#1

After much urging by my crafty friends, I’ve started a blog.

I’m intending to use my little corner of the web to share ideas, post patterns, and document projects, but there’s no doubt I’ll get distracted – be warned!

I’ve always been interested in sewing, but lately it’s becoming a more and more important part of my life. My mom taught me how to sew when I was little on her 1981 Singer, and I’ve been in love ever since. Most of my projects were time-wasters on idle rainy days; trying to find a use for this old t-shirt, or piecing together a skirt from an old pair of blue jeans, or trying to fit scraps of fabric together to make a cute purse. None of these projects ever really resulted in anything useful, but they were a way for me to get to know the sewing machine better, and learn how to work with fabric and thread.

I’m just now finishing up my freshman year of college. In December, my Grandma got me my own sewing machine as a Christmas present. She let me pick out the perfect kind, and (relying heavily on my mom’s advice) I am now the proud owner of a Singer Esteem II. I prefer sewing machines on the simple side for the kind of sewing I do, and the Esteem II is almost the same model as my mom’s (albeit a bit newer and modern-looking). I’m in love with it – just ask my roommate how much time I spend avoiding coursework in front of it. I’ve been productive too, however, using it to do alterations and fix-ups for people on campus as a way of making extra money.

This summer, I’m going back to Switzerland to stay with my family. I’m a college student with a very low budget, so I’ve been on a quest for a well-paying, interesting summer job. Most of the normal summer jobs aren’t available because of Swiss employment laws (I’ll be 20 and I’m not a Swiss citizen, so it’s very difficult to get a work permit). I wanted flexible hours and time off when the usual flurry of friends and family hop the pond to visit for a week or so. I wanted to be interested in my work, so I’d be sure I could really commit. I wanted something interesting and impressive to put on my resume for when I graduate from university. I talked to my mom about all these things, and she had the best idea: give summer sewing classes.

So this is my new, big-girl sewing project, and I’m not just going to cast it aside at the end of the rainy day. I’ve put a lot of effort into imagining, researching, planning, and now publicizing – wish me luck. During the next month, I’ll be posting project ideas and updates on the specifics of my sewing course. Please comment or email me if you want information about the course.