My New Obsession!

I am suddenly possessed with the desire to learn how to sew. Why has it taken me so long to do this, anyway? I know this feeling. When I get like this, I DO learn. It's like when, a few years ago, I got obsessed with digital scrapbooking. As soon as the bug really bit me, I was all over it. And now I've discovered--or I should say, re-discovered, sewing. This is my new project. Well, until the twins are born--then who knows waht I'll have time for. But they are part of the obsession--they are actually the reason for it. It's an amazing thing to just pick your fabric and do everything custom, they way YOU want to do it. And knowing that no one else in the world has the same thing you do. I want to make them clothes and fun things like that!

Yesterday was my birthday, and what I really, really wanted was my own sewing machine. This is what has stopped me from persuing this course in the past--I really wanted my own machine but they are so expensive! So we finally just bit the bullet and got one. THIS one. It's normally $400, but I got it for $300. Plus my in-laws helped pay for it so I really got it for less. Yay! Isn't it cute? I love it. Last night I was just messing with all the fun stitches it can do.

Looking back, I'm actually really surprised it took me this long to get into sewing. I showed an interest in it at about 5th grade. My mom showed me some basics, and then I was always sewing crappy Barbie clothes. I made skirts a lot--they were easy. My sister would make me some really cool clothes, and I loved them. I loved how you could use the more expensive, fun fabrics because you needed so little of it. I took sewing in 7th grade, as required in our state, and loved it. Then I took it again in high school, making an outfit that I actually wore a lot after that. So--with this interest--why didn't I just continue? Two of my sisters are very proficient seamstresses. Nicki helped me make my bedding for the twins. I am so jealous how, if she has an urge to make something, she just DOES. She can just buy a pattern or figure it out. I want to be able to do that! My other sister Cindy makes all kinds of cool stuff. She has a tutorial on her blog for making peti-skirts--I really want to learn to make them too! They are so cute! And so much better and cheaper to make yourself than to buy the crappy expensive ones in the store.

So now I am just full of ideas of what I want to try. Only--I need to learn how to read and follow a pattern! I know the basics about how to SEW, but sewing is a lot more than putting in the material and pressing the presser foot. How the crap do you follow a pattern? I look them over and it's familiar, but it's just been so long. I think I might make some simple baby clothes--then if I screw up, it's not very much material and oh well. I really ought to take a class, huh?

Trevor grumbles as he puts up the valance I made. Can't wait till the blinds come!

This weekend I made a valance for the baby room all by myself! It wasn't very hard--it was pretty much exactly the same as the dust ruffles we made, so I already had practice. But I was OH so proud of myself. Today I have a new project. I am going to cover a lamp shade with my own material. This won't require much sewing--at Joanne's you can get lamp shades that you just peel off the outside of the shade, use it for a pattern, then stick your material right on and line it with ribbon. Very easy. I'm so excited to go home and try it today! Then I'm making a simple table cloth-just a square peice, really, with hemmed edges, to go over the round table in the baby's room. And then--the quilts. I have the patterns for my quilts for the twins--but I am in NO WAY good enough to do them myself. So I'm gonna ask around for help on that one.

Recently the superintendant for another school district in my area released a statement that the new junior highs and high school in his district will not have sewing facilities. He feels learning to sew is a waste of time and isn't a skill necessary for those high-paying jobs out there--so why teach it? His exact words were:

“Our middle school students need to be spending much more time on core academics, especially science and mathematics. I do not see the benefit of requiring them to spend multiple days sewing dish-towel aprons and pajama pants.” ~Superintendant Doty

What a freaking idiot. This is a skill I am so glad that I learned. No, it may not contribute to my actual job, but it's something I can use all the time. I sure hope the new superintendant at our district is not this misguided!