Saturday, October 31, 2009

New Project

I am not a crafty person. I am not selling myself short and I'm not simply being modest; I'm being honest. When it comes to being creative, it's just not in me.

That said, there are things in the creative world that even non-creative people can do with the assistance of creative people. Like sewing, for instance. Non-creative people, like me, can still enjoy mending things that need to be fixed and we can even enjoy creating things that other, more creative people, have designed for us. I am one of those people. I enjoy taking nothing and creating something useful. It's one of the reasons I love to cook so much; when all that basic, plain food is mixed together in such a way that something delicious and beautiful is made by my own hands, it makes be feel very satisfied and fulfilled. And when people enjoy that creation? Even better!

So, it's not surprising that I would also feel drawn to the creating and making of useful things like pillows, duvet covers and Halloween costumes.

Except I have a small problem. I don't know how to sew. Sure, I can do basic things like sew a button on a shirt or mend a rip along a seam, but that's it. I'm not too proud to admit that, until yesterday, the very idea of a sewing machine frightened me to my core.

Yesterday that changed. I needed to make cat tails for the girls' Halloween costumes and I decided I was going to use that easy project to figure out how to use Madeleine's Singer Simple sewing machine. And you know what? I did it! It took me all day but, by the end of the day, I figured out how to wind the bobbin, load the bobbin, thread the needle and raise the bobbin thread. My first cat tail's seam was uneven and awful, but my second? Pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

Next week Madeleine and I are going to make a pillow or two so that I can get some more practice in, but our next major project? Madeleine wants to duvet cover for her comforter. Stay tuned!

3 comments:

nina said...

Your creative talent comes through in your writing (and I'm sure, therefore, elsewhere as well).

Thank you for keeping the blog going -- in spite of the foursome, excuse me, fivesome you have to look after!

Erin said...

Do you want to take a sewing class with me?

Cate said...

Nina, you have no idea how much your comment means, especially since (I think?) you know how much I admire your blog, and though I don't comment frequently I read and enjoy it daily.

Erin, yes, in all your spare time. ;) I think we'll need to combine this with our bloody mary morning. Hmmm... I'm picturing some Saturday with our sewing machines and Joe and Chris taking the kids somewhere?