Meet Princess Myia, one of the faces of my amazing Facebook admin team
Hey Its Becky
Hope your all well?
So over the next few months I will be introducing you to my admin team. These amazing people put up with all my ideas I have and they are like my cheer leader squad. I've never actually met any of them but I know they are like my sewing family who I can ask for help when needed.
So lets get started, I would like to introduce to you Helen, one of my Facebook admin team.
Take it away Helen!
.........
Hello everyone
Welcome to the website of R.j.A.f.MAKES.com
I am lucky enough to be one of the admins for Becky’s Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/443979453165665/?ref=share
So in this blog of mine, I’m going to tell you a little about me, my sewing journey and the life I lead. I hope to inspire you, make you laugh and be here to help support you in your own journey.
I live in the beautiful countryside of Buckinghamshire with my loving husband and my Bichon Frisè pampered pooch. I have two grown up sons and two beautiful granddaughters.
Across the whole of social media, I am known as Princess Myia Wanakeeska but that’s not my real name. The Princess Myia name is actually my gorgeous pampered pooches kennel club name. The story behind using her name goes like this; once upon a time (haha sorry, couldn’t resist). My eldest son was going traveling (a few, quite a few, years ago), I wanted to be able to keep in touch with him and his travels (he was a Facebook user, I wasn’t) so I really needed to join the masses and create my own Facebook account, but as I’m quite a private person, I didn’t want to be know across the world nor did I want past acquaintances to be able to contact me. Therefore, my little fluffy dog became the proud owner of a Facebook account 😂. My real name is Helen, there, I’ve said it, I’ve admitted to the whole world, my little secret lol.
My sewing journey started about 5/6 years ago although I had done a bit during my school years. I only took sewing back up because of boredom, I was struck down with chronic ill health just after my wedding in 2007, this led to the loss of my career (I was training to become a paramedic) and my life as I new it. I wanted to be able to achieve something that was within the boundaries of my illness. Looking back, I actually think that sewing saved me, it kept me sane and made me feel less useless.
I didn’t know much about it when I started, so much so that I thought patchwork was “just” sewing little squares together and that quilting was the whole process of making a quilt and only professionals did it 😂😂. My first patchwork piece was me hand sewing lots of different sizes of fabric together and then cutting that bigger piece into the shape I wanted to cover my old dressing stool.
This is one of my ongoing projects, it’s going to be a completely handmade hand quilted king size quilt.
Oh how much I’ve learned since then and it’s all been self taught with the help of some fabulous sewing groups on Facebook.
I have since taught myself to sew “proper professional” 😉 quilts, toys and even handbags, yep, you read that right, HANDBAGS. I even do cross stitch and embroidery.
My life has changed, for the better, so much since I started out. I have my own Facebook page;
https://www.facebook.com/MyiasMakes/
My own instagram page;
https://www.instagram.com/myias_makes
I am also, as well as being one of Becky Alexander Frost’s admin, lucky enough to be one of her pattern testers. This journey I’ve been on has been so much fun, full of laughter, making new friends and even some tears along the way. Tears when whatever I’m sewing is just not going to plan or the doll I’ve just made looks more like something Frankenstein’s monster would’ve made 😂.
I don’t think you ever stop learning and I certainly don’t plan to anytime soon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my story and if I can help any of you, please get in touch. 🤫 remember to keep my secret xx
Thank you to https://www.facebook.com/beckyalexander.rjafmakes for allowing me to be part of your fabulous online presence.
Jacqui Penman
Hi Princess best of luck in your new role! Would you believe, our stories are identical. Like you I developed a chronic illness, which led to loss of job and identity and then I found sewing! It’s the perfect past time, as we can rest when we need to. Now I’m addicted to bag making, loving life and can’t wait to see what you and Becky have in store for us 💕💕
Lynn Wood
Lovely to put your name to your face. Like you I have a chronic illness one in ten thousand, and sew, cross stitch and embroidery to try and forget. But have a lot less time as husband has just come out of hospital and needs my time now. Stay safe. X