Diving In.

Now that my machine is running I’ve spent some time randomly stitching things together.  For my first actual sewing project I created a travel pillow for my brother-in-law. Some time ago he gave me a pants leg from his favorite blue jeans that he had worn to pieces. I turned that pants leg into a simple travel pillow for camping.  It is not a masterpiece but it is a start!

The next project I tackled was incredibly simple. I have found that despite my best intentions I don’t wear straight lightweight scarves. It doesn’t matter how many I buy or how many are gifted to me, they sit my closet. If it’s not a circular scarf, it’s not going to see the light of day.  So I sat down on a Shonda Rhimes Thursday and slowly stitched my straight scarves into circles using an overcast stitch for a great seam.  Success! 

A Decision Is Made.

In September I hit a wall. My career had become quite challenging and I sometimes felt like all my mental energy was spent by the time I got home in the evening.  My work was satisfying, stimulating, and fast paced. Unfortunately, most of my projects were long-game systems with payoffs that took months to achieve.  I desperately wanted to put work into something purely creative and see the positive results with near immediacy.

I'm a crafter but for some reason my normal projects weren't getting me out of my funk. I felt stuck. Stuck and stagnant. Stuck, stagnant, and hungry for something creatively satisfying.  Beyond that, the challenges of my husband's career meant I was spending countless hours alone. I needed something to revive my creative spark.

Maybe it was Pinterest, maybe it was the never-ending Project Runway episodes on repeat I was absorbing, but I decided to start sewing.

Earlier in the summer, my husband purchased a vintage mint green Singer sewing machine for me.

I pulled it out and quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing. I'm not even sure I had all the right parts.  I immediately put the vintage machine away and tried to sign up for a class at my local Jo-Ann Fabrics. However, they were booked solid for weeks! I decided to just dive in on my own and started my sewing education on the internet.

After reading reviews and visiting stores I decided to purchase the Brother XR9500PRW Limited Edition Project Runway Sewing Machine.

I did not buy this machine for the Project Runway branding. I chose this machine because it had glowing reviews and I felt a computerized machine was the "new" path in sewing.  That being said, don't let the branding full you because this is a powerful machine!  I ordered mine from Amazon and I was sewing seams within the hour.  

Five months later and I find myself donating my yarn stash and making room for a fabric stash. The vintage sewing machine is still in the house but I think it's heading for Craigslist. California living allows little room for sentimental living.  This hobby is so satisfying!