My mother gifted me with a sewing machine when I got married in 1975 at the age of 17. Luckily she knew it would provide me a great source of usefulness and outlet for creativity for a long time to come. Soon after, we got pregnant and I set about making a quilt for my unborn baby. I can't stir it up at the moment to photograph for you, but it was crib size and sewn from hand cut 1.5 inch squares. Many more quilts and blankets followed, for both cribs
and big girl beds
And ultimately comfy blankies for my grandbabies
Of course one of the most fun things about having girls was being able to sew dresses for them
and suitcases full of outfits for their Cabbage Patch dolls
(Yes; I am a nut. I even made the cabbage patch head emblems)
When Erica was one I made her a Raggedy Ann doll and matching dress, and I've tried very hard to keep up that tradition for all the new baby girls that have come along since.
It wasn't long before I started sewing curtains for about every room in every house we lived in.
I didn't mind having to move every two or three years because that meant I could redecorate all over again!
I think for me it's always been more about the DO-ing of it than the final outcome
Which probably explains why (even tho most of my family doesn't understand it) I put as much thought and care into things I've made for online friends whom I'd only met once
Or in some cases never met at all.
As long as I had a reason to sew (ie; an outlet for it) that was good enough for me.
My constant companion, my vehicle of creativity for the past 32 years was a good ol' Sears Kenmore. Reminded me of a 60's VW bug. As long as you keep it oiled and clean it once in a while, it'll just go and go and go. Well, recently I started thinking I could probably handle an upgrade in the whole sewing experience, so....long story short;
Ta Dah!!! Meet my new friend Bernie!!
You see how fickle I am? I didn't even bother to take a picture of my old machine before I whisked her into oblivion for the new and improved machine. OH I tell you what. Just like a person might shouldn't go from a chuggy ol' VW to a 500series BMW, I'm kinda wondering if I should've worked may way UP to this machine. It's a wow. I set it up Saturday night, scared to death quite frankly, and decided I'd wind a bobbin. I went through all the steps, and then said, "Well, why isn't it working?!" Ahem. It WAS working. Purring along so quietly I didn't even hear it! In the past when I wound a bobbin I'd get yelled at from both ends of the house, "My God, do you have to be so LOUD!?" Last night I sat here and watched the 90 minute video on the basics of how to use it and the embroidery component. I think this will keep me busy at least another 30 years. I am very VERY happy about it and just wanted to share. :-) And yes, I will def keep the good ol' Sears Kenmore. I want to start teaching the older grades at Caleb's little school how to sew and it will be perfect for that.
I photographed the machine with one of the final squares of my FreddyDotCom quilt that I will soon put together (I plan on machine quilting it now that I CAN!) and also a little box of pins that Freddy highly recommended...they're the only ones she'll use because they are SO thin yet SO strong. You can pretty much sew right over them and not even notice. They are called Little House pins and are certainly not cheap at 100 for $10 but that's still plenty of pins for any given project.
Well, if you don't hear from me for the next few days you know where I'll be!
Have a great week. xo.