Recently, I was asked how I got my sewing skills (sorry to call you out!) so I thought I would give a little background. While I am very gracious for the compliment, I think it is a bit generous :)
I can always remember wanting to sew. By spending so much time with my great-grandmother growing up, some may say (my mother) that I have old-lady tendencies, but that is ok because I loved that time and will forever cherish it. My Nana taught me the basics. The VERY basics, like a running stitch and some basic basic chicken scratch cross-stitch. In elementary school, I remember finishing some of her cross-stitch pieces and trying to make projects of my own. I came across an apron I had made my Samantha doll in elementary school and it is very primitive to say the least. I also used my Nana's scraps to make rag dolls.
In middle school, I took both years of Home Ec where there were hand and machine sewing projects and after that, I did not sew anything for years. I wanted a sewing machine so bad for a very long time and my sweet husband surprised me 5 years ago with one. I picked up a project book at Joann's and got to sewing. Great- except some of these early projects were terrible! There is still one blanket floating around the house that is almost embarrassing it is so bad. So when I realized I needed some guidance, I started searching Google for sewing classes. Guess what I found? A beginning quilters class at Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista. Those darling, sweet ladies had been sewing for years and years but they never put me down or discouraged my wonky quilt, even after we had to cut off half the block to make it square. They were so kind and so helpful even though I was way over my head. It seems that quilting is something you do after years of garment sewing, something you do when you have a lot of time and patience. I am so lucky they were patient ;)
That's also about the time when Mark deployed and I vowed to try all things sewing, even if they were super scary and intimidating. That was my deployment goal- maybe a little silly but I grew a lot. I picked up an Oliver and S pattern and gave that a go. That is when my seam ripper became my BFF. Some of the things I make and have made have taken hours to get looking halfway decent. When people ask when I will start selling things, I get nervous and scared. I know how many mistakes are in each piece and think that it will not be good enough for someone else. Sometimes, especially with O&S patterns, it takes so long to get it right, that I feel like I have climbed a mountain to finish. I thoroughly enjoy sewing but it has never just came easy. It has taken just about 5 years to where I can sew something and not have to seam rip. I'm not naturally talented but I have always had the desire.
I am always more than happy to help anyone just starting out with sewing. It has taken me a long time to be fairly decent so don't get discouraged quickly. Take a breath, get out the seam ripper and try again.
I can always remember wanting to sew. By spending so much time with my great-grandmother growing up, some may say (my mother) that I have old-lady tendencies, but that is ok because I loved that time and will forever cherish it. My Nana taught me the basics. The VERY basics, like a running stitch and some basic basic chicken scratch cross-stitch. In elementary school, I remember finishing some of her cross-stitch pieces and trying to make projects of my own. I came across an apron I had made my Samantha doll in elementary school and it is very primitive to say the least. I also used my Nana's scraps to make rag dolls.
In middle school, I took both years of Home Ec where there were hand and machine sewing projects and after that, I did not sew anything for years. I wanted a sewing machine so bad for a very long time and my sweet husband surprised me 5 years ago with one. I picked up a project book at Joann's and got to sewing. Great- except some of these early projects were terrible! There is still one blanket floating around the house that is almost embarrassing it is so bad. So when I realized I needed some guidance, I started searching Google for sewing classes. Guess what I found? A beginning quilters class at Fat Quarters Quilt Shop in Vista. Those darling, sweet ladies had been sewing for years and years but they never put me down or discouraged my wonky quilt, even after we had to cut off half the block to make it square. They were so kind and so helpful even though I was way over my head. It seems that quilting is something you do after years of garment sewing, something you do when you have a lot of time and patience. I am so lucky they were patient ;)
That's also about the time when Mark deployed and I vowed to try all things sewing, even if they were super scary and intimidating. That was my deployment goal- maybe a little silly but I grew a lot. I picked up an Oliver and S pattern and gave that a go. That is when my seam ripper became my BFF. Some of the things I make and have made have taken hours to get looking halfway decent. When people ask when I will start selling things, I get nervous and scared. I know how many mistakes are in each piece and think that it will not be good enough for someone else. Sometimes, especially with O&S patterns, it takes so long to get it right, that I feel like I have climbed a mountain to finish. I thoroughly enjoy sewing but it has never just came easy. It has taken just about 5 years to where I can sew something and not have to seam rip. I'm not naturally talented but I have always had the desire.
I am always more than happy to help anyone just starting out with sewing. It has taken me a long time to be fairly decent so don't get discouraged quickly. Take a breath, get out the seam ripper and try again.
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