wisehawk.com

Martha Need Not Worry

With Martha Stewart likely spending some time in jail soon, I figured there might be an opening for a new homemaking guru. I thought (for a very brief time) that I could be it.

You see, I bought a sewing machine earlier this month. Bob & I had gone to see Sue speak at a homeschooling conference. Various vendors were selling their wares in the homeschool marketplace. One of the booths we came across was "Learn to Sew." I chatted with the guy behind the table, and he explained their sewing program for girls as young as 6. I (mistakenly) assumed "if a 6 year old can do this, then certainly I can do this." We bought a Level 1 sewing kit and a machine on the spot. (Mind you, I did sew in 8th grade home ec. class—all those many, many years ago. I further tried to convince myself that I wasn't in over my head by reminding myself of the cute surfboard pillow I made way back when...)

The following week we went out of town, and the whole time we were gone, I had a hard time containing my excitement at the thought of my sewing machine waiting for me upon my return.

When we did return, I woke my poor neighbors up at 11:30 on Sunday morning (oh to be young, single and able to stay awake past 10 pm) to collect all the packages the UPS man had left for us—including my sewing machine.

But as soon as I brought the box upstairs, I got stage fright. I set the box down and proceeded to open a different box— the sewing kits that I had ordered as a project when Kate & Beth come down next month. (BTW—they are the same kits that I used in 8th grade home ec!!)

By Sunday afternoon, I still hadn't opened the machine.

By 6:00 Sunday night, I had psyched myself back up and decided to just dive in. I ripped open the box, cut the tape, and pulled my sewing machine free. I was making good progress. I started examining the machine closer, and managed to pull open a storage drawer filled with all kinds of sewing stuff I didn't recognize. I quickly grabbed the user guide in hopes of unlocking this mystery called a sewing machine. It only took 10 seconds more for me to realize I was in over my head.

I have now stared at my sewing machine, sitting on the kitchen table, for almost a week. Occasionally I get up enough courage to grab the user guide again, hoping to find the magic answers to this strange piece of machinery I have brought into my home. Meanwhile, Kate & Beth are still coming next weekend and are very excited to learn to sew. I wonder if I can just send them to sewing camp instead. I think I'll go too.

Posted by heather at July 30, 2004 04:37 PM