Sew What

I bought a sewing machine at an estate sale last year.

My neighbor was moving in with her daughter, and it was there that I got this machine. It's absolutely beautiful. She gave me quite the deal, too. Pretty well everything you'd need to sew was included. Dressmaking shears, bias tape, seam finishing tape, pins, bobbins, shoulder pads, fabric remnants, ribbon, thread and needles. Even the original owner's manual was in the drawer!

Yep, everything you'd need to sew. Except for patterns, and an elf living in the drawer to teach me to sew.

I've wanted to learn to sew for quite some time. My mom has a sewing machine that belonged to my grandmother, and I'd been toying with bringing that machine over to my house. Then, my neighbor had her estate sale, and I just couldn't pass up this machine.

That was last summer. It's been sitting here, silently mocking me, waiting for me to use it ever since.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to order some fabric and a pattern from Joann. I'm going to do it; I'm going to sew!

My daughter has been dancing for years. Dance clothes (I'm not talking about recital costumes, just dance clothes, for dance class) can get pricey. Ballet skirts run $25 and up in most places. We're talking about maybe a yard of fabric, and no elastic because the one she has is a wrap skirt. I just spent $41 on a leotard, and shorts for dance class also run about $15 and up. I sound like a cheapskate, and maybe I am, but I haven't found dance clothes for dirt cheap yet. My husband's friend once told me that I have a black belt in shopping, but apparently not when it comes to dance clothes.

I've used a sewing machine before, but not to actually make anything useful. I made a ton of Barbie sleeping bags when I was a kid. I think that's the extent of my sewing experience.

In the 90's, stars and moons were just starting to come into vogue. I've always liked stars and moons, and I wanted to decorate a bathroom with stars and moons. You could find decorations, but no shower curtains. At least no shower curtains with a pattern I liked. I discovered stitch witchery and made a shower curtain with a valance and tie-backs using stitch witchery.

I made Halloween costumes using stitch witchery and hot glue.

The creativity and willingness are there. I suppose it's a matter of perseverance and trial and error. And actually sitting down at the machine. I'm hoping my neighbor left some of her magic with the old Singer she used so often!

Wish me luck!