Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

This is my sewing machine:

I got it for Christmas from my husband.  I decided to take up sewing about a year after my mother passed away.  Mom was an expert seamstress.  She had been sewing her whole adult life, and if you could imagine it, she could sew it.  When I was little, she sewed clothes for us and our dolls. She made bedspreads and curtains to decorate our rooms, throw pillows for our couches, and of course was always there to alter clothing that didn't fit. I remember when she decided to slipcover our living room sectional (a BIG job) rather than buy a new couch.  It looked as if it had been done professionally.  She was really, really something.

I never had the patience for sewing when I was younger.   I remember taking it in home economics class but being frustrated by little things like threading the needle.  Besides, what did I need to learn to sew for, when Mom was always there to do it for me?  Shortly after she passed, I needed to hem a pair of pants.  I went into JoAnn Fabrics to buy some of that no-sew hem tape.  When I was at JoAnn, the memories of her were so strong.  As a child, I spent a lot of time in fabric stores.  Everywhere I turned, something made me think of her.

The hem tape, by the way, didn't last more than a couple of washings.  I needed to hem them with thread and needle.  So I found a YouTube video and did it by hand.  They didn't look great, but they were passable.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I could do a much more polished job on hemming if I had an actual sewing machine.  I asked my husband for one for Christmas.  He not only got me a great machine but also a new sewing basket full of supplies.

For my first project, I made a baby playmat for a family member's new little one.  It wasn't my best work, but it was acceptable.  Since then, I've made dozens of things, mostly small, simple projects.  I'm still very much a beginner--none of my projects are perfect--but I am learning more every day.  Most of all, I am having FUN.  I find myself thinking about sewing all the time.  I have a Pinterest board where I pin sewing projects that interest me, and I'm always planning my next project (currently, I have three in the works).

When I sew, I feel close to my Mom, but it also makes me miss her.  I wish so badly that she were around for me to share ideas, get tips and troubleshoot problems.  I wish I had decided to take up sewing when she were still alive, but maybe I would have given up too easily since, by comparison, she was such an expert.  I know she would have been supportive and encouraging though. And I love the idea that I am carrying on some sort of legacy, even if I don't have her skill level.  I don't know if I will ever get to the point where I can slipcover furniture or even make clothing, but for now, I am happy making my little, simple projects on my very own sewing machine. <3