I was thinking today about all the things I want to sew up for my summer wardrobe, and I took a trip down memory lane. My first few sewing projects came to my mind, and I am so glad pictures don’t exist…Totally Kidding! In all honesty, they weren’t that great, and they definitely didn’t have the quality control that I work so hard at for my current projects. But they are a building block from where I started, and make it very clear how far I’ve come!
My very first project was about 8 years ago. I had just had my first daughter, Brooklynne, and I was learning to breastfeed.
I had been given a Boppy pillow for my baby shower, and I thought it would be a great idea to make myself a pillow case for it. At the time, I didn’t actually have a sewing machine, sew (see what I did there) I decided to get some fabric and some iron-on seam tape. I found a free pattern online and went to town. Then I realized it called for a zipper. I decided that I was going to learn to sew. I went to Wal-Mart and bought the cheapest one I could find. My husband’s comment when I told him what I was doing was “You know that is mechanical, right? You could hurt yourself with that.” Always the realist…
Then I proceeded to sew it up. It didn’t turn out too bad, it actually zipped and un-zipped, and it fit the pillow. As far as first projects go, it wasn’t a total failure.
I think I made a shopping cart cover for her next and then put my machine away for a little bit. It was pretty intimidating. My grandma used to sew in a factory for her job, and her mom sewed a lot as well, but my mom didn’t. I just assumed I hadn’t inherited the sewing gene either.
Insert Baby #2, eighteen months later. Scarlett. I had been crocheting and selling hats on Etsy for the last year or so, but I decided it was time to take up sewing again. Brooklynne loved watching Minnie and the Wizard of Dizz on Disney Junior, so I made it my mission to make her Dorothy/Minnie for Halloween that year. So then Scarlett needed to be Glenda the Good Witch. I didn’t really want to spend a ton of money on these costumes, so I enlisted the help of a family friend and went to buy a pattern and fabric.
So making a full Dorothy and Glenda costume is not easy, believe it or not. I went to Joann’s with my friend and we got everything we needed to make the costumes. Several sewing lessons and several weeks later, she had made most of them for me. Haha! Not really kidding though. She was a saint. They turned out really great, thanks to her, and my love of sewing grew and grew.
After those sewing lessons, I just went from there. I sewed curtains, purses, clothes for the girls, clothes for me…I could go on and on. And on. My trip down memory lane took me back to where I started, my friend that made it all possible, and how far I’ve come. For me, sewing is now my passion, and I love sharing it with everyone!
Thanks for reading and Happy Memorial Day weekend!
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