So I love to Sew

I use to hate to sew.  I learned how back when I was in 4H.  My grandmother taught me how to sew.  She was a beautiful seamstress but one of my only memories from the lessons is that I caught my jumper I was sewing in the serger and it cut a big whole in the strap and my grandma yelled at me while she tried to fix it.  My older sister was so much better than I.  After a couple of years I stopped sewing.

Years past.  I took up crocheting and knitting again after a long hiatus as well.  I was working as an intern at Walmart and whenever I could I would help out in the Fabrics department.  I saw these people bring in these beautiful things that they sewed and thought I could do that.  So I used my nice bonus and bought me a sewing machine and started up again.  The next year I moved in with Catherine, who was majoring in it.  She gave me so much tips and was much more patient with me than my grandma was.

I still didn't like it as much as I hoped.  If I started screaming at my sewing machine, I would know it was time to put it away.  I made my own wedding dress but still didn't know if I liked it so much.  Then this summer I sat down for two months and just sewed.  A miracle happened.  I put in a zipper and it looked good.  I put in another and it looked good.  For the first time I attempted to make bias tape, and it worked.  I use to skip parts (make the pattern simplier) if I didn't think I could do something I hadn't done before.  This time I found myself trying them and mostly I succeeded.  It made me excited.

I entered the things in the fair and I got almost all blue ribbon.  I was so shocked.  However, I took a few weeks off to make cards and work on scrapbooks but today I started to get out some new patterns and material to make a few things.  I felt myself getting excited and having a lot more patience with things that use to drive me nuts.  What is first up?  A kimono inspired dress for Sheila made of red brocade with yellow flowers.  I cut the material today.  I will be putting these items in the fair next year so I making them a size too big for her.  Also up for this month, a yellow eyelot dress for Kimberly, denim shorts and a button down shirt for Timmy, and a skirt for me.  I plan to make 4-5 things a month.

I will need to get a new sewing machine soon.  Mine is almost 10 years old and I have been having trouble with the button hole feature.  Also my serger still sits in the box.  I need to just suck it up and do it and forget the yelling grandma episode because I love that she taught me something that I now love to do.