So Sew Not Easy

So my MIL bought me a sewing machine. I have wanted one for a couple of years now.

I do NOT know how to sew. At. All. I am teaching myself with the help of the internet and a few carefully chosen books. I scoured McKay for days looking for just the right books.

The first day I got it, I couldn’t do anything with it. Keith was having band practice and I was dyeing a girl from church’s hair (blue, if you care). The next day was our official anniversary and we had a friend over to join us for dinner. I finally got to get in there and learn.

Its not as bad as I had thought.
But.
Heather came to pick up the girls after I had been playing with it for a few hours – just trying to get it threaded. Yeah, I broke down and asked her for her help. She very quickly threaded it and seeing it one time, didn’t really help me. So I practiced some more. All I did that day was work on threading a machine.

The next day, I worked on practice stitches on an old sheet. Ok, its not really old, but I think my mom gave me the sheet and its plain white. I don’t like it. I digress. I spent the whole day sewing straight lines up and down the sheet.

I finally decided I was going to have to quit practicing my straight lines and just jump in. I made an apron out of a white sheet. It isn’t attractive, but it was my practice run. I finally worked up the nerve to tear up an old skirt and make it over into an apron. I like it.

Then I started (notice I started) a tote bag from an old t-shirt that I can no longer squeeze into. Its such a cute shirt that I refused to get rid of it and now I have something to do with it. But. My needle didn’t sew so well on jersey material so I put that project down.

I am sewing a skirt now. I am making it out of white sheet first, then re-doing in my cherry print fabric that Keith bought me for our anniversary. 🙂 I will post a pic when I get that one finished.