I am going to try really hard to not sound like a kiss-ass...
This is to all of the DIYers, Corrinne, Whitneysews, Secretlifeofabionerd, RyanMoore and so many more...
You guys literally changed my life. I came upon the Threadbanger site a few years ago and at first I just looked on with absolute amazement. I thought all of the projects were so cool and though they seemed accessible I didn't think I would ever have the patience or ability to learn to sew and do crafts that were for things I would actually use. Little by little I used the tutorials and information and taught myself how to sew! I have since gotten pretty good and made so many cool things for my kids, friends and family and myself.
Here is where this goes all sappy and I hope that I dont come across as all cheesy because this is actually so very personal and deep for me. I gained so much confidence in myself and my abilities to be a real provider for my family throughout the process of learning from you guys. I was in a very bad place emotionally because of issues in my marriage and I felt out of control of my life. The joy I would feel when I would learn how to make something filled a huge void in my life when I was not getting alot of joy from anything else. I began to love to make things for other people and they would see what I had done and they would love it and most importantly they would smile, I needed those smiles at that time more than any of them would ever know. I felt like I could accomplish anything. This attitude that I can do ANYTHING that I really want to do took over all aspects of my life. I have always loved to cook so I started making big gardens so I can grow as much of my family's food as possible. Having never built anything in my life and with no serious power tool experience I built a massive chicken coop and it turned out beautifully! We now raise our own backyard hens and everytime I see the look in my daughter's eyes when she goes out and finds the eggs that they lay I have a sense of satisfaction that no carton of eggs in the store will ever be able to give me.
With this newfound self-sufficiency I also took a new approach to my marriage. Once my husband saw that his wife was all about doing things for herself and that I was no longer going to depend on an undependable person for what I need in life, I think that is when he began to respect me. He began to see that he couldnt do wrong by me and then just give me a bunch of money for me to go shopping and hope that eases my hurt. Shopping did nothing for me anymore as I would rather just make something for myself. I began to stand up for myself because I knew I had worth as a person. I know this seems a bit long-winded but I owe taking control of myself and coming out of a long depression to you guys. It all started when I used your tutorials to teach myself how to sew. It was the perfect way for me to get some self-esteem back and for me to feel like a useful person again instead of just a useless lump of depression. As far as my marriage today, we are on the mend. Things are looking better for us now than they have in years. He still has addiction issues and I am still learning to trust him again. But now I am able to approach all of this in ways I was not able to before because I have newfound confidence in myself. There are no projects that intimidate me anymore, whether its a sewing project or even something as big as saving a marriage and family, I feel confident enough that I can learn and adapt and tackle that project head-on.
I guess all of this is just to let you DIYer folks know that what you are doing sometimes goes beyond posting a tutorial about a new craft. When someone can teach themselves how to do something it gives them so much more than just a new skill. It gave me a new lease on life. Please keep doing what you do!!!
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