Once upon a time ago, not too long ago, I was a beginner sewer. The year was around 2007, and I recently purchased my very own sewing machine. This machine was so special that I gave her the name “Big Sister”. It was because of Big Sister that I am where I am today. Big Sister was a Singer Quantum XL 6000, and her super power was…she threaded herself. That’s right!!! She threaded herself! All I had to do was simply pull about 8″ of thread from the spool and guide it to the left to a thread cutter. (I remember spending a whole day trying to decipher instructions printed in a manual on how to thread a machine, and still wasn’t able to thread the machine.) Next, I pushed a button and this sweet machine miraculously threaded itself, including the needle! I kept this amazing machine for as long as I possibly could. There are no other machines on the market that have this remarkable capability.

One of the first sewing classes I took with Big Sister was to make this beautiful blouse. Sue Ann Obremski taught this class at Attic Treasures. Sue Ann has the patience of a Saint! When I enrolled in this class, I had never cut a sewing pattern before. Let’s just say, I had a lot of guidance in making this blouse, but I finished it, every single stitch! This blouse is chocked full of heirloom techniques featuring decorative stitches and machine embroidery. I must admit, it’s not something that I have worn but a few times. It’s very much a trophy of completion and a reminder that I can tackle any sewing challenge. I learned a lot of heirloom techniques, features of my machine and “sew” much more!

Fun Fact: I am a Licensed Martha Pullen Teacher. That experience right there was a great foundation for my career in the sewing industry. If you’re familiar with heirloom sewing you readily associate her name with the word heirloom. Or, you may recognize her name from the PBS sewing program Martha’s Sewing Room.

Back in the day, I really did start as a garment sewer, and I believe had my career not led me in a different direction, I would have fancied couture sewing today. I’m just wired for precision and detail. Yes, this blouse drives me nuts because I look at it and it wrinkles, even after starching it!

So let this resonate with you. Anyone can sew as long as you have a seam ripper! You too can make something beautiful or complex like this. Often times techniques appear way more complicated than they are in reality. Sometimes you just take it one step at a time. All you need is patience and a willingness to learn. It is perfectly okay to make mistakes…we all make them. Treat yourself as you would a child, and give yourself time to learn. I tell the children that I teach, that anyone can sew fast, but it takes skill to sew slow. Funny how that slows them down and they concentrate a little more. To this day, I sew rather slow both in the physical act of sewing and thinking steps through before rushing into them.