Sewing: Starting out

I know that a lot of you out there read my blog and see the things I sew and think to yourself, "I could never do that!"  You give up before you've even tried.  I know this is how you think because I once thought the same things.  I remember I bought a pattern to sew something for a friend, and took one look at that self-same pattern, and gave up after cutting out a few pieces.  Those cut up pieces still lie pinned together in one of my craft drawers. 

And then, right after he asked me to marry him, my husband (then fiance) gave me a Singer sewing machine from Walmart as a present for the year anniversary of when he asked me out.  (I gave him a power tool so we were totally even ;-D).

I don't even remember why I wanted it.  Maybe because I wanted to sew curtains?  They're pretty easy and didn't seem daunting to me at all.  Maybe because I wanted to try a quilt--though I've only ever made one successful quilt and calling it successful is a long shot.  Quilting scares me.  But shortly after he bought it for me we decided we'd go to the Rennaissance Faire, and I wanted to wear a costume and didn't want to pay $300 for mine so I bought a pattern.  I was so determined to have this costume that I didn't let the pattern scare me.  It was FOUR PIECES and even included some boning and I did it!    I couldn't believe when I was done and wore the thing to the Faire how successful I'd been!  And because I liked mine so much, I sewed another one from the same pattern for my friend, an extremely easy tunic for my hubby, and capes for two other friends who were coming along.

Thus began my sewing hobby.  Since then I've made a plethora of things.  Napkins for a tea party at church, 

 

 ...dish towels and matching placemats for a friend...

 

 ...curtains for every room in every house/apartment we've had since getting married, curtains for friends and family,
 banquet gowns and clutch purses for my little sisters (They go to a pretty strict private Christian school and needed prom type dresses but modest ones and since those don't exist I made their dresses),

handbags for many friends...

the list goes on.  I've discovered over the past four years that sewing isn't as scary as I"d made it out to be!  I know this mostly because every year my one little sister chooses a more and more difficult dress for me to make her. 

I say all this to tell you one thing:

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Do you want to make your own cloth diapers?
Do it!
Do you want to try your hand at making maxi pads?
Do it!
Do you want to make some cloth baby wipes, bibs, or even a diaper bag?
Do it!
Do you need a new purse and want to sew your own?
Do it!

What's the worst that can happen?  You'll mess up?  I mess up about 70% of the time.  That's why you buy a seam ripper!! Ha ha!

Thomas Edison failed at making the light bulb so many times that most of us would have given up and said it was impossible.  He was just pleased at himself for eliminating all the different ways that the invention wouldn't succeed.  And then... he did it.

You can do it! I promise! It isn't that hard and it doesn't require much skill most of the time.

Go out and buy yourself a bottom-of-the-line sewing machine.  Or buy a used one.  DOn't spend a lot of money on your first (Walmart has a very simple Brother machine for around $75).  Buy one of the easiest patterns you can find.  A simple handbag, a bib, a skirt.  Buy fabric (don't start with knit--stretchy--fabric or you might be in over your head).  And do it.

I promise you'll thank yourself.

And if you need some guidance along the way, just ask you mom, your grandma, your mother-in-law, your friend, or even me!  If I can't help you I'll tell you.  I just love empowering others to make amazing things and do the impossible.

Your fear of failure shouldn't be enough to stop you from doing something amazing--even if it's something as simple as sewing something your son or daughter will poop into .

Let me know how this goes for you!  I would love to see creative progress :-D