what I did during olympic break

I've been quiet lately, but I had a really productive and creative Olympic Break. Basically, I converted my house into a sewing sweatshop and spent two weeks toiling over my sewing machine and rooting for Team USA. I'm really excited about these projects and many are worthy of their own blog posts, so I will photograph and share details soon, but for now, here's a sneak peek at what I accomplished over the past few weeks:

+ Sewed two quilt tops!


This was my biggest accomplishment. Ever since I sewed my first quilt last summer, I've been obsessed with quilting, and snowy February was the perfect time to work on these projects. In true Rachel fashion, I started the second quilt without finishing the first one, but I hope to have these both quilted and bound soon.

+ Framed and hung artwork:



Top two pieces are original mixed-media paintings by me. I hope to add abstract art to my shop this spring. Dog illustration by Kelly Puissegur/Retro Whale. Smiths poster by Wasted Rita.

+ Baked Ina Garten's favorite chocolate cake:


+ Experimented with stitched art:


+ Read The Orphan Master's Son:

Great book, though I had dreams about being in a North Korean prison.

+ Designed and sewed pillows:


+ Survived for a week on a can of refried beans, a dozen eggs, and a jar of salsa. Some delicious combinations: omelet-quesadilla, chili topped with a runny egg, omelet stuffed with chili, huevos rancheros.

+ Watched hours of Olympic coverage. My favorite event to watch is snowboard cross, but I love watching everything...except curling.

+ Had a recurring dream that I was using my sewing machine while on skis. Maybe this should be a new Olympic sport?


I learned that it is important for me to schedule time to focus on personal projects. Productivity and creativity breed more productivity and creativity - I found that completing personal projects got me inspired to work on business projects, too. My Olympic Break was so awesome, satisfying, relaxing and productive, that I now plan to schedule break weeks every few months throughout the year - a time to unplug and make things and live.