Adventures in Sewing: Understanding Sewing Instructional Books

We’ve already established here I am not a natural born seamstress, but how hard could this be – right? After all, I’m a grown woman now. I am a college graduate, can read, know how to use scissors, and have this pretty new sewing machine. Let the fun begin!


Now let me see….a beginner’s manual might be a good idea in case I get stuck. My favorite fabric shop offers several guides for beginners, but which one is written at my level of sewing knowledge? Maybe it would be a good idea to borrow some guides from the library before making a purchase. Good thinking!


So far, all of these guides look like they are written in Greek. I don’t speak Greek.

But wait! There’s Sewing for Dummies on the shelf. I picked it up, flipped through it, and instantly felt like...like...what's dummer than dummies?

Remember the time you sewed your fabric to your dress? Auntie Mare’s words were ringing in my head.

Then, an aha moment…eBay! You can find anything on eBay. Sure enough, within a few short moments I purchased two guides that are written at my level of sewing knowledge.

Is 10-yr old Jamie mocking me?

This is going to be great!

Adventures in Sewing: Why Learn Now?

Why do you want to learn to sew, NOW? I’ve been asked this question so many times in the past several weeks I’m beginning to wonder myself. The answer is simple, why not?

As my Auntie Mare was quick to point out, the last attempt to learn to sew did not go well at all. In my defense, I was only nine or ten at the time of my first mishap. My mother, who was no seamstress although she could embroider and was able to complete the basics satisfactorily, gave me a piece of fabric and a threaded needle with which to practice.

After meticulously working on my domestic masterpiece for some time, I went to show my mother who I anticipated would be so impressed and proud of her little Suzy Homemaker. Alas, the unveiling revealed…I had sewn the fabric to my dress!

Then there was the time in seventh grade home economics when the teacher asked me to bring her the white fabric on her desk. I came back with a white sheet. Hey, it was white and it was made from fabric.

Time will tell, all these years later, what adventures/mishaps this latest attempt will bring. I did purchase an inexpensive sewing machine, some fabric (that doesn’t belong on a bed), an adorable chambray sewing basket, and the basics that go inside. I guess the next step will be to dive into the instructional books for beginners, patterns, and blogs to learn how to use everything….

Note to self: Don’t wear a dress when sewing.