I have always liked art and the idea of making things. However, I devoted much more time to cheerleading than improving my creative skills when I was young. I decided to learn to sew about a year and a half ago because a friend of mine was learning to sew as well. She was making a t-shirt blanket from all of her and her husband's old college shirts (Thanks, Jenna!). I bought a Brother CE-4000 for $89 on Ebay, and so the love affair began.
The first time I went to the fabric store, I didn't buy anything. There was so much fabric and there were so many people! I didn't know how much of what to ask for. I just walked around aimlessly, watched what other people did, and left. I get a little skittish when I don't really know what to do in certain situations. Now, going to the fabric store is one of my favorite steps in the sewing process.
I read tons of online tutorials and the manual for my machine, since I had never so much as touched one before. If you are beginning to sew and haven't ever tried it before, these two resources will become your best friends! I began making simple things like tag blankets and burp cloths.
Last fall, I found myself with plenty of energy and without a teaching job. We were going to be relocated for my husband's job in the middle of the school year, so I resigned from the job I so dearly loved. I was going to pull my hair out being at home with nothing to do on the days I couldn't substitute teach, so I signed up for a quilting class at the local quilt shop, Tomorrow's Quilts. And, with the help of Gloria, I made my first quilt. I understand now that my fabric choices were a bit wild, but I still love that quilt!
You see, my grandmother on my mother's side was a quilter. She quilted by hand, and as you can imagine, I wish I had been interested in quilting while she was still alive. I could have learned so much from her. I remember watching her sew and thinking how complicated it must be to learn how to do all that. All the measuring, all the needles... Anyway, I think she would be proud of me for learning. And, while I'm sure I'll never be as talented as she was, I do enjoy it very much.
