Seamstress in Training

My mom struggled to teach me to sew when I was a teenager…but I didn’t have the patience for the patterns.  I couldn’t figure them out and they gave me a headache.  Now, I graduated third in my high school class and earned a computer science degree – but I was intimidated by sewing patterns.   So the perfectionist in me just decided I couldn’t sew.

Over the years, I would dabble a bit, but would get frustrated. I could do basic sewing, but couldn’t figure out how to really make useful things with my pitifully limited knowledge.  I would so rarely use my  hand me down machine  and the part of my brain that knew how to work it, they both would gather dust.

This past summer, I had my second child.  I went to a baby shower when he was just a couple of months old.  I “oohed” and “aahed” over several handmade items – breaking the tenth commandment the whole time – you know, the one about coveting and wanting what someone else has.  Then I realized they were only straight stitches.  I started having a conversation with myself in my brain (Does anyone else do that? Or is that something that by admitting it I could have the men in white coats sent my way?) “I think I could do that…it doesn’t look that hard…but I don’t really know how to sew…wonder if I can remember how to thread my machine…do I have any material I could use?...”  Like a demon-possessed, I went straight home, gathered materials and made a burp cloth!  And now I’ve been bitten by the sewing bug.

I then became a sewing fiend…made gifts for friends, Christmas gifts for Sister Blessing and Brother Blessing.  I’ve even sold a few burp cloths and Trick-or-Treat bags.  Whenever my two children give me an opportunity, I’ve been sewing on my machine that is almost as old as me.  People ask how do I have time…well, let’s just say I’ve never been a great housekeeper,  and sewing gives me even more reason to procrastinate….

I’m getting more confident in my abilities and am getting brave enough to try to start a side business sewing items for sale.  Now that the holidays are slowing down, I’m fixin’ to get serious about it.  Who knew?  A year ago I considered myself sewing impaired and now I am a seamstress in training.