mlsa3 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 You ladies talking about your 7 and 9 year old granddaughters sewing their very first pillow case is really embarrassing me. When I decided I wanted to learn to sew and quilt, I bought a used Brother machine...(wife was stingy and wouldn't let me use hers...actually she was using it at the time and I'm pretty impatient)...of course the machine didn't work right so I had to put it in the shop but it worked great after that. My wife says I should start with making a pillow case since it would be simple and can get used to sewing a straight seam. Bought fabric...planned it out....started sewing. Seams straight...yea....even put a fancy stitch that was on the machine....was really proud. (Now remember I'm not a 7 year old girl...I'm in my mid 50's) So I took the finished pillow case to my wife for her approval (she's a perfectionist). She looked at it...turned it over and made a comment about the straight seams...commented on the fancy stitches...then says, "Don't you think you should have left one end open so that you can slide the pillow inside?" I always hated smart alec's. That was the start of my friendship with my seam ripper. It has become my best friend and we get together often. So I'm especially proud of your granddaughters sewing their first pillow case. We made the mistake of going to the Houston International Quilt Festival that year. We only live 30 minutes from there. Wrong thing to do....I said, "I want to do that." It has cost us several thousand dollars over the years. First upgraded to a Bernina Activa 140....kept it a year and decided I wanted a Bernina 153 Quilters edition...knowing that would automatically make my quilts look better. Gave the wife the Activa....which she a few years later traded in for a Bernina 153 Quilters edition...she don't even quilt...she's a knitter. Then there's the fabric....thread....batting....designs...this year a Block Rockit mid arm machine and Grace frame. (If she even knew I was on this APQS site and was drooling all over myself looking at the Milly she would kill me....so please don't tell her. But....for Christmas I finished quilting her memory quilt that I had made the top 10 years ago so she was happy. She had certain quilt designs she wanted on it and I wasn't about to try to do them pushing a queen size quilt through my Bernina so I used that excuse to help get my Block Rockit. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachside Quilter Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks for sharing your journey, David! We love pictures! Enjoy the process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Row Studio Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 You made me laugh with story of the Pillowcase. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 My husband, like you had no sewing experience, but felt challenged to complete a quilt. He first decided that he must have a Singer 404 due to their "strength" and smoothness. He then selected his pattern ( a bargello that he had seen on this website, quilted by Nadia Wilson). He then poured over fabric until he found a selection of Moda tonal fabrics. He ordered his pattern and went to work. I only offered verbal assistance, defining cutting and sewing terms. I even made him learn to iron his seams properly. Once the top was complete, I informed him that he had to learn to quilt it. (he wanted his quilted like the original that he had seen, requiring ruler work from corner to corner, giving it a curved look). I only offered to do the hand sewing on his binding as I had seen his handwork when he offered to show me a faster way to do hand quilting on my antique quilting frame. The quilt turned our beautifully. ( he is a perfectionist, so I expected it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micajah Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hi David. Thanks for sharing your first sewing experience with us. So funny! Reminds me of my "beginning to sew" times. Thank goodness, grandma was patient and had a good seam ripper. Please share more of your quilting adventures with us. Debbie Newnan Ga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBCorson Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Block Rockit! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 When I first began to sew I taught myself...I thought I would make a "Wilma Flintstone" costume. How hard could that be one long piece of fabric with a hole cut in the center for my head to go thru- sew up the sides and slice up the bottom to look "cave womany" I did it all by hand and was soooooo proud of myself...then I tried to put it on-I had sewn up the entire side-left no opening for my arms!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 David, we all are enjoying your story and will anxiously await to see how you manage to get Millie into your home. Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeAnn Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Oh my! I laughed out loud at the pillowcase story!!! Thanks for your story. Keep 'em comin'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlsa3 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Sewhappy Your post reminds me of a time many years ago in my single days. Had a friend over and she was helping me make a Halloween costume for a church Halloween party our singles was having. I was going as the tin man....simple costume...RIGHT? Long rectangle box...cut hole for head and holes for arms....cover in tin foil.... and a funnel for a hat....looked pretty darn good. Put the costume on and then couldn't get it off....the box came down to my knees...it's not like taking off a t-shirt....no where to grab to pull the thing off and holes for arms were too small....well, my friend was no help....she was laughing so hard she literally fell off the couch...I kept trying to pull the box over my head and kept asking her to help me and she laughed even harder....now I'm getting pretty desperate....couldn't sit down....couldn't cross my arms...all I could do was just stand there and watch her laughing at me. It took about 20 minutes or so for her to calm down enough where she CUT me out of my costume. Needless to say, I did NOT buy her dinner that night. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 David, I can see you are going to keep us in stitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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