.  Crafting is an expensive pursuit and costs us either time, money, or both.

All I can suggest is to put a jar out for spare change to do something you love, maybe while you're waiting in line at the grocery store you can pull a pair of needles out of your bag and get a few stitches, and ultimately take time for you.  Winter, whether you celebrate holidays or not, can be an exceedingly busy time and it's good to remember through the whirlwind of it all that you matter, and you deserve time for you.

Want to see a step by step tutorial of how I make these needle cases?  It’s right here.  

Stay sweet, stay crafty, and stay tuned.