Thursday, February 7, 2013

It Started With An Unexpected Gift....

It was around 5 years ago when mom and daddy bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. At the time I had no clue what to do with it. I wasn't much of a domestic goddess like my mom and younger sisters.
A fun afternoon for me (if resources permitted) would involve skeet shooting (emphasis on inanimate objects...not cute,fluffy,living objects...that's the girl in me!) , making small wooden home decor (like shelves...) and the like. I've made many wooden shelves with raw lumber and a scroll saw. They are so exquisite that they were one of the many items contentiously fought over in my divorce...and my ex lost.

So, the sewing machine sat in my closet for several years or so and I tip toed around it like it was a bomb. It intimidated me much more than a rifle!

Fast forward to a year and a half ago. I was released from the tyranny of my previous marriage and in a much better place in my life. The sewing machine came out of the closet and I decided to master it's beguiling  presence. 

My mom has been a professional tailor and owned her own business all of her life. However, she was not nearby to teach me with her vast knowledge. The second option would have been to hit up an elderly lady in the church who would hopefully have the fortitude and patience to teach me how to sew. But, that too wasn't an option. I hadn't gone to church in years due to my oppressive former marriage.

My daddy passed away prematurely from an illness caused by Agent Orange about that time. I really needed a stress relieving outlet!   So, I gravitated to the only source of knowledge I knew was readily available....YouTube.

And, that's how I learned how to sew. I would still prefer to be shooting a gun or making something awesome out of wood. But sewing is relatively cheap and can be done almost anytime of the day or night. The sewing bug bit me and I started to really enjoy it too. I created an online clothing shop after sewing for a year or more.

When looking for sewing patterns for Father's Day, I ran across the following article, The Guys Guide To Sewing Machines. What I would have give if this article had been around when I was first learning how to sew! The guy who wrote it is HILARIOUS. I don't know what I enjoyed more....the sky high stack of Xboxes in the background (I'm sure it was an accident)....the really awful/non-technical jargon he uses to describe parts of the sewing machine....or the incredibly awesome crotch shot in one of the photos....



My love for sewing all started with an unexpected gift. If you are facing the same bewilderment for sewing as I did, just jog on over to The Guys Guide To Sewing Machines. If nothing else, you will find it very amusing!

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