Sewing class - I didn't know I was so Ignorant!

My hubby gave me a sewing lesson for my birthday last month.   Today I cashed in my voucher and it was sew much fun! I love to assemble pretty things but a tailor I am not.  I've sewn my share of Halloween costumes and I made this quilt:

...and yes, with that old sewing machine. But that was a lot of cutting and straight stitch- nothing fancy.

I am a self taught, intimidated, spazzmaticly unpredictable seamstress.  I never know what I will produce, and what's worse is that I don't do "precision" (or ironing).

I'm the same way with cooking.  I can whip together a fabulous dinner with whatever is in the fridge but if you want me to bake... you may NOT be in for a treat.  There are measuring cups and timers and all these activities that have to be just so.  This just isn't my style.  I used to pretend like it was...which completely sucked because it was stressful and judgey and I wasn't fooling anyone anyway.  Now I try to embrace my impulsive, inspired, uninhibited creativity and remind myself that I am not any less artistic than the guy with sharpened prismacolor pencils. Ahhh - but I digress.

So anyway, I took my sewing lesson and since I was the only one in the class we basically wandered the fabric store discussing fabrics, patterns, thread, needles and all the common mistakes new sewers make when they get started.  Then we sat down at the machine and I learned what all the buttons do.  I even touched the tension knob! Ackkkk!  I was raised that whatever you do, never, ever, ever touch the tension knob on mommy's sewing machine.  Well guess what... the world didn't explode; I wasn't eaten by a big slimy monster, nor did I get arrested.  Sigh...  What a relief. She even had me sew stitches on the "1" tension setting (using the pedal and on medium speed!!) and it was no big deal.  Just a loose stitch.  Big whoop.  I'm so glad I crossed that off my bucket list.

She taught me how to use that weird ruler that every seamstress seems to carry around - the gauge.  How did I ever get through life not knowing about the gauge???  I learned to call the grainline "the grainline" and that a nap has nothing to do with hair.  It was fascinating and I feel like I have just scratched the surface.  I am looking forward to the next lesson where we will discuss "stick pins".  ha ha.

Actually I have begun working on F and D on McCalls' pattern M6250.  I have elected to make mine an outfit rather than P.J.'s and I'm going pass on the peace signs fabric.  I picked out tiny white polka dots on black for the pants and then a sweet pink and black pattern for the top.  What bugs me is that I could have bought 2 or 3 of these outfits with the money I spent on my cloth.  What is that all about?

So my SN@P album is now on my desk and I'm cutting patterns tonight.  I feel a little cross-eyed at this point, but I wanted to make sure I posted this exciting diversion that I'm playing with.  The hay garden, scrapbooking and finishing my kid's art books will have to wait for a couple of days.  You can never have too many projects going at any given time!