Sew Bored...

I've had a hankerin' lately to get out the ol' sewing machine and try *again* to learn to sew.  I've attempted several times in my life, and have yet to feel comfortable with it.

My Grandma tried to teach me a thing or two when I was a kid.  We would spend a week with her in the summer and I would ask her to 'teach me to sew'.  I remember sewing hankies for my Grandpa.  She tried teaching me a few other things, but she mostly did the work.

I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas right after Chris and I got married.  I started trying to sew bags.  They were cute.  But it took me a L-O-N-G time.  Our friend Norma came over and taught me how to cut and piece quilt squares, and I made bags out of those.  Norma is a perfectionist, so I learned to perfectly pin, sew seams, and piece squares together.  If I messed up or strayed a little away from 'perfect'...she made me rip it out and start over.  So, I quickly bored of sewing squares together.

Mom used to let me help and I remember pulling elastic through fabric and ironing seams.  b-o-r-i-n-g.

So, when I started thinking about pulling the ol' sewing machine out again, I decided to take a sewing class and see what I could do...I signed up for a class at Hancocks, and arrived at 10:00 last Saturday morning...but no one was there to teach my class!  After feeling very confused and forgotten, I decided to try a different sewing shop for my class.  I found another and I'm enrolled for later in July.

Which brings me to tonight.  I found myself a little bored after the threat of rain cancelled my nightly walk.  I kept thinking about sewing and thinking that surely I could find something cute (and easy) to sew for Katie.  I started reading some sewing blogs and finally came across one that had some easy, cute little patterns.  I downloaded it, printed it, and started to work...

First, I gathered my supplies.  I searched through some 5-year-old fabric that I had from buying up lots of pieces when I was making those bags...

I remembered that you have to wash the fabric first.  So, while it was washing and drying...I got out the ol' manual, for a refresher in threading the machine and loading the bobbin.  Got that done.  Without incident.  Which is a pretty big feat.

Then, it was time for a little de-stressing. (remember, threading that needle and dealing with the bobbin have typically been a stressful and often times project-ending task for me)!  So, I ate some ice cream.  And waited for the fabric to finish in the dryer...

I set up a make-shift ironing board on the end of my kitchen counter.  I *hate* ironing.  So much that I NEVER get out the ironing board.  I decided that if I eliminated the ironing board, I might have less stress in this project.  So, I put a dish towel down over a hand-towel and voila!! I had an ironing board for my iron that was right next to my workstation!

I measured and cut, pinned, and pressed.  Finally...I was ready to sew that first seam...

Almost done!  It's only been a little over an hour...and the pattern promised to be finished in an hour!!  This is quite an accomplishment.  Grandma and I once made a "3-hour" pattern of shorts...in about 3 days.  So, I was expecting nothing less than an all-nighter when I started this project at 10:15 p.m.

So, finishing at 11:45...bonus!!

Since my model is asleep, I will post another "finished" product in the morning...when Ms. Katie is awake!  I also wonder if a few finishing touches might be in order...

All in all, though, I am pleased, excited, proud, ecstatic, and super-pumped at the end-result of my boredom tonight!!