In the House of Sylvestermouse
About Sylvestermouse
My real name is Cynthia, but in cyberspace I am known as Sylvestermouse.
In the physical world, I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I am honored to be called by either of these names and I am grateful for all of the people who make my life complete.
Above all else, I value my God, my family, my friends and the time I spend with each of them. I adore all animals and I strive to see beauty in every creation even though sometimes the beauty is hidden at first glance.
My hobbies include sewing, cross stitch and creating beautiful craft items. I also know how to crochet and knit. Even though it has been many years since I have picked up a crochet hook or my knitting needles, I still collect patterns and books in preparation for the day when I will grab my hook/needles and start casting or stitching 'til my heart's content.
I love my whole great big, hugely diversified family (and I actually like most of them:) and I am happiest when I am making something for one of them. Unfortunately that means that I do not have very many things in my own home that bear my signature except my children and my husband, and they are gifts I am keeping.
Why Sylvestermouse?
Yes, I know, you want to know, "Why the name Sylvestermouse?" Eons ago, when we bought our first computer, and we were setting up our first "aol" email accounts, I had absolutely no idea what to use as my email address. After hours of quandary, I asked my children, as they are, after all, the wisest people I know. After discussing favorite songs, favorite color, nicknames, hobbies, and various activities, we finally made it to first pet.
I grew up in a very large family where just about everything was shared: albums, clothes, bedrooms, bathrooms, parents, etc. My first "mine only" pet was my all time favorite. Sylvester was a wild field mouse that my brother caught for me in a Dixie cup outside of an old grocery store. One reason I loved him: He was a gift from my brother.
Another reason he was my favorite pet ever is because my sister, who shared my bedroom / clothes / makeup / hair curlers, hated rodents of any kind.
In spite of the fact that Sylvester was blind in one eye, he was very active and very alert. His nighttime frolicking made for endless entertainment for me and unrelenting torment for my sister. Even though he was in his cage, my sister was convinced that he was in our bed, eating her love letters or simply exploring the entire bedroom and using her jeans as a "rest stop." She could not sleep and I could not stop laughing. Literally years of fun!
So, when asked what my favorite pet was, Sylvestermouse was chosen. Thus, House of Sylvestermouse became the name of my Ebay store.
Family Tradition in Sewing
I honestly can not remember a time when I did not sew. My mother and my grandmother both were accomplished seamstresses (I have yet to reach that level) and it just seemed natural to pick up a needle and go to work. As a child, my favorite animal was a big grey stuffed mouse that my grandmother made for me. My daughter has it now and it will probably grace another child's bed in the future when she passes it down to her daughter or niece.
When I was a teenager, I attended a lot of dances. My mother made some of the most beautiful formals for me to wear and I loved being original. If someone asked "Where did you get that gorgeous dress?", I would laugh and say "my mother made it." Responses were always something like "I wish my mom could sew" or "wow, you are really lucky." Knowing the hours and days that my mother spent bending over the sewing machine, made me feel privileged indeed. Mom continued to sew for me after I graduated. She made the most beautiful blouses! My favorite was a black satin blouse with a lace trimmed ruffle down the front. I wore it until.... oh, wait, I still have it. That blouse is over 20 years old and it still looks great. Just a little 80's style going there, but who cares. Fashion always comes back around if you wait long enough and some things, like my black blouse, never go out of style. Just last Christmas mom gave each of her children a hand quilted blanket. Mine, of course, was Peter Rabbit. Had to stay in the rodent family you know.
A Love for Sewing Continues
Now to move to the next generation: I love to sew, cross stitch, quilt, crochet, knit, latch hook, etc. Just about any craft I can get my hands on, I try. Over the years, I have also made lots of wreaths, painted wood décor and even faux painted the walls of my home.
Because I enjoy so many different crafts, I am "master of none", but I sure have a lot of fun. My current favorite craft activity is making costumes for my son. Since he grew up during the "video game explosion." Halloween is always fun.
The first costume I made for him was the Black Mage from "Final Fantasy." Wow, talk about a challenge! I am currently working on Link from "Zelda." I thought it would be simple compared to the Black Mage, but it is not. Frankly, for the first time in my life, I am stumped by a costume. It is incredibly difficult to duplicate, but I will endeavor to persevere.
Some of My Other Fun Sewing Projects
Family Fun
When you come from a really large family, Christmas is always reminiscent of a rock concert! Folks packed in wall to wall; Noise level equivalent to a jet engine; People you can't identify; Odors you can't identify; Food you can't identify and nowhere near enough seats in the house.
Even if you buy the biggest tree on the lot and decorate it with tons of ornaments, you won't be able to see it until after Christmas day. Why, you ask, because it is totally blocked by gifts!
Due to job changes, new homes, new cars, more babies, adopting a dog, etc, the economic status of each household varies from year to year. We all have years when money is tight. In order to save money one Christmas many years ago, I made gifts for just about everyone in our family. Thinking of a gift to make for a guy is not as easy as one might think, not to mention, my brothers are all very different in personality. So, I thought, what do they all have in common. Then the brainstorm; they all wear underwear! Well, my legs couldn't carry me fast enough to the store where I purchased wildlife themed fabric, if you knew my brothers you would understand why I chose wildlife. I raced back home and started to work. The machine was humming, I was humming, and life was great. I quickly finished, wrapped the boxer shorts and sat sipping coffee, pleased with myself for having thought of such a great gift.
Well, Christmas came, the gifts were opened and everyone was complimentary of their gifts. The guys were thrilled with their wolves, bears, and other wildlife boxer shorts. My brothers are a pretty considerate lot and they all have the memory of an elephant. So, it won't surprise you to know that six months later a group of us got together to take our children to the zoo. What did my older brother wear? His wildlife boxer shorts, a t-shirt and a proud grin.
Because he really went out of his way to show his appreciation for that gift and because he was so pleased that he remembered his wildlife shorts, I didn't have the heart to tell him they were meant to be boxer shorts and not walking shorts. I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't tell him either.
My Hobbies Turned into a Business
My love for cross stitch, sewing, quilting, crochet, painting, and crafts in general, coupled with my desire to earn a little money, lead me to start selling on Ebay.
I enjoy selling patterns and kits. I have been thrilled to find out that needlework, quilting and sewing are not "lost arts."
With everyone so busy these days, it is hard to find time to indulge in crafts, much less time to go shopping, so I offer a way to purchase patterns and kits online 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week and have them directly delivered to your door without the hassle of leaving home.
Where to Find the House of Sylvestermouse on Ebay
- House of Sylvestermouse
I hope you will visit my ebay store and browse the selection of craft books, patterns and kits listed there.
Would You Like to Read More About Me, Sylvestermouse
Below the Guestbook, I have included a link list to many of my articles, separated into categories.
Since I have published over 150 articles on Hubpages, they are not all listed, but enough are there to give you an idea of the types of articles I enjoy writing.
To see a complete list, please visit my Hubpages Profile page.
My Favorite FREE ONLINE PATTERNS ARE AVAILABLE AT:
- Free Patterns
Great Website for Free Cross Stitch and Crochet Patterns! - Free Cross Stitch Pattern
Great Website for Cross Stitch Patterns
My favorite FREE RECIPE WEBSITE
- Top Secret Recipes
Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand Name Foods like Planet Hollywood® Chicken Crunch or Hard Rock Cafe® Orange Freeze
Thank you for stopping by!
Do Come Back and See Me Again!
~ Sylvestermouse ~
All Photos are the Exclusive Property of ©Sylvestermouse
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Please leave comments! It would be great to hear from you and I would enjoy hearing your crafting stories too.
© 2009 Cynthia Sylvestermouse