I never thought I'd learn to sew

Let me tell you a story. When I was about 10 or 11 years old, my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to enter the 4-H fashion show. If you don't know what 4-H is, you probably didn't grow up in a small Texas town. Basically, I had to sew a piece of clothing and then model it. Yes, I know, I was on track to becoming Miss America.

My mom learned how to sew from her mom. She sewed a lot of our clothes when we were younger. The ones I remember most clearly were matching Easter dresses she made for my sister and I. They were green and poofy.

Well, I thought I would give the fashion show a shot. I made a little denim and floral dress...with LOTS of help from my mom. I remember getting so frustrated and just wanting to quit. Well, I finished. The armholes were really small so they cut into my armpits. The only time I ever wore the dress was in the fashion show. I don't even remember what the judges said....probably something about the tiny armholes.

When I was in college I decided to give sewing another shot. I wanted to make myself a cool, vintage looking purse. By this time I had started to view sewing as a little more "cool." I didn't want to use a pattern. I thought I could just make it up as I went along. My mom tried to warn me against that, but I was too stubborn. Well, I should have used a pattern. I finished the purse but it ended up much smaller than I thought it would be. It looked very homemade, but not like "cool" homemade. My mom ended up liking it more than I did.

Fast forward about 4 years. I meet Philip and find out he has this creative side to him. Turns out he has some sewing experience. I begin to see sewing as even more cool. We start talking about how cool it would be to have a sewing machine. Well, I decided to ask my parents for one for Christmas. My mom was excited. We ended up getting one...woohoo!

Philip came back to Denver about a week before I did after Christmas. When he picked me up from the airport he surprised me with an apron he had made for me! I was so shocked that he had already gotten good enough to make me an apron...and that it was so cute! Philip is really good at thinking in patterns and figuring things like that out, so sewing comes natural for him. Here are some pictures of the apron!

Well I decided I wanted to start learning. I thought the easiest thing I could start with were some placemats! We went to Joanns, picked out some really cute fabic and got to work. Philip showed me how to work the sewing machine and let me take it from there. The hardest part wasn't the sewing, but cutting out the pattern and fabric. Between the two of us, we finished 6 placemats just in time to have some friends over for dinner. Here they are!

So, despite all my past unsuccesful attempts at sewing, I just might turn out to be a seamstress after all!