Sewing

When we lost Sam it became quickly apparent that I needed to find something to occupy my time in a healthy, constructive way. I then remembered the sewing machine that Mark and I got as a wedding gift. This item landed on our registry because Mark had insisted that every house needed a sewing machine. This was despite my reminders that neither of us knew how to sew. We didn't even know how to sew buttons back on properly, let alone how to do anything with a sewing machine. It's something my sister-in-law became astutely aware of when she agreed to take me on as her sewing apprentice.

Five years after our wedding the machine finally emerged from its box. So shiny. So pretty. So new. Now what. Back into the box. Into the car. Over to Danielle's house my machine and I traveled. She taught me how to thread my machine. She taught me how to turn it on and how to drive it. This brought back the same nervous feeling that learning to drive my mom's car had inspired many years ago.

My first project: pillow covers

When I finally felt comfortable with my practice stitches, it was time for my first project. Danielle took me to Sewn and helped me pick out fabric to make pillows. I was all ready to start my project. There was nothing to be nervous about. Worst case scenario, I would mess up and rip my stitches out (something I have become all to familiar with.)

But wait, I had to cut my fabric first. So much math. Easy math. Adding and subtracting. But when the cut is permanent I no longer trust my brain and I double and triple check with Danielle and even break out a calculator. I put the blade to the fabric and my palms sweat like I am on a first date with a cute boy. Eventually all of my squares are cut and I start driving my machine and a pillow case emerges with three others to follow. Yay!

Khloe's baby quilt

I then tackled a baby quilt for my baby niece Khloe. This is a truly great hobby.

My next project was to make an apron. I found a pack of patterns and then everything came to a screeching  halt. What kind of crazy language are these things written in? The pattern pack had 5 apron patterns in it -- something I considered to be a real bargain when I picked it out. Little did I know, this means a crazy zig zagging of dotted, dashed, dot-dashed, and solid lines all fitted around each other on paper that makes newsprint seem like steel. And if I thought cutting fabric brought on anxiety this took me to a whole new place. The result: fold up the fragile, 900-year-old-like paper and carefully tuck it back into its envelope.

But I still wanted to sew. So began cutting up my fabric and sewing it together. It was at this point that Danielle called and asked what I was making. I responded, "I don't know it is a surprise." Danielle says, "oh, I love surprise sewing projects." And I say, "Oh it's not a surprise because I don't want to tell you, it's a surprise because I'm not even sure what it is." I have since decided that the "apron" will be a tiny cat quilt to lay over the back of the couch. And my future projects will be a little more defined before I start...perhaps an Amy Butler quilt to wrap around myself.