Tuesday, August 7, 2012

So Long Sewing Machine

You may recall (or not) that three years ago I bought a sewing machine. In fact, it will be exactly three years this Friday that the sewing machine shipped to my home. I looked back in the archives of August 2009 and I apparently never blogged about purchasing the sewing machine. What can I say, it was the first year of my blog and I wasn't the best blogger as far as regular posts or content for that matter. Obviously this blog has vastly improved over the past three years. Shh! I can hear you chuckling! Moving on...

Tony was the reason I purchased the sewing machine. You see, he basically insinuated that I could do everything but sew and so I set out to prove that I could in fact do it all - even sew. I had never really had any interest in sewing but by George if someone thought I couldn't do something then I was certainly going to prove that I could do it and so to Amazon I went and ordered myself a machine that can stitch about 70 different ways.

I was pretty excited when I first got it and my friend Shawna came over and helped me set it up. She helped me sew what was originally going to be some place mats but turned into pillows because I cut them to small. I also sewed a couple of super hero capes which quite honestly weren't much to brag about and I attempted to sew a camera strap cover - that was an epic fail. Shawna came over another time to help me attempt to sew a reusable grocery bag and we got as far as ironing on a protective coating on the fabric before we called it a day and then she moved to Tennessee a few weeks later. Needless to say, the sewing and I weren't very compatible.

Last year in August when the floor to my spare bedroom was ripped up and replaced, it had been around a year or so since I had even turned the sewing machine on. I would occasionally look at it and envision all the lovely things that could be crafted using it, but I was never motivated to actually turn it on and make anything. To put it bluntly, it was sitting on my desk collecting dust. After the spare bedroom was put back in order, I stored away the sewing machine in a cabinet instead of leaving it out on the desk; and so, it has been sitting in a cabinet untouched for a year. That makes a total of at least two years, maybe even two years and some months that I haven't turned on the sewing machine. To say I lost interest in all things sewing is the under statement of the decade. I admire people who can sew and make lovely things, it's just not for me. We all have talents and I am not ashamed to say my talents lie in places other than the sewing room.

A month or so ago, my friend Caroline wrote a teaser post about the gender of the baby she is carrying. She didn't reveal the gender because she didn't know but did mention that if she were to have a girl (she has two boys right now) that she wanted to get a sewing machine so she could make girly clothes and who knows what else. So, I left her a comment and said that if she is pregnant with a girl I would give her my sewing machine.

Then this past week, Caroline wrote a post and announced that she and her lovely husband are indeed having a baby girl, which meant it was time for me to pony up. I am a woman of my word after all. So, I left Caroline a comment and told her to send me her address and I would send her my sewing machine. I had honestly rather she have it than it sit in my cabinet. I'd rather give it to Caroline than sell it in a garage sale 10 years from now.

Monday I was able to get a box and some foam from work (legally, people!) and I brought it home and packed up the sewing machine. There wasn't enough foam to fill up the giant box the shipping supervisor gave me so I am going to pack the empty spaces with newspaper and am thinking about getting some bubble wrap for the actual machine. Once I have it packed to my liking, I'll tape it up and send it on it's way to North Carolina - ironically, three years to the week that I received it.

So long sewing machine - you served me well for three years and three projects - huh, what do you know, I averaged one sewing project a year for the last three years. I think I may need a gold medal for that! I'm sure Caroline will average more than one sewing project a year and I can't wait to see all the lovely items  that my sweet friend creates!




All boxed up with somewhere to go


Going to Caroline in North Carolina

4 comments:

carolinecollie said...

I am totally grinning from ear to ear excited and you TOTALLY crack me up! I'd say averaging one sewing project per year is still way above average for most! I am going to hold to my end of the bargain and sew an apron for you! Does your kitchen have a particular colour scheme that I should accommodate?

carolinecollie said...

P.S. I hope you didn't have to sell a kidney to ship it to me!! I imagine they are rather heavy and that was a big box! If you change your mind about me helping with the postage let me know! Thank you!!!!!!

Erika said...

I, too, had dreams of being a wonderful seamstress, but gave up that idea after a sewing class I took in Nashville. I just don't get it. I think it's definitely a God given talent.
I'm glad you know someone that can use it!
p.s. Now I know who to call when I need packaging materials :)

Jackie said...

When Ashlyn was very little I got a wild hair and decided I was going to start sewing. That lasted about a week. I absolutely hated it which was very disappointing considering all the women in my family are very good at it. I agree with Erika it is definitely a God given talent. Plus a lot of patience is involved and I have none of that:)