The blonde's in stitches!

I had a momentous evening last week, as I finally took my sewing machine out of it's box...nearly two years after receiving it as a birthday present from my mum.

Now, to be clear, I wanted this sewing machine. We went shopping for it together, and I chose it, looking forward to customising my clothes and adding to my sewing skills.


However, when I got it, I kept putting off my sewing projects, and after a while, even looking at the box became a little daunting. I am the type of person who hates having to read instruction manuals. Luckily, with items such as cameras and laptops and so on, you can often get them up and running with minimal instruction from the booklet. But with a sewing machine, I knew that I would actually have to do a little reading to make sure I got it all set up correctly, as the last time I used one was when I was 17, doing my art A-Level, and I got into making crazy fabric collages. Since then, I had forgotten how to thread the needle and bobbin etc.


So, my lovely neat little Janome Décor Computer 3050 model ended up at the bottom of my wardrobe, hidden under a host of other clothes, bags, shoes, toiletries, paperwork (read: crap).....until last week, that is.


With my birthday fast approaching, I thought it was about time to put this neglected present to use, and utilise my time effectively by tackling some of my escalating little sewing tasks (mostly shortening and hemming a few items of clothing as well as taking some of them in). Well, whad'ya know? It wasn't so complicated after all! Granted, I only read the beginning of the manual, just enough to find out how to get it up and running, but I can safely say, not only did I get it running, but we won the race!


Ok, so my hems may not be quite as straight as those of a nimble-fingered, professional seamstress, but, considering this is the first time I have actually used a sewing machine to alter clothing, as opposing to just using it to create haphazard artwork, I am feeling pretty pleased with myself (and my newly revived dresses)!


I love my sewing machine and my mind is now filled with ideas of grandeur, although my slight impatience (to accurately take measurements, pin material, read instructions...as opposed to my usual freestyling) leads me to wonder how many of these ideas will actually come to fruition...