Hi, I’m Gloria, and I’m so glad you’re here! A little about me: I am a Christian, a wife, and a stay at home mom of two girls and one boy. Our family lives in Saskatchewan, Canada.
I grew up in a big homeschooling family and am largely inspired by my resourceful, fun, health-conscious mom. She’s the one who taught me to sew when I was about 8 years old. I sewed off and on throughout the years, but it was when I was pregnant with my first child that I really found the time and inspiration to sew regularly. I’m shorter on time now, but I still have lots of inspiration of things to sew for my family and home!
Sewing is one of my absolute favorite hobbies. I have lost tons of sleep not only to sewing, but also to the insomnia that inevitably comes with any challenging sewing project. It’s an incredibly useful skill, but it can also be a bit addictive!
I have always loved to make things from scratch, whether that’s food, personal hygiene products, clothing, or furniture (that one’s just a dream, but at least my husband is good at it!). Living free from toxins is one of my primary motivators to do so. There is rarely a time when I or someone in my family comes into contact with something that I don’t wonder what it’s made of and how toxic it probably is. That might sound crazy, but it’s true.
I also think that making things from scratch is just fun. There’s something so cool about knowing you made something that at first seems like it could only be made in a factory somewhere. I have made the padding and cover for a car seat, a winter coat for myself, numerous mattress pads for my babies, and even a mattress.
I have a strong preference for all things natural. I sew with natural fibers like linen, cotton, and wool almost exclusively. I love real wood furniture, whole foods without additives, and skin care products that are made with natural fats and oils. All that said, I am not the most extreme in any of those areas because I also have other priorities that balance things out a little!
I would consider myself frugal, but not cheap.
I’m also a bit of a minimalist. Not only do I find too many things to be overwhelming, but I know that if I buy less stuff, I can buy better quality of what I do get.
I hope with this blog to inspire and help women who want to improve their sewing skills, or are just looking for their next project. I focus on basic sewing skills, as well as sewing projects that are especially relevant to homemakers who love to make things that are natural, beautiful, practical, and affordable.
You might be wondering about the name of this blog, Shoebox On A Hill. Well, my husband coined the term when he jokingly said that we lived in a shoebox (a mobile home) on a hill (with a great lake view!). I thought it was catchy and it’s where I was doing all my sewing when I started this blog, so that was that. We have since moved two provinces over, from BC to Saskatchewan. We now live in a home that’s a lot bigger than our first ever home, our shoebox, and there are no hills to be seen anywhere. But still the name remains 🙂
I hope you’ll find lots of help, inspiration, and fun as you follow along with me on this sewing journey!