I’m Learning to Sew
Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved fixing and creating things. They don't always turn out the way I envisioned them, but I'm certainly not afraid of putting my hands to use.
Last year, I discovered that I enjoy minor yard work, such as trimming my hedges, weed eating, and cleaning my gutters. I also learned that I like to paint.
For at least 10 years, I've owned a sewing machine that I'd never learned to use. That changed this weekend.
My sister, my daughter, and I had a late Saturday breakfast with our mom, grandmother, and aunt. While eating, I asked my aunt (who alters all of our clothes when needed) if she could sew some curtains for my daughter's room if I bought the fabric. She said she could. So, immediately after we left The Cracker Barrel (my daughter's favorite place for pancakes), I went to the 2-4-6-8 store in Five Points. Found the fabric I wanted, stopped by my house to put my sewing machine in my car and headed to my mom's, where we were having something of a girls' day.
I took my machine and fabric out the car and took them to my aunt. I THOUGHT she was going to do the work for me, as usual. Much to my surprise and elation, she just set up a work station and guided me through all of the work, including the threading of my bobbin as well as the needle.
She had me to do the sides first. I decided to complete one curtain before starting on the second. So after doing the sides, I moved to the top. After I'd folded over and under the top few inches with an opening large enough for my rods, my grandmother told me that I should do another smaller seam along the top for a more polished look. She and my aunt guided me through that. Then, I did my bottom hem.
I enjoyed my little project, and I'm sure I'll be painting her room and making more curtains in a few years, but NOTHING compares to the quality time I got to spend with my family or the fact that I learned the beginnings of a new skill from them. I can hardly wait to make something else!