My name is Agnes and I love to sew, crochet, craft, and make all beautiful things. I live in the southwest suburbs of Chicago with my two awesome kids, Daniel and Sophia. Originally, I’m from Poland. I was born, raised there, and came to the United States right after graduating college. Also, I am a licensed massage therapist and that’s my day time job.
Here we are, Santa’s helpers. Fun fact about me: I love Christmas! If you would like to make those cute hats, then check my post on easy DIY elf hats.
My Inspirations
I always liked hand made things, especially made by a family member or a friend. They have a very special value for me.
Since I remember, I was always around crafty, creative, and handy people. My aunts and neighbors knitted beautiful sweaters. One time I had a sweater with Mickey Mouse’s head knitted on the front. It was my favorite.
My dad was into making things out of wood. He built a beautiful bird feeder that still is decorating the front of a house where I grew up. One of my uncles was into welding. We had a one of a kind tandem bike, that my uncle made out of two junk bikes. Nobody else had that kind of bike in the village and surrounding area. That was something back then. My uncle became a professional welder and keeps making awesome things.
I wish I had some pictures of at least some of these unique creations.
How Did I Get Into Sewing?
The first time I came across sewing was when I was a little girl. My first sewing experience started at my grandma’s house in a small village in Poland. She knew how to sew and also, my mom was a professional seamstress. I loved watching them sew. At that time, my grandma had a treadle machine. I was fascinated by how that machine worked. That thing was a piece of furniture! It had the side wooden cabinet; it was a perfect hideout spot for me. I kept my toys there (what a great memory!).
After some time, my mom got an electric machine with the plastic cover that latched on the sides. When I was older, she let me use it. At first, I would remake old clothes into skirts for myself. When I got better at sewing, I would buy fabric and I would make some garments, of course with mom’s help.
After I graduated college I moved to the United States. I haven’t sewn for a while.
My interest in sewing came back when I was expecting my daughter Sophia.
With the thought of how many things I could make, especially for my kids, I started researching what kind of machine I would like to have. Janome was the one I liked the most. I became the owner of my first sewing machine! I was so excited! I read the whole manual book that day.
I started sewing again! A friend led me through some difficulties and showed me some tricks. I love tricks and I’m always looking for shortcuts.
And this picture makes my heart sing. It’s my son Daniel doing his project and using my sewing machine for the first time.
Crocheting
Out of all the creative people I grew up around, I don’t remember anyone crocheting. Some of my school girlfriends had beautiful crocheted tops and I always wanted to have one too. Well, many years past and I came across my lovely neighbor that is a pro in crocheting. She taught me how to read crochet patterns and led me through my first crochet project. I made myself, my very own crocheted top, and I got hooked! You can see my first crochet project visiting my post on how to crochet a beautiful tunic for adult and child.
A Thought Of Going Into A Crafting Business.
Whatever I would make, people would compliment my creation. There was a time when my friend suggested that I should go into business. That idea got stuck in my head. I have gone to a lot of crafting shows and admired all the beautiful work of so many talented crafters. However, mass-producing crafts and trying to sell them wasn’t appealing to me. I decided to start writing a DIY blog where people can find patterns and step by step tutorials.
How I Came Up With My Blog Name?
First, I named my blog “The Sewing Pixies”. I came up with that name to remember my Grandma and me sewing together. But, after some time I started posting other than sewing project ideas on my blog. So, I thought that a simple Agnes Creates would work perfectly. I still think about my grandma often. Actually, I named my daughter Sophia in honor of her. I hope one day Zosia (that’s what I call my daughter, it’s the Polish version of Sophia) will enjoy crafting with me and hope you do too!
And this picture makes my heart sing. It’s my son Daniel doing his project and using my sewing machine for the first time.