Sew What?

I started a 30 by 30 list. I know what you're thinking. I won't bore you with all my mediocre goals for the next four years- mostly b/c I could only think of 5 and I don't want you to laugh. But! One that is on my list of To Dos is : learn how to sew, dang it.

Captain J bought me a sewing machine for my birthday last year (or maybe it was for Christmas?). Anyway, I unpacked it, tried to set it up, and nothing. I couldn't figure it out and who likes to read directions? Not this girl. Besides, those directions are vague, inaccurate, and INFURIATING! So, there my shiny new machine sat with no one to create lovely things with her.

Enter Jenn.

We've been discussing taking a sewing class since she got to post a few months ago. Instead, she said her husband, Hunter, would teach us the basics. And by basics, I mean how to thread the freakin' needle. Half the battle (maybe over half the battle) in sewing is just getting the stinkin' machine to work. She texted me saying they'd both be over the following day to help.

What did I do?

I did what any eager student would do- I studied the machine. I oriented myself with the mechanics. Ok, that's a fib.

I actually decided my sewing room needed a facelift and I completely re-arranged everything in that room. Makes sense, right? I even hung pictures. I was working on the feng shui, people! I wanted to be in the room after I was done so I thought that was a pretty good first step in using my "sewing room"- aka guest bedroom.

Oh, there. That's better.

Now, I can work.

The following day, they came over and showed me how to work this machine which I find anything but simple. Alas, that's the machine's name. Liars.

Anyway, on Sunday I decided I was going to make something. The only thing I could think of that sounded easy was a baby bib. I scoured the house for material. I ended up finding a shirt I shouldn't have worn past high school although I was definitely guilty of rocking it well into my twenties. Also, I found an old hand towel that was too ugly to display in my house anymore.

I started cutting out the pattern...

Pinning it together...

Sewing successfully.

and then THEN the darn thing breaks and I have to figure out how to thread it again. The machine I have does not allow you to see the bobbin as you sew so it's a little difficult to get threaded again. That's my excuse anyway. After phone calls to Hunter, youtube instruction videos, and maybe a few dirty words (If you say them to yourself, do they still count?) - I was back in business!

The result was a homely, very pink, but very obvious baby bib! I'm so proud. I mean, I know it's not pretty, but it's going to work like a charm and that's all that matters, right? Note: I don't know if it's a girl or a boy, but this fabric is what I had around so I went with it. Speaking of...have you voted in my current poll? Most of you think Baby #2 is a girl, but it's a close call. You only have a few more weeks to guess.

Anyway, I'm going to end my post now. This is the point where you praise my tenacity of keeping with something that is so dreadfully hard and not killing anyone in the process. Ready, go!